Mom Monologues by Neelima Vinod

Wave on wave, the body was liquid. Breathed in. Breathed out. You tried to remember where the impression was made.

The sound of the baby’s voice was sweeter than any song you have heard. Remember when your headphones were buried deep into your auditory senses blanking everything out so that the world was a tune, the people on the street walking to your music, the traffic gliding to your music and mom’s advice sounding like music?

You became your mother:

#1. Do your homework, and I will say this every day of your life for the next fifteen years. What’s five digits multiplied by two digits? What’s three digits divided by a single digit? Grades depend on these questions, so spend time on these numbers.

#2.It really is time you got your act together. Carpe diem. Your feet will lift you from oblivion. Quick! The seasons slide. Tick tock tick tock bang bang bang.

#3.Every dog has his day. Time is evenly distributed in cycles. The stars will shine on you sometimes, sometimes they turn their backs and leave you in pitch darkness. So you look for light somewhere. You will find it.

#4.Time and tide wait for no one. Waiting itself is the taste of time- you could spend all your life waiting for the right moment or you could pack your bags and leave.

#5. Grow up and be gone now.

Though what would time mean without the voice that taught you to advise? It would stretch forever and ever like a homeless string.

One morning, Time the trickster walked into your arms. You believed him when he told you in a hoarse whisper that he loved you. He left no trace of you behind. The rooms were searched for a forgotten kurti, a silk handkerchief, a book maybe. Everyone searched a long time and when they stopped it was dusk already.

#6. Time is always running out. When it is time, a bunch of pictures will flash before you and then you do the great goodbye. Some people say it’s like dawn. Though you won’t hear about it from the likes of me.

Where’s your advice when we really need it?