Dear Mom Volume II

By Juju's Pearls

"But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin." ― Mitch Albom, For One More Day

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: Apr 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9789360491192

Book preview

Dear Mom

Volume II

Ukiyoto Publishing

All global publishing rights are held by

Ukiyoto Publishing

Published in 2023

Content Copyright © Ukiyoto

ISBN

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

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Contents

Short Story by Juju’s Pearls

Poem by Kamalika Bhattacharya

Short Story by Susan McDonough-Wachtman

Letter by Rhodesia

Poem by Spondon Ganguli

Poem by Indrani Chowdhury

Poem by Diane Kathleen Lumpayao

Poem by Nery Joy Ochea

Poems and Prose by S Afrose

About the Authors

Short Story by Juju’s Pearls

Kailash, My Essence

"Kailash! My essence,

Love from my world to your world, till we meet again up there!"

Dear Mom,

I know you can see me, hear me and feel me. Today, I want to say, Mummy, you have done a brilliant job. I hope to follow in your footsteps and make you proud. Daddy is doing a great job as a dual parent. Lately, he feels tired and wants to join you.

To express my feelings, I am writing a short story about you, covering a few milestones of your life. You lived life on her own terms and even embraced death as per your choice. You taught me everything but missed out on one important aspect: how to live without you?

I guess no mother can teach this. Every child needs to learn on his own. From this point the actual journey begins when we don’t have our mother to look up to. With a promise to carry on your legacy, I am living every moment.

Love Juju (Raju).

Chapter 1 - Death Of A Saint

Raju! I am feeling uncomfortable lying down. Call up your sister and ask for some medicine, my Momsie said. Seeing her discomfort, I immediately called up my sister (who is a Critical Care Expert) and explained my mother’s condition. Don’t waste time, just shift her to the nearest Cardiac emergency hospital was her reply. There was urgency in my sister’s voice and an unspoken alarm. We all sprinted into action. My Popsie called for the driver and I called up my brother and sister-in-law. In a matter of a few seconds, my brother lifted our mother in his arms and rushed towards the car. The driver had the ignition on and the house servant was holding the car door open. We sat and without looking back, asked the driver to press the accelerator. My Pospie followed in another car close to ours. Meanwhile my brother alerted the Cardiac emergency team.

On the way to the hospital, my Momsie kept saying, Raju, don’t go today, stay back, I will not come back, I am going. My sister-in-law kept wiping her forehead which had become wet with perspiration. And I kept calming her as I said, Yes, Mom, I am not going today. I have not yet packed my things too. I will cancel my ticket.

We reached the hospital emergency. A ward boy was standing with a stretcher. I spoke clearly: No stretcher, she has difficulty lying down, we need a wheelchair. My brother rushed and got a wheelchair in the flash of