A Conversation

• How is your health? 
• I'm doing well, tell me how are you?
• Have you had your lunch?
• Yes, what about you?
• No, we have to eat still. How is your health?
• Amma, I'm doing fine. Tell me what are you doing?
• I'm talking to you.
•  . (Well, was that not obvious? What a silly question to ask! Silly me!) What did you do today?
• What do I do everyday? I eat, I drink, I sit around and get fat. And I trouble everyone around me. What news at your place?
• Nothing much is happening here ma. You tell me something. What is happening there?
• Have you had your lunch?
• Yes ma, I have had my lunch. What is the menu there today?
• What is there today? (Thinks). There is vegetable, (struggles to remember).....
• What vegetable has Sister made?
• (Thinks). She has made some vegetable. How is your health?
• Amma I am OK.
• How is your pain?
• It is still there.
• Are you taking your medicines?
• Yes, I am taking all my medicines.
• Take care of your health. Eat well. Don't go and hit yourself somewhere. Don't go roaming around unnecessarily. Don't eat anything outside and upset your stomach. Don't forget to take your medicines.
• OK ma. Will do. Shall I put the phone down?
• OK. Take care of your health.

This is a typical telephonic conversation with my dear mother every 2-3 days. She is 83 afflicted by dementia, causing her to lose her memory and her ability to do anything for herself. Very often she does not remember whether she has any children or she thinks my sister is her older sister (who is no more), but till date she remembers that I am her daughter and keeps saying to my sis "Poor Satchi, she is not well". What I suffer from she does not remember. But she remembers that there is something that was not OK with me and she should remind me to take my medicines, eat my food and take care of my health. She forgets during the course of the conversation that she has already asked me the same question about 3 times. But.....she remembers that her child is not doing well and needs to be told to take her medicines and to eat well. My sister tells me, if I don't call for 3-4 days, she keeps fretting that I have not called, keeps touching the phone as if nudging it will make it ring and get me at the other end.

Need I say more?