*TATTERED BLANKET*

In a village there lived an eighty five years old woman. She had a son, working in Delhi and a widowed daughter. Her son Gopi visited her rarely. But the widowed daughter Kamalam stayed with her and took care of her. These two women lived without much support and help from Gopi. The old woman was sick and due to old age she was not in her normal mental position. She required some medical treatment in a good hospital, but such facilities were not available and affordable.

One evening, unexpectedly and surprisingly, Gopi, her son visited her. The old woman was not able to recognize him and spoke to him as if he was a stranger. am helped her mother to realize his visit, but the weak old woman was not able to recognize. The old woman was all the time speaking about her son and pronouncing the name of him. She was expressing her innate love and affection on her son, who was living at Delhi. The old woman was narrating her experiences with her son and the prattling everything to her son without recognizing that she was talking everything to her son only.

Kamalam narrated the fading memory of their mother. And she pleaded to her brother to show more kindness to the old woman by making frequent visits. But he replied that he was busy with his work. The old woman went on talking about her son, his work and his family. And she asked her daughter whether he wrote to her regularly, otherwise, she said that she felt wretched, if his letters got delayed. She spoke about him highly that he had Kesari Yogam, which helped him to get quick promotions in the government job. Her son listened to everything and was not at all moved.

Without realizing that she was speaking to her son, the old lady  requested him to inform her son to get her a blanket. The one given by him earlier was tattered. As the mornings were cold, she felt that she would catch cold. This is the most important part of the story. The old lady still kept the blanket given by her son though it was tattered. And she wanted another blanket only through her son. Then, the old lady left the place. Then his sister Kamalam asked him to tell the purpose of his visit. She knew very well that her brother wouldn't have come just to see them. He replied that he had come there to ask for his share of property, as the life in Delhi was expensive. So he wanted his share of property For this the sister felt that he would no remember them once for all, if only the property is divided. She pleaded him, to visit once in a while at least for their mother's sake. He replied that his mother would not remember him. She immediately said that he did not remember her also.

This moving story tells the affection of parents on children and also educates the youngsters not to go after money always and show some affection on elders.