By Sharika Nair
I had taken five minutes for a shower; just five goddamn minutes. Now flour and apple juice lie splattered on the kitchen floor, making a glutinous mess. This means getting down on my knees and scrubbing the floor. Again.
My three-year-old stands there, sticky flour in his hair, his Spiderman pajamas completely soaked and stained.
“I just wanted apple joosh,” he whispers.
I open my mouth, and feel my mother’s voice coming up through my vocal cords, snarling and hissing, “You disobedient no-good spawn of the devil!”
I shut my mouth, draw him close, flour and all, and say, “It’s okay.”
Excellent 101 words….. in a short space 2 childhoods….
Thank you! In a way, I think every child’s childhood is affected by their parents’ childhood
Wonderful words capturing the past with the present
Thank you!
Well encapsulated
Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
Ahhh, yes … I remember it well … precious memories all mixed up together … life is like that, yes.
yes… very true
Nice, redeeming the past … and present
Exactly… thanks
Great piece with few words that convey so much!
Thank you for your warm feedback 🙂
That’s what good moms do.
very much so
Great compacting. Fine example of the cliche about showing and not telling. Shows us the narrator’s thoughts and her mother’s character. And how she fights her history,
Thank you for your warm feedback 🙂
Ah, yes. been there. So true.
That’s tough… no child deserves it
New generations learning from previous errors. Those who *learn* from history are destined not to repeat it.
yes… exactly! How nice would it be if everyone learns and changes
I can visualise the scene. Nice that a bad upbringing has led to better understanding of a child rowing up.
yes, often compassion brings better results than harshness
Brilliant!
Thank you! 🙂
This is such a vivid story packed with emotions. I love it and so relatable for those of trying to fo better than our parents. Excellent job.
Thank you!! Every child deserves parents who try to do better 🙂