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The Last Word
Did Adi Amma Live a Fruitful life?
Rajen Kumar
Aug 2011
Aug 2011
The needle moved swiftly criss-crossing through the threads perfectly obeying the commands of her frail fingers. Her head never swerved as her eyes remained glued to the crotia work. The serene face felt pale and pained as fatique was visible with an unknown anguish. I immediately noticed this 72-year-old lady during my visit to a poor working women's centre being run by a well-known NGO in Narsapur (Eastern Godawari) in Andhra Pradesh about two decades ago.
Feeling inquisitive, I asked the NGO volunteers about the lady. I was told that she is almost deserted by her children engaged in good jobs elsewhere. Her name was Adi Amma. “We noticed her sad plight as she had hardly any money to make both ends meet. We adopted her and gave her work to do to make her live a dignified life, “ I was informed. “I want to speak to her,” I expressed my desire. “She can only speak in local language but I can be the interpreter,” the lady volunteer obliged me. My dialogue thus started with Adi Amma.
Q. How are you?
AA: (I see her head move up to see me with a wholesome wrinkled smile and gesture of o.k)
Q. How many children you have?
AA. (Keeps quiet for a while) Three
Q.Where are they?
AA. In the city as all are married.
Q. Do they visit you?
AA. Not anymore.
Q. Why?
AA. I don't know. May be I am too old for them.
Q. Do you like the work of crotia?
AA. (More smiles as she feels shy like a teenage girl) I was taught this work here and it is good.
Q. Before this how did you manage?
AA. (Adi Amma had no answer but the volunteer informed me that she was hardly able to eat enough. So when we came to know
about her, we brought her here.)
Q. Are you happy here?
AA. (Full smiles) Yes, a lot.
Q. How much you earn in a day?
AA. Rs. 15 or 20 but this society takes care of me now and I am not worried now.)
Q. Do you eat fruits?
AA. Earlier i did eat sometimes but when my children left me I forgot about fruits.
Q. Where did you live before coming to this place?
AA. (No answer but the volunteer informed that she lived in a small thatched hut which turned into shambles)
Q. Do you like fruits?
AA. yes but I don't remember the taste now.
Q. Will you eat fruits if someone gave you money?
AA. (By now she started feeling relaxed) Who will give me fruits( she says it mischievously)?
Q. No, tell me will you eat fruits if you have some money every month?
AA. My children won't come here anymore so i won't have enough money to buy fruits.
Q. If someone gives you Rs.100/- a month, will you promise that you will eat fruits?
AA. Yes. But I know no one will give me money for fruits.
Q. Adi Amma, I will send you Rs.100/- every month and you must eat fruits.
AA. (She extends her hands and gives me blessings without a word)
Before I left the society, I gave Rs.1,000/- to the volunteer with a promise that only Rs.100/- be given to Adi Amma and ensure that she eats the way she likes.
I kept sending money for a few years until i lost contact with the Society as it moved to a new premises, I later learnt. This was 20 years ago.
About four years ago, I happened to visit Narsapur again but I had forgotten all about Adi Amma. It was in the month of April. I had lunch in the society and my work was soon over. I saw a very old lady, in her nineties, doing some petty job here and there but I did't notice much.
I leave the place for my hotel. On the way, I immediately recalled my rendezvous with Adi Amma years ago. If that old frail lady is Adi Amma? I questioned myself. I ask the driver to take a u-turn for the society office.
I called a volunteer and ask who that old lady was? “She is Adi Amma.” I could not speak another word and straight head for her. She was cleaning the table. Her hands which moved like a magic with the needles twenty years ago had given up. She had become very weak, could hardly walk. Age had taken over her health. But I was happy that she still lived and I was there to meet her. I asked Adi Amma (through the volunteer). “Do you remember me,”? Her smile became familiar though the onslaught of long years had the bearing on Adi Amma. “No,” she said. I tried to slip her into the past. “Remember, I used to send you money for fruits and I hope you must have taken fruits with that money and I am sorry that I didn't keep my promise all these years.” She immediately threw the duster away and thick tears made way into her sparkling eyes. Without uttering a word, she took my head to her chest and started blessing me as if her long lost child was found.
I immediately offered her some money with a promise again that she will have fruits, enough fruits as she had become very weak. She blessed me profusely and asked, “when will I visit again?” I said, very soon.
A year later, I got the news from the volunteer that Adi Amma was no more. I wonder did Adi Amma live a fruitful life? I wonder what happens to the old and the infirm when their children desert them for whatever reason? Adi Amma was lucky to have the patronage of the society but there are thousands and thousands of such unfortunate who remain devoid of any social security. We have old age homes only in the metros but the problem is big enough to call for our efforts. What it costs to leave your parents to fend for themselves in the evenings of their lives is a question only the concerned can answer.
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