I must take care of her, and I will

Already delayed by an hour,

tell me her problems in brief

d' old-woman is my neighbor,

and her husband an alcoholic

d' only son working in Dubai,

why elaborate on her life story

show me her medical reports,

in short, tell d' disease history

 

Knee pain for a couple of years

can't fold, make them straight

hurts on standing and walking,

unable to bear the body weight

 

You're late for the symposium,

I do realize, yet honestly wish

if you could just see her once,

sitting sad, with a walking stick

No one to come along with her,

traveled all the way from Virar

Do send her in, hurry up, please

let it be today's last case sister

 

Could listen to a chummy voice,

addressing, Good afternoon Dr.

instantly recalled d' school days,

Mrs. Mathews, his math teacher

 

Really, can't do anything about it,

saw all reports of d' investigation

d' knees, damaged beyond repair

you need to see an Ortho surgeon

Saw her about to fall imbalanced,

got up and helped her to a chair

I'll recommend you to a colleague,

Dr. Shukla, Get-well-soon Hospital

Your knees are fully worn out now,

has to perform a certain surgery

replace those with knee implants

to make d' joints useful, don't worry

 

Thanks, doctor, for your concern,

advocate for me some painkiller

my savings may not permit me,

to go ahead with the procedure

We have the support of an NGO,

it will take care of your expenses

please don't worry about a thing,

can give me your contact details

 

God bless you and your family,

it delineates your kind gesture

recalled the sweet school days,

and own utter decent teacher

 

Dozed once, made me stand up,

she played her fingers in my hair

d' bell rang, packed up to get out,

asked to stay back to talk to her

Your grade caved in all subjects,

failed in mathematics this time

lack of attention noted by tutors,

your mom toils hard for a living

 

I do not follow d' geometry at all,

we don't have money for tuition

mastering geometry is not tough

intuition tells me it can be done,

Tomorrow onwards, we will study,

after the school periods are over

the doubts in other subjects too,

I can help you out what-so-ever

 

With her keen teaching, focused,

I grasped geometry too swiftly

obviously, you ought to work hard,

for a better life, to help d' family

Taught sitting on the staircase,

in d' school garden while swinging

with orange locules in the mouth

on d' footpath together, walking

 

Told me tricks as stood for d' bus,

wrote d' exams as she instructed

scored deftly, bowed down to her,

and she kissed me on d' forehead

You will be a noted man one day,

and then, obviously, I'll miss you

got a seat in medicine, did my PG

parted for 4 decades, never knew

I missed her on my graduation day,

her whereabouts had no knowledge

last saw in d' city bus stand while

moving to Nasik for her marriage

 

Now ill, has none to take care of,

commands respect from d' heart

a glorious lady, an ideal teacher,

I salute her skills, her teaching art

In immense pain, limping badly,

too lonely, helpless, and broken

love her a lot, and it's my concern

being in the medical profession

She's my treasured teacher and

being her, d' most obedient pupil

treated me as her own offspring

I must take care of her, and I will