My gran, Shanti Ramchandra departed this life on 3 January 2011, at about 7am…
It had been a long slow painful struggle to the end – though her mind was still sharp and her humour still in tact.
Most of my years growing up, i recall my gran was always in the background – cooking, making roti/pickles, taking care of my grandfather, cleaning, reading, walking in her garden, going to temple, socialising with friends/neighbours. As her grandchildren we could always count on a fresh roti with butter and jam if we stopped by her kitchen during the day, or my grandparents having a nap in the afternoon / reading the paper in bed in the guest room on their separate beds.
When I grew older and living in Johannesburg, I was blessed to have my gran visit us for a month on two different occasions. During those times I got to know and understand her better. She was very unobtrusive, always kept busy, absolutely loved reading and devoured every book I had in my humble flat. There was always fresh roti and a tasty indian curry when we got home from work/uni. Never imposing her wishes or expectations on us – she would impart some simple practical wisdom.
Namaste Dhadi