anyone around for a good story from my nano’s days? I recently ordered knitting and crochet needles and yarn. online ofcourse. and I’m going to learn via YouTube the art of passing time during this pandemic.
so, when the needles and yarn were ordered, I felt this warm feeling and went back to the 80’s when nano and I shared lives, room and common readings. Back in those days there was no concept of a ‘separate’ bedroom especially if you were a girl aur woh bhi without a sister.
nano and I grew up together. literally. I was 5 or so when she came to live with us after my nana’s passing over and her sons all gone she not wanting to go where they were, we sold her house in Karachi and brought her to live with us. We shared a room wherever we were
posted and in between times spent in shelters or mess were always one room for nano and me. I was haunted by her wherever I went. if I was baking she would be there.. it was that buzz in the ears that never leaves.
and you live with the buzz.
the buzz is your security, a comfort zone that ..yeah..I’m buzzing.. that constancy of just being there. that’s what nano was for me.
as I grew up, she grew older… it was like a constant stream of life.. she would always keep herself busy and made sure I was busy. If she was knitting I was too. if she was walking, so was I. if she was watching the 8pm drama on PTV, sure enough I was there.
when I grew busy with college and later on work and then more studying, nano got herself busy with a new hobby: crocheting. in between her namaz,quran and her evening walk, she was constantly crocheting. patterns of flowers strung together like a starry night.
she kept the finished ones tucked in her big old almirah. whenever someone came to visit her, she would take one out and give it to the person. the crochet was made to fit one dupatta, and so the next time the same person visited her , she would show how her dupatta was now
encircled with nano’s crochet.
and nano was glad. it brightened her face and flushed her cheeks.
the art of giving was mastered by her.i was an apprentice in the making
and the year came when she became slow. I would walk with her in the lawn, and we would do bait baazi (an antakshari of ashaar 😬🙄) and she would crochet, but everything was slower now. and we vaguely spoke about stuff and she cautioned me about my fiery self(she was right)
her best advice came one evening while we were sitting in exasperation to the load shedding.she was calm and I was raving. she said..keep yourself busy and stop thinking with your mind, work with your hands d. keep going back to it d
dang.. the crochet stuff arrives on tuesday❣
