Ayah

My grandmother passed away in September. Our whole family was shocked and it will take time to recover. In school, I wrote a story about my Ayah to honor her. Here it is:

               The one thing I love most about going to India is meeting my grandmother. She is the greatest cook, the kindest person, and one of the greatest helpers ever. However, going to and from India is a hassle. There is the heat, the mosquitoes, the traffic, and the poverty in the cities. These disadvantages offset many of the benefits. Therefore, when I heard that my grandmother was coming to visit, I was thrilled!

               I came home from my chess tournament to the smell of Chettinad food. I walked through the door and gave my grandmother a hug. “Ayah, can you make kuzhipanyarams for me?” I pleaded.                                                                   “Sure, Kanna,” she replied. She walked to the stove and got out the batter. Immediately, she made a set of seven kuzhipanyarams. I took a bite of the fluffy, white ball.  It was extraordinary! I couldn’t wait for the rest of the summer!

   One night, my brother and I were staying up late. We went to our grandparents’ room and saw our grandmother working. My brother asked, “What are you working on, Ayah?” She explained what stocks were and how they worked. My grandmother also showed us her stocks.                                                  I questioned, “Ayah, what is your best stock?” She told us about TTK Prestige. She had bought many shares at two hundred rupees each. She kept buying shares and eventually, the price climbed to 4000 rupees each. This gave her a huge profit and was most of the reason that my grandparents live in a huge house. Every night after that, we checked the stock market for TTK Prestige’s prices.

               A month later, my grandparents were going back to India. I said, “Goodbye Ayah. I will see you again soon. Remember to bring the podi next time!” She laughed and promised not to forget. We waved as our grandparents entered security.

               Two months later, my parents came back from work crying. I asked, “What happened? What’s wrong?” They told me. My grandmother passed away. She had a stomach aneurysm so there was no chance of saving her. I did not believe it, but after a couple of hours, it sunk in. I cried as we went to the airport yet again to send my mom to India. Three weeks later, she returned home after finishing my grandmother’s final rites and comforting my grandfather. When she returned to the house, she had brought the usual Indian snacks. She had also remembered to bring podi.