A Working Mom

I heard her in the kitchen sometime at night
“Mom where are you?” I called out in fright.
“Clearing away sweetheart. Go to bed. Sweet dreams”
Were the last words I heard as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up to the clutter of dishes in the morning. “Do you ever sleep?” I wondered
“Yes of course. Between the hours you do,” she replied.
And then the rush hour began
Breakfasts to be made lunches to be packed, clothes to be put out…darn where’s that missing sock?
“Where’s your water bottle baby?” “I forgot it in school” she muttered
Oh shoot where’s the substitute?
Homework checked once again and notes to the teacher and WOW
There she is ready to go!

It is now 5.45 in the evening. I am in the daycare
“Mom,” I call her “You are late.”
“I am going to be late”, she says “Dad will pick you up today”
“But Mom my project!” I wail
“Just like you precious, my boss remembered his too at the eleventh hour” she said.
I fret and fume through my homework my eyes on the clock.
At 7.30 she stumbles in her cell phone clutched to her ear
Straight to the stove. Cooking for dinner has begun
“Mom my project,” I begin
She shoots instructions over her shoulder, one eye on the stove the other on my sister.

The phone rings ..its a call from granny
“Bulu Mama is coming to see you tomorrow.
And you know he loves the kaddu kofta you make.
Yes,yes beta I know you are busy, but he does not come everyday does he?
And he loves you all so much, he does”

Dad is rolling his eyes…”Is there kaddu in the house?” he cries.
“I will use the doodhi instead. He had the same last time and cannot tell” she says

It looks like peace will reign for the night, but the phone rings again,
It’s the aunty from mom’s office. She seems upset and Mom asks her to calm down.
“He is under pressure and we have to bear it.” She says
“Don’t take any decision under stress. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” she says.
Another call, this time from London “The paper’s due tomorrow babes it says”
“Oh dear how can that be?” Mom says. For the first time I see she is distressed

At night that day I hear murmurs from their room;
“So no promotion for me” she says, “because I took off when the baby was sick”
“But what about the work you did and the award you won? “ Dad asks.
“It seems that this overrides that”

The next morning it’s rush time again.
Yippee its pancakes for breakfast! Dad’s salad gets packed and arrangements for Bulu Mama’s dinner is on.

Its another day, we are on our way, but wait. “What is it Mom’s having for lunch?”