Amma
I think atleast in my outward expressions of love, I’ve at times been a little partial to my father. But deep down in my heart, I love both my mother and father equally and I love them so much more than I do anyone else in this whole wide world. Yet, as I look back on my days of growing up, I feel I’ve always tried to express my love for my father in ways a bit more obvious. I’ve always wanted to be approved by Achan and approval from him still means to me the greatest thing ever. Whenever Amma asked me not to do certain things, I would reply ‘I’ll get Achan’s permission, ha!’. Maybe it is because I’m a girl that I’ve always felt the incessant need to be pampered more by my father than by my mother. As a little girl, I was identified as the ‘daddy’s kid’ of the family while my brother claimed himself to be the ‘mama’s boy’. The 4 year old me was more than happy with the recognition of being Achan’s favourite. But this doesn’t mean I loved my mother any less than I did my father.