An Elegant and Enigmatic Mom

My mother comes from a little town in the North of Bangladesh. She had seven siblings, out of which at present, four had already gone from the face of this earth. My mother's Dad, my grandpa was a successful businessman whom I had never seen because he had passed away in his fifties owing to a sudden stroke when my Mom was a young teen.

Stepping up the ladder of life, she graduated with a BA in Economics. She met my father in her hometown, but he was originally from the South of Bangladesh and was only touring her hometown with a friend who knew Mom’s family. Finally taking the consent of my Mom’s eldest brother, who was running her original family then, Dad got married to Mom in a very gorgeous and pompous ceremony.

My Dad had good mannerism, was well off in his profession as an engineer and professor, and looked extremely handsome. So, Mom had nothing to object to in marrying him.

They lived together under the same roof for years, had three wonderful daughters, and much later, a rewarding son.

My Mom is extremely creative, and in her earlier years, she had sewn dresses for my sisters and me. She could also knit sweaters, scarves, socks, and ponchos out of wool. She had a great hand at cooking as well, and everyone adored her cooked meals, which were wonderfully scrumptious.

She was a wonderful Caregiver when Dad fell ill in his fifties. She attended to his needs meticulously, but despite everything, Dad suffered from serious heart attacks. Although he was surrounded by good doctors and nurses in hospitals, he succumbed to his illness and passed on.

My mother had to take full responsibility for the family. None of us were working then. We were all young students in the university or High School.

Mom managed to pay tuition for all of us with Dad’s savings. We also worked hard to get scholarships.

My younger sister and I got jobs in the same year. She acquired her job abroad after finishing her studies there, while I got hold of my career after completing my studies in a private university in Dhaka.

As time flew away, my sisters and brother got married and settled down. I am the only naïve one who lagged behind without marrying. Currently, I am staying with my Mom.

My Mom is in her early seventies and has become very feeble although she is still very active. She constantly has to take a rest in between her chores. Following is a recent photo of my Mom:

That my mother had sewn dresses for us can be shown in the following photo. We were living by the Mediterranean Sea once upon a time, and the pink dresses we were wearing then were sewn by Ma.

Staying by the sea gave us great delight and entertainment. We had a lot to enjoy with our neighbors and shared watching movies, swimming in the sea and enjoying parties. It was a paradise-like living, and to this day, I catch my family and me reminiscing about those lovely times. They will always be indelible memories imprinted in our minds.

Following are the photos of my mother in her thirties- one solo and another one with my Dad, both the photos being taken by the sea.

Mom didn’t work on any jobs all her life, even after Dad passed away. But she was capable of making money out of money. She taught me her technique, and I also made money out of money.

I haven't acquired much wealth by now, but it is enough to get by. I have the desire to work again and be in a state of complete abundance.

Ma has contributed a lot to the family. She is also very enigmatic and lovely to look at. When she was younger, you can see in the photos how vibrant and elegant she was.

I pray for a long life for Mom. That's what I can only do because children can never pay their debts to their parents. To tell the truth, we have fun living together.

But like anybody else, she has issues and constraints, which are the only attributes I do not think so much fair about her. On the other hand, overall, she is a doting mother, and we all can rely on her for her guidance, wisdom, and advice.

© 2022 Rosina S Khan