I Am Still Sweet 16

I AM STILL SWEET 16

That day my son purposefully pulled me, “Oh my goodness ma you are turning 44 this year”!!
Hie you ..Who said!?
Who said? The calendar says ma
My dear son don’t you know?! i never look into a calendar or a mirror!?
Ma you are crazy!
Let me be! What has it to do with you!
Ma just a reminder. You have to renew your passport this year. You are supposed to fill in your original age and not sweet 16.
Oh my son I know very well. It is for the sake of Govt…the hell with the Govt! i murmured. My son! don’t you bother yourself too much?!!
He turned to his dear dad, “Pa don’t you remember? This sweet 16 was the reason behind the tremor at Sumatra and Tsunami 4 years back! She was dancing the whole previous day and the next day Tsunami at Chennai coast”
Yes who can forget that easily my son? My dear son just watch now!
My husband called me “hello come on sweet sixteen.i am not able to lift the gas cylinder to connect. why don’t you give a hand?”
Oh no i cannot do that you know the doctor has advised not to lift or drag any sort of weight lest my shoulder problem will aggravate.
So you are sweet 16?!!!!Ma?
Yes my son “i am still sweet sixteen”!
The next day came my daughter – one of my Brothers in law’s daughter. i call all my brothers in law’s kids my sons and daughters.
“Hi perimma! you look so cute in this pant, shirt. but perimma…mmmm this grey hair here and there…mmmm why don’t you apply henna or some dye perimma? My mother applies regularly you know?
Yes my dear, i know…your mother is a musician. She gives concerts so to present herself on the stage she might require all these. But for me? For what? i am not on any stage right?
Saying this i went to lie-down as i had got up early in the morning to bid adieu to some of our family members who left for US. By the time i woke up i was exited to see all my daughters and sons surrounding me. They were whispering and giggling among themselves. They combed my hair and tied it with a hair band.
“you look quite young today!!”
i was perplexed looking at them. i could guess that they had done some thing mischievous but could not make it out what it was exactly. Then all of them wanted to go for a movie and we all got ready. With all original sweet six teens and this sweet sixteen! My son tried to tell me something through dumpsurus but my other naughty kids put down him. Happily we all went to the theatre. i was standing in the queue to take tickets. A man of 30s was behind me in the queue. i felt some one was putting their hand on me. i thought it might be inadvertent. But again i could sense though i was not serious about it but for the fourth time it went serious and i went wild. i just starred and yelled at him
“are you not born with sisters?
Would you do this to your sister or mother like women?
Are you not ashamed of behaving like this in public?
Do you know how old am i?
i am 44, having a college going son!!
You cheap fellow...etc etc..and all my daughters and sons came near and they and some public whisked him away from the queue saying he was drunk. But next moment i was normal as usual but my kids looking astonished!
Chithi,” what happened to your popular “i am sweet 16” asked one of my daughters.
Ma, you publicly announced your age ma! My son teased me.
Enjoying all their comments and teasing we watched the movie and came home.

Once reached home these kids
You know perippa, chithappa, pa, what happened in the theatre?
Our sweet 16 revealed her original age publicly”
and narrated the incident to my husband.
Then my husband said to me,”now i got it. go and look in to a mirror. Already With your short thin figure you look like a small girl and now your hair..” Since i do not have the habit of looking in to a mirror i did not notice the black eyetex applied by these naughty kids on my hair while i was taking rest. i joined them in the fun.

“Hei i enjoy all these.. by the way i would like to tell you one thing. You know this grey hair was a safeguard for me all these days!! i told my kids

i do not count on my physical appearance, or health or wrinkles or grey hair while telling I am sweet 16. it is purely my mind, attitude. You know this sweet 16 is a phase of innocence for some. It is the phase which thinks that we can achieve anything. it is the phase that dreams a lot…it is the phase of learning it is the phase that thinks that the whole world is for us. It is the phase of happiness and no worries. A phase and an age to be enjoyed and preserved. so when i say i am sweet sixteen it evokes memories of my youth and makes me fresh and energetic”.
So i always like to say ,

I AM STILL SWEET 16 WITH GREY HAIR! (with an added phrase)

What do you say? My friends, over there?

Hi ! Geeth,

It was so lovely to read your post brimming with fun and spontaenity and the sheer ecstacy of a lively young mind that never ceases to marvel at the wonder that is Life !
I'd like to join your club of "sweet sixteen" minds who inspite of physical frailities
still can giggle and enjoy the company of young ones .......I'm on the wrong side of fifty ......but still maintain my optimistic outlook that tomorrow is a new day and life has a lot of good things to surprise us with despite the unpleasant surprises it springs on us....to be able to bounce back to the sweet sixteen mood is a great blessing I would add ! Let us 'sweet sixteen' ones spread sunshine and laughter as we go along our way.
warm regards
PAULINA

hi geeth,

agree with u that one is as old or young as one feels.....so u are sweet sixteen as long as u feel so enjoy yourself and have fun...Always...

Mindi

Dear Geeth,

That was a splendid write up. But Geeth then are you really 44?

Well I for one do not believe in these chronlogical figs.I also believe age is def a matter of the mind. A Shoba De , Hema Malini ,DImple Kapadia can very well give the 16 year olds a run for their money.Reason? They are still all very young at heart and it reflects on their face. You are merely as old as you think

So Geeth come grey hairs and wrinkles, but never grow beyond 16, we're all here to support you!

Love,
Devika.

Dear paulina (mam)?
Thank you Thank you!!!! I acknowledge you with a . I am so excited to get a feed back. Very happy to note the same. Yes paulina welcome to our group of sweet sixteen and let us make others too!!!!.
thank you once again

love
geeth

My dear mindi
thanks and thanks a lot!!

love
geeth

My dear friend Devika,
thanks a lot for your feed back. Yes true i turn 44 this year. But that is only for records yaaar!!!! i agree with your views about the stars too.

this is my first thread. i am not a good writer as you are. writings of people like you, and other emminent writers of this IL influenced me to give a try.

Thanks a lot for your encouragement, my friend (by the way are you elder or younger to me coz i am addressing you Devika.)

love
geeth

Well Geeth , you can address me anything (remember Ambika??)
But just for the record I am younger but then again its merely a number. Do continue to call me your dear friend!! I would call you Geeth , as adding anything against your name would be serious offense to our rule of Sweet 16!

Love,
Devika
quote=geeth;298201]My dear friend Devika,
thanks a lot for your feed back. Yes true i turn 44 this year. But that is only for records yaaar!!!! i agree with your views about the stars too.

this is my first thread. i am not a good writer as you are. writings of people like you, and other emminent writers of this IL influenced me to give a try.

Thanks a lot for your encouragement, my friend (by the way are you elder or younger to me coz i am addressing you Devika.)

love
geeth[/quote]

Hi Geeth
Wow your first one was so great well written and so funny too. Enjoyed your post. Now I think even I will start telling myself I am sweet 16............hehehe
It is always great having fun with kids...........the way you have described each and every incident is hilarous..............
Great write up..........

Wow Geeth!! what a lovely write up!!
I must say, you are really in sweet 16.
I bet, you must have had a great time with real sweet 16s and by their mischiefs.

As Aruna said, you are tempting me to say that I am also in sweet 16.