Slice of Life #11 2015

You always heard amma coming around the corner. The glass bangles on her right wrist would jingle-jangle as she strode purposefully, warning us of her imminent arrival. Any mischief was promptly filed away under 'KIV' and, if lady luck happened to side with us, we'd get away with it.

She smelled of sandalwood, her favorite soap brand being Mysore Sandal Soap. When puberty hit and hormones usurped all control, she prescribed sandalwood paste to soothe those eruptions akin to miniature volcanoes pebble-dashed upon what was once my face.

At home, she wore housecoats designed and stitched by her own hand, which remain her personal trademark till this day in the eyes of those who loved her. She had three of these at any one time. Should one tear, she'd patch it first before replacing it with another. There were maybe six saris to her name, all of which were printed silk. She was terribly partial to this soft, light, silken fabric that compared to a gentle breeze against your skin - and the fact that they dried in a matter of minutes when stretched across the clothes line. Indeed, she was a practical lady, my mom.

"Happiness is not in getting more, but in wanting less," was her personal mantra - and she stuck to it.

Image: "Mysore Sandal Soap : Bath & Body Review - Bois de Jasmin." 2014. 11 Mar. 2015 <http://boisdejasmin.com/2014/11/mysore-sandal-soap-bath-body-review.html>