My mother's sketches Of little dresses

Long before the sun had risen.

Our bags were packed the night before. Everything was ready.

Even our clothes for the morning. Ma would wake me.

And I would wake up with a start, knowing well that I could catch up with lost sleep in the car.

All we needed to do was brush our teeth, and get into our clothes (my brother and me).

My favourite for such ocassions was the green pleated skirt with a matching green and white top

and Bata rubber slippers (the only time ma would let me wear any) with a blue sole and white base.

Unable to sleep as early at eight in the night, when uncle would arrive at home with his wife for dinner;

I would peek through the slit of the door, trying to make sense of their talk and all the movement.

I always wondered what they spoke about and why did we need to sleep while they stayed awake.

Focussing and defocussing, I would soon get tiered and fall asleep.

The feeling when you're woken up in the middle of the night, by a loved one's arrival.

How it makes you feel like magic.