The Dining Table (Excerpts)
This is our dining table. It has been a member of our family for 24 years now. The table has accommodated special meals on Vishu, Onam, Eid, Christmas, birthday special lunches/dinners and the parties we love to host.
The dining table was the first piece of furniture we bought in our empty home. It cost us 12500 rupees. It has seen my boys sit under it, play, and watch TV under its cover. The toddler held the sides of the table and used it as a swing.
We have shared meals, love, warmth, unlimited happiness and so much loud and infectious laughter around it. All my loved ones have had a meal around it. If it could talk, it would tell the following:
How a Father turned from a strict Father into a soft grandfather.
How a mother was cared for by the daughter after surgery.
How much we miss those who went before us.
How two fully grown boys when hand-fed by their Mother on weekends said, “it always tastes better when you feed us.”
How much four sisters can talk and the amount of chaya they drink!
The number of pappadams consumed on the table.
How some people ate their food while holding a book.
The number of parties it has hosted and how it has seen little people grow up into fully formed human beings.
Also, these people drink too much, they should control a bit.
The table is not fancy looking, is not antique and it is far from being the latest model. But, it serves its purpose. It is practical, not small, not big and has no sharp corners due to its oval shape and the best part is, it is absolutely maintenance free.
My friend once said: “Yeh table purana ho gaya hai, you should get a new one.”
NO, I am not changing or giving this table away. I shall keep it with me for the rest of my life. It is my favourite piece of furniture. And I hope whoever inherits it after me finds as much joy as I found in it.
Read the original piece here.
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Objects of Our Affection is a series exploring our connections to the furniture and objects that make our spaces home. Through stories of tables, chairs, and that odd-shaped thing only you love, we celebrate the inanimate pieces that hold memory and witness our lives.
If you'd like to contribute your own story to this series, we'd love to hear from you. Micro-essays, poems, reflections, and fragments welcome. Write to us at hellothadi@gmail.com. Word limit 400.
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