THE EVER-CHANGING VERANDAH OF MY
GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE
There was no room for the TV set
in the ever-changing verandah
of Grandmother’s house. When I was small, the iron cot
occupied the room and the shelves’
compartments were stuffed with old newspapers,
showcase items like wooden dolls.
The Nampally exhibition sold those wooden dolls.
and as we grew a 14-inch TV set
was placed before the shelf of newspapers
how crowded it was—the verandah!
especially with that iron cot
During my uncles’ and aunts’ exams, the iron cot
metamorphosed into a study table, the wooden dolls
would be moved and academic books would occupy the
shelves
Grandmother also decided to move the TV set
out of the verandah.
now, the shelves had books and newspapers
there was no space otherwise for newspapers
that soaked oil from savouries. The dough mixed on the
iron cot,
which now shuttled between the bedroom and the
verandah.
When guests would visit, the shelf would be filled with the
dolls
and the new 28-inch TV set
would be placed in front the shelves
had the shelves
not be fixed, the pile of newspapers
would travel too. The new TV set
with Cable network would be a nomad like the iron cot
and the wooden dolls.
but this tiny verandah
would never look like a verandah
unless all these changes were made. The shelves
still have those aging wooden dolls
and those multi-purpose newspapers,
with which we grew and the iron cot,
on which we sit to watch programs on a Plasma TV.
The verandah has a sofa set and the shelf with newspapers
Last, I went to grandmother’s house, the iron cot
was moved in the bedroom with a HD TV set.
Nivedita Narsapuram: She is an unschooled student of poetry and prose. She writes to make sense of the chaotic world around through her stories and poetry. Among her other interests, she loves exploring Wisconsin and soaking in the warmth of its people and its harsh winters. She blogs at: nnivedita.com.