When the Past Refuses to Let Go
When the Past Refuses to Let Go – A Reflection on My Mother Pattu – written by Saras Manickam After five weeks of sounding like a walking cough machine, I finally had my coffee break today! And not just any coffee break—I paired it with a short story, “ My Mother Pattu ” (story number four). Managed to finish it in one go before our 8 p.m. Book Club with Jennifer Hu—yes, the Jennifer, a.k.a. Dr. Matthew Leong’s better half. Timing, people. It’s everything – No! Well, guess what? Saras Manickam appeared at our Book Club Zoom! I was surprised greatly and happily screamed It’s you, Saras! In Saras Manickam’s deeply moving short story “My Mother Pattu”, the narrator Lalitha offers readers raw glimpses into the emotional wreckage of her childhood. Two lines in particular left a deep impression on me: “ Why do you want to know what is no longer important?” and “There was nothing of my father in me, nothing, for he was not my father.” These words are not merely spoken ...