continued from the previous article..
Govinda would often wince to see his Ram abused verbally and sometimes beaten. He often tried to come in the middle of it but landed himself to be the victim of her arrogance and cruelty.
One day when Simran was away Govinda called Ram to his room and said, “Ram, I have cooked this meal with my own hands- I want to feed this meal to you.” Ram replied, “Did you keep some for mother?” “No, my dear son, this treat is not for you but for me. I will receive solace feeding you. I know, my child you do not need anything.”As he had completed these words Simran returned unexpectedly to the room.
Upon seeing the scene of her husband feeding the meager orphan boy she thundered, “How dare you feed this beggar with your hands?” Saying that she kicked the plate full of food. “Get out” she screamed. “God bless you dear Mother” was Ram’s reply.
The next day Ram saw Govinda pack his bags. “Where are you going, father?” he asked. “I am leaving…I am unable to withstand her ways. Please come with me, Ram,” he implored.Ram gently took his father’s hand and placed it in his. Then he took him to the altar of God and said, “Father, this is His work. When God has entrusted you with His work how can you leave? Mother is not bad. She is the test that God has given us, so our work in the midst of resistance must not slow down or stop. O father even though she shouts and makes me work don’t you realize that in her anger is a ‘silent dependence’?
She is unable to take care of her own tasks in a timely way. Even though she is born with parents and has a family she never learnt to love her own self. If she does not have that ability then how can you get angry with her? How can she love you or me, then?
Father, she loves me through her anger, she loves me through her sharp words, she loves me through her hands that strike me.That is all she has known, dear father. And our dear God has sent us ‘orphans’ only so that we could give her the love that she has never experienced within.
We are not the orphans, father. We already have ‘faith’ as our mother and ‘patience’ as our father. We were sent to you only so that dear Mother is not alone in this life.
This is God’s task, dear father. It appears to the world that we have a shelter under your roof. But the real task is that while we are under this shelter we need to build a home for God in the heart of Mother.
to be continued
