Page 11 - Memoirs of Sarasworthy Somasundaram

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Amma and Puppam
It was a normal routine to have a morning bath before we got dressed for school. Puppam
and I were at the well-side one morning. I had finished my bath and was drying up, Puppam
was still at the Well side, drawing up her bucket of water. Suddenly she vanished. My heart
was thumping, I dashed up to the Well step and looked down and there she was… way dawn
staring back at me. Thank God, it was the dry season and the water wasn’t very deep.

In panic, I called out to Amma and she came running, sized up the situation, grasped the
bucket and lowered it into the Well. She called out to Puppam, “Climb into the bucket, my
child, and I’ll pull you up.”

‘No, no’ wailed Puppam.

“Don’t be scared, I am here, I will pull you up. Hold on to the rope tight” Between us, we
pulled her up.

Puppam suddenly burst into tears “I am not going to school Amma” she wailed. “No Pillai
you must go today. If you stay, all will know of your accident! Would you like that?”
Puppam chose to go to school.

That was Amma.

2 Note from the editor: Puppam was petite in stature, hence my Ammamma’s panic about her sister being in
the well.

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