Sweetness and Soul

Where did it all started…

Circa…. My childhood

Remember that rainy June afternoon. Me sitting with my mother on the veranda of our house in India. I always loved my time with my mother. Being a very good conversationalist, my mother made these rendezvous very interesting, informative, inspiring and intellectual.

“Do you see that lady there..   The one with that floral umbrella. Look at her walk. I am sure she is diabetic.” She would say….

“What is diabetes?” I asked her innocently. I was fascinated by the word and how it felt pronouncing it.

“It’s an illness where the sugar levels in the body goes high.”

“But didn’t you say that sweetness in life is always good and we have to be sweet to people.”

“Yes I did. But that’s only in the matters of soul not the body.” My mom had all the answers.

“Sweetness in the body is bad but the sweetness in the soul is good.” I was intrigued.

My mother took another sip of her freshly brewed coffee from her silverware and kissed me on my forehead…. “Someday you will realise what I mean….. Someday you will…”

“But what if that lady has diabetes…. Is she going to die?”

“No silly… She won’t. She has lot of things to do. Her son is about to get married. She has all the preparations to do for the ceremony. Her daughter recently had a baby. She is running around preparing for her grandson’s naming ceremony. Her life is full of rituals and functions. Her husband is useless and he won’t help. He is always sitting in the town square plaza with his friends smoking in his retired life. She looked after her family all her life and the tiredness is manifested. All that sweetness her soul gave has come out as her illness. That’s why elders always said have a balance of sweetness, sourness and bitterness in life.” My mother was going on. I was all mesmerised by my mother’s understanding and intuition.

“You are talking about the food.Right?” After all I was my mother’s son.

“Both sweet pearl…. The food for the body and the food for the soul.”

I love people watching with my mother…. She had answers for everything both in mortal and spiritual world……

“That’s your Americano with extra shot Su.”  Carey handed me the big mug of coffee.

“Thanks Carey…. Kind of you” I sipped my coffee and could feel the energy trickle down the throat. Coffee at Carey’s Avacado Café has now become an addiction. I come to the café to sit and write. One bright spot in an otherwise dull town.

Carey runs this café with her brother Jamie. Popular among the local clientele and tourists alike, one can be assured of meeting interesting people here. Some old ladies with their knitting kits, Some scruffy builders from Marina in their soiled boots, Some long distance walkers and some canine lovers. Then there was me people watching absorbing everything and guessing the story behind them.

“No cake today Su?” Trish from the corner table gently shouted at me. Trish is a friend from café. She is a spiritualist and Life coach who lives around the area and works from café. She proof reads my writings, listens to my gibberish thoughts and motivates me to think more gibberishly.

“No Trish. I have to watch what I am eating. Risk of diabetes…..” I smiled. I know what diabetes is now and pronouncing it is not as tingly as it used to be.

“Moderation darling, moderation.” Carey was keen to sell her cakes to me. Carey had recently started baking her own cakes. She was always extra keen on me to try them. I always gave her my honest opinion. Her cakes are good but I never told her that.

“Who baked them? Your mom or yourself?” I asked Carey. She had her rivalry with her mother over the baking.

“Today is mine. It’s your favourite Lemon Drizzle.” Carey winked at me as she rested her elbow on cash table.

Little Devil of Sweetness…. She always lures me in to the sin of sweet gluttony.

“Go on then…. Only one piece” I do easily give in.

At this rate I will be that lady with diabetes my mother spotted……

As I took the first bite of the cake, I noticed this frail contoured old lady trying to open the door of the café juggling with her walking stick and a bag.

Carey jumped towards the door to open it for her and helped her to settle down. She took her orders and disappeared behind the cash counter in to the kitchen.

That lady fascinated me. She reminded me of the lady from my childhood. That limp in her walk and that frailty of the exhaustion of life. Diabetic sure she is but has she got that story behind her. I am sure she has some story. Let me watch her and guess her story.

She is a spinster nurse. She was a nurse in the army during Second World War. She met love of her life, an injured soldier in one of the wards. He was speaking very little then. She nursed him and fell in love with him. Then they realised he was German and belonged to the enemy army. He was taken in as a prisoner. The lady remained spinster since still carrying the torch. As or the soldier nobody knows what happened to him.

“I guess your imagination is running wild Su.” Trish pointed out.

“A little bit.” I winked back.

Unconditional love which was never meant to be…  Oh wow!!! I could not take my eyes off her.  In her late eighties now, I am sure that lady was a head turner in her days. Curiosity killed the cat…. I could not resist but get her to tell me her story. I wanted to find all about her unrequited love. I doubt whether she will ever tell me though.

“You seem to be restless young man.”  The lady asked me. “What is the matter?”

“I guess you are a nurse. I thought there is that feel of healer around you.” There I was trying to act smart.

She burst in to laughter. I could see the wrinkles on her face stretching the freckles in her face. She had certain authoritative grace about her. I could see that she dressed impeccably with floral scarf and home knit cardigan.

“Oh dear…. No my love. I was a housewife. My grandchildren are all grown up now. Finally I have enough time on my own to get to café and drink my coffee at peace when I am not surviving on my diabetic tablets.” And there it was I could see her eyes twinkle. I know that twinkle. I have seen it before.

Yes…. That was the twinkle I did see in that woman my mother spotted years ago.

Life had come full circle for me…… Sort of.