As we stepped into the next dormitory , a whiff of medley smells assailed our senses. Eager faces searched us expectantly. Their eyes were vacant pools of desolation. I had this sudden urge to run away, far away from that abyss of wretchedness but I stay put. My lips quivered with stifled sobs and I struggled to keep my smile intact.
A recent inmate asked us where we were from and her eyes lighted up to hear the name of her hometown. She told us about her only son, of her husband who passed away recently, of festivals celebrated, of the street where her home was located. Another woman informed us that her son would come to fetch her soon ...
They had blessings on their lips, their shriveled hands reached out to touch us- we from another world to which they once belonged.
Silence loomed large on our way back home.
3 comments:
It truly is not easy, is it..?
Either ways you visited them, and they themselves would be happy that someone visited them.
.. Painful.
Take Care and God Bless!
With Best Regards,
Srijith.
These homes are for those who are childless and do not have anyone to look after them. Surprisingly, in the homes for the aged, there are many inmates who are put there as their children find them a burden. I remember a photograph published in a newspaper about some of these old people and reading about an old woman who said she was thrown out of the house by her son just to please his wife! While an old handicapped man was put in one of the homes by his son to get rid of the burden of looking after him. I am shocked at these happenings.Great information.
Ardra, touched, moved!
Post a Comment