As far back as my memory goes she always had long glossy hair
Twisting it into a tight bun right after her bath,
She would go on with her daily chores
As a kid, I longed for such glossy mane but alas!
Cursing my lice-infested hair, she kept shaving my head every year
While I silently damned her too hell
In my sixth grade, I came back with swollen eyes and cut lip
After effects of being ridiculed by my fellow classmates
The torturous tonsuring process stopped finally
Only to be replaced by an equally fanatic exercise
Supervised oil massage, shampoo, egg treatment became regular affair
With me bent over like a sacrificial lamb bleating for mercy
The mandatory hundred brush-stroke felt like hot lashes
As I started dreading her nightly routine of brushing my hair
Her diligence paid off when I too finally had my crowning glory
Yet my happiness was quite short-lived
Latest fashion statement by that time was a short bob
Instead of two oily braids tightly bound by red ribbons
Girls loved it, boys loved it, she abhorred it
But like other normal teenager I too rebelled
The day I came back home with two chopped braids
She went on a temporary hunger strike
Over the next few years, I kept changing my hairstyle as per the latest rage
While she silently fumed, lamenting the loss of my hair
Few years back, she was diagnosed with an advanced-stage malignant tumour in the oesophagus
Due to the ill-effects of chemo-therapy, she lost most of her hair
And stopped looking at the mirror altogether fearing she looked monstrous
Therapy stopped only when it became apparent that her days are numbered
Bed-ridden, she spent her days talking, laughing and pretending that everything is fine
Yet she often felt sad about loosing her long glossy hair
When we suggested shaving her head to recover her hair back she readily agreed
But put her foot down when I too wanted to shave mine to make her feel comfortable
Though she is not with us today her legacy of long hair stays with me
A gift which remains forever unkempt and tangled
Craving for my mother's touch!!
Copyright: Shukla Banik
