The Plastic Godbox - by Ambai

 About the Author:

C.S. Lakshmi (Ambai ) (1944-) was born in Coimbatore in 1944. She is a distinguished fiction writer in Tamil. Her works are characterized by her passionate espousal of the cause of women, humour, a lucid and profound style and a touch of realism. She is the only Tamil writer to have been included in the “Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature” edited by Amit Chaudhuri. She received a doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1970  and now she is the Director of Sound and Picture Archives for Research for Women (SPARROW) in Mumbai. Many of her stories have been translated into English. The Library of Congress holds five of her writings in its collection. She is a current member of the University of Michigan’s Global Feminism Project. She considers herself a feminist and lived a life without any compromise in gender related issues.

Introduction:

In her short story, “The Plastic Godbox”, Ambai describes a mother who strives to make kids live better life in this world. The sacrifice she makes for her children are innumerable. In fact, nothing can come close to the love that a mother feels for her children. “God could not be everywhere and so he invented mother” these words are apt to the mother character who is portrayed by Ambai in this short fiction.

Amma:

 Everyday it had been an habitual action fo Amma of keeping some rice on the window sill and calling out for the crows in Telugu. Inspite of Dhanam’s father’s transfers to various lands, she communicated with the birds in the particular language. According to Appa’s request, Amma had to board a flight to America to visit her daughter, Bharathi, Dhanam’s elder sister who is now a divorcee.

Bharathi’s letter:

After her reaching, Bharathi got a call from airline authorities ordering for pickles on contract as they had tasted what her mother had brought during custom checking. She also heard from her neighbours that mother had prepared ‘palkova’ with saffrons for the pregnant women. Still it was a mystery to Bharathi why mother had brought ‘kumkumapoo’ and also still not asked any question about Bharathi’s husband or her divorcee life. Even after going there Amma was keeping food fro crows but squirrels had come to taste her food regularly. As it was summer she could see her mother’s excitement to prepare ‘vadams’. Such an active mother she was. She could see her speaking politics, cooking, caring and many other worldly matters. What a life the mother meant for herself.

Once they had to visit her friend Thilaga’s house. Thilaga’s mother had been her Amma’s friend. It was quite natural they became close in their conversation. Thilaga asked Amma if she does regular pooja and rituals even after coming abroad. Amma replied that she had a plastic box in which she carried her idols of her favourite Gods and pooja materials wherever she went. After her returning, Bharathi felt for her mother and the sweet memories of her childhood days at their own house with her bother Dhinakaran and sister Dhanam.

Dhanam’s letter:

Now it was the turn of Dhanam to take care of her mother. After their father’s demise, Amma was staying with her three children in turn. At Dhanam’s house there was not much work for Amma as Dhanam’s husband took care of his own cooking and did not disturb anybody. He had his own culinary skill and Dhanam felt that it was her husband’s freedom where she cannot interfere. But Amma could not understand what was the so called freedom. Dhanam and Bharathi planned to pledge their jewels and get back their own house which was coming for  sale. They also asked their brother, Dhinakaran to support Amma financially every month, for they felt that Amma needed a big space for her to do pooja and to live a life on her own terms. It was also decided that the Dhanam should visit her now and then to confirm about her good health. Even Dhanam’s daughter wanted to spend more time with her grandmother listening to her. While Dhanam was writing all these she saw her mother as usual rocking in her chair looking at the parrots chirping and flying in the garden trees.

Conclusion:

Now the plastic box was filled with many pooja items and Amma was not able to carry it in that small box. She needed a better container as well. She needed a room for herself. The uncomplaining mother’s dream was going to become true and that was the return gift of her children to her mother for her unconditional love.