Amma

by Perumal Murugan

Do parents accept their children only if they have the qualities they desire? Is it the practice to push away the child who lags behind?

Every human being has some addiction. Is there a person without one? You too have an addiction—books. Other than the fact that it is an expensive obsession, it doesn’t trouble anyone. Go on, do as you please, buy more and stack them up to your heart’s content!’

For an old person living alone, a single goat is all the company they need. They can share their life stories and memories with it. No human has either the time or patience to listen to old people. But all a goat needs is to be stroked—it will respond to the love and listen tirelessly.

If they dreamt about a woman clad in a white sari, they thought of her as Goddess Mariamman and rejoiced. But they didn’t approve of a woman in white appearing before them in person.

We are plagued with problems when alive; why must death be so difficult too?