Question Bank: The Portrait of a Lady (Class XI English)
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Where did the portrait of the author's grandfather hang?
a. In the bedroom
b. Above the mantelpiece in the drawing room
c. In the temple
d. In the courtyard
2. How did the author's grandfather look in his portrait?
a. Young and handsome
b. Like a strict school teacher
c. Like he could only have lots and lots of grandchildren
d. Like a warrior
3. What did the grandmother constantly do with her fingers?
a. Knitted sweaters
b. Fed the sparrows
c. Spun the wheel
d. Told the beads of her rosary
4. What did the author compare his grandmother's white serene appearance to?
a. A white lotus
b. A snowy mountain
c. The winter landscape in the mountains
d. A bright summer day
5. What did the grandmother feed the village dogs?
a. Fresh biscuits
b. Stale chapatis
c. Pieces of meat
d. Bread crumbs
6. Why did the grandmother accompany the author to his school in the village?
a. She wanted to protect him from stray dogs
b. The school was attached to the temple
c. She was the teacher at the school
d. She wanted to meet his friends
7. What was considered a 'turning point' in the author's friendship with his grandmother?
a. When the author went to the university
b. When the author went abroad
c. When they were sent for to live in the city
d. When the grandmother fell ill
8. How did the author travel to his English school in the city?
a. He walked with his grandmother
b. In a motor bus
c. On a bicycle
d. In a train
9. Who replaced the village dogs as the grandmother's companions in the city courtyard?
a. Stray cats
b. Pigeons
c. Sparrows
d. Crows
10. Why was the grandmother distressed about the author's education at the English school?
a. Because he was failing his exams
b. Because there was no teaching about God and the scriptures
c. Because the teachers were very strict
d. Because the school was too far away
11. According to the grandmother, music was the monopoly of whom?
a. Gentlefolk and kings
b. Priests and teachers
c. Harlots and beggars
d. Children and birds
12. What snapped the common link of friendship between the author and the grandmother?
a. Moving to the city
b. The author getting his own room at the university
c. The grandmother's illness
d. The author taking music lessons
13. How did the grandmother spend most of her time after the author went to the university?
a. Watching television
b. Sleeping all day
c. Spinning her wheel and reciting prayers
d. Visiting neighbours
14. What was the grandmother's happiest half-hour of the day in the city?
a. Singing songs
b. Feeding the sparrows in the afternoon
c. Bathing the author
d. Praying in the temple
15. How did the grandmother react when the author was leaving to study abroad?
a. She cried bitterly at the station
b. She refused to let him go
c. She was not even sentimental and silently kissed his forehead
d. She argued with his parents
16. How long was the author away for his studies abroad?
a. Two years
b. Three years
c. Five years
d. Ten years
17. What did the grandmother do on the evening the author returned from abroad?
a. She cooked a large feast
b. She prayed for hours in the temple
c. She collected neighbourhood women, got a drum, and sang
d. She went to sleep early
18. What did the grandmother conclude when she fell ill with a mild fever?
a. That she needed a better doctor
b. That she should go back to the village
c. That her end was near
d. That she needed to feed the sparrows
19. How did the grandmother spend the last few hours of her life?
a. Talking to her grandson
b. Singing songs with an old drum
c. Ignoring protests and lying peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads
d. Feeding the birds on the verandah
20. How did the sparrows react when the grandmother died?
a. They chirped loudly to show their grief
b. They ate the bread crumbs voraciously
c. They sat silently scattered on the floor and flew away quietly when the body was taken
d. They never returned to the house
MCQ Answers:
1. b
2. c
3. d
4. c
5. b
6. b
7. c
8. b
9. c
10. b
11. c
12. b
13. c
14. b
15. c
16. c
17. c
18. c
19. c
20. c
Assertion and Reason Questions
1. Assertion (A): The author found it hard to believe that his grandmother was once young and pretty.
Reason (R): She had been old, wrinkled, and physically unchanged for the twenty years that he had known her.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
2. Assertion (A): The grandmother always accompanied the author to the village school.
Reason (R): The village dogs were dangerous and often attacked the children.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
3. Assertion (A): Moving to the city was a turning point in the friendship between the author and his grandmother.
Reason (R): They were forced to live in separate houses when they moved to the city.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
4. Assertion (A): The grandmother was deeply distressed by the author's education at the English school.
Reason (R): The school taught Western science and learning but had no teachings about God and the scriptures.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
5. Assertion (A): The grandmother stopped talking to the author after he announced he was learning music.
Reason (R): She believed music had lewd associations and was meant only for harlots and beggars.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
6. Assertion (A): The common link of friendship was snapped when the author went up to the university.
Reason (R): The author was given a room of his own, which separated him from his grandmother.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
7. Assertion (A): The grandmother wept bitterly when the author left to study abroad.
Reason (R): She knew she would not live to see him return after five years.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
8. Assertion (A): The grandmother did not pray on the evening the author returned from abroad.
Reason (R): She collected neighbourhood women and sang songs of the homecoming of warriors while thumping an old drum.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
9. Assertion (A): The grandmother wanted to spend her last moments talking to her family.
Reason (R): She felt guilty for omitting her prayers the previous evening.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
10. Assertion (A): The sparrows eagerly ate the bread crumbs given by the author's mother on the day of the grandmother's funeral.
Reason (R): The sparrows were extremely hungry because the grandmother had not fed them that afternoon.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true.
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false.
Assertion and Reason Answers with explanations:
1. a
Explanation: The author had only seen her as an old, wrinkled woman for 20 years, making it incredibly difficult for him to picture her as young and pretty.
2. c
Explanation: The assertion is true, but the reason is false. She accompanied him because the school was attached to the temple where she read scriptures.
3. c
Explanation: The assertion is true. The reason is false because they still shared the same room when they moved to the city; the turning point was her inability to accompany him to school or help with his studies.
4. a
Explanation: She was highly religious and was distressed that the English school lacked religious teachings, focusing only on Western science.
5. a
Explanation: The reason correctly explains the assertion. Her traditional views made her believe music was not meant for gentlefolk, leading to her silence.
6. a
Explanation: Giving the author his own room physically separated them, snapping the common link of friendship (sharing a room).
7. e
Explanation: Both are false. She was not sentimental, did not weep, and lived to welcome him back.
8. a
Explanation: The reason explains her actions; celebrating his return with singing and drum-thumping replaced her usual evening prayers.
9. d
Explanation: The assertion is false because she explicitly refused to waste any more time talking to her family. The reason is true as she wanted to make up for the omitted prayers.
10. e
Explanation: Both are false. The sparrows took no notice of the bread crumbs and were mourning silently.
Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
1. How long had the author known his grandmother as an old and wrinkled woman?
Answer: The author had known her as old and wrinkled for twenty years.
2. Where did the author's grandfather's portrait hang in the house?
Answer: It hung above the mantelpiece in the drawing room.
3. What did the grandmother do with her lips constantly?
Answer: Her lips constantly moved in an inaudible prayer.
4. What did the grandmother and the author have for breakfast before going to the village school?
Answer: They had a thick, stale chapati with a little butter and sugar spread on it.
5. Why did the grandmother always accompany the author to the village school?
Answer: She accompanied him because the school was attached to the temple where she sat and read the scriptures.
6. How did the author travel to his city school?
Answer: He went to his English school in the city in a motor bus.
7. What was the grandmother's reaction to the author learning music?
Answer: She was very disturbed because she associated music with harlots and beggars, not gentlefolk.
8. What was the grandmother's happiest half-hour of the day in the city?
Answer: The happiest half-hour was in the afternoon when she fed little bits of bread to hundreds of sparrows.
9. How did the grandmother bid the author farewell when he left to study abroad?
Answer: She silently kissed his forehead while her mind was lost in prayer and her fingers told her beads.
10. What did the sparrows do when the author's mother threw bread crumbs to them after the grandmother's death?
Answer: The sparrows took no notice of the bread crumbs and quietly flew away after the corpse was carried off.
Short Answer Questions (2 Marks)
1. Describe the physical appearance of the author's grandfather as seen in the portrait.
Answer: The grandfather wore a big turban and loose-fitting clothes. His long white beard covered the best part of his chest, making him look at least a hundred years old and like someone who could only have lots of grandchildren.
2. Why did the author find it hard to believe that his grandmother had once been young and pretty?
Answer: The author had only seen his grandmother as terribly old, short, fat, and wrinkled for twenty years. Her appearance had been static for so long that the idea of her being young and pretty seemed almost revolting to him.
3. How did the author and his grandmother prepare for school in the village?
Answer: The grandmother woke the author up, bathed, and dressed him while singing her morning prayer. She then bundled his washed wooden slate, yellow chalk, an earthen ink pot, and a reed pen for him to take to school.
4. Why is the shift to the city called a "turning point" in their friendship?
Answer: It was a turning point because, although they shared a room, the grandmother could no longer accompany him to his English school in a motor bus, nor could she understand or help him with his Western science lessons.
5. Why did the grandmother rarely talk to the author after he announced he was given music lessons?
Answer: The grandmother was deeply conservative and believed that music had lewd associations, meant only for harlots and beggars, rather than gentlefolk. Her silent disapproval resulted in her rarely talking to him afterward.
6. What happened to their friendship when the author went up to the university?
Answer: When the author went to the university, he was given his own room, which snapped the common link of their friendship. The grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation and spent her time spinning and praying.
7. Describe the grandmother's interaction with the sparrows in the city.
Answer: In the afternoons, she relaxed for half an hour in the verandah, breaking bread into little bits for hundreds of sparrows. The birds created bedlam, perching on her legs, shoulders, and even her head, making it her happiest time of day.
8. How did the grandmother celebrate the author's return from abroad?
Answer: On the evening of his return, she skipped her prayers for the first time. Instead, she gathered women from the neighbourhood, thumped an old dilapidated drum, and sang of the homecoming of warriors for several hours.
9. How did the grandmother behave just before she died?
Answer: Realizing her end was near, she refused to waste time talking to her family. She ignored their protests and lay peacefully in bed, solely dedicated to praying and telling her rosary beads until she passed away.
10. How did the sparrows mourn the grandmother's death?
Answer: Thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor around her dead body in complete silence, taking no notice of the bread crumbs offered to them. When her body was carried away, they flew away quietly.
Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)
1. Bring out the contrast between the village school and the city school as depicted in the text.
Answer: The village school was attached to a temple, where the priest taught the alphabet and morning prayers in a traditional setting, allowing the grandmother to read scriptures nearby. In contrast, the city school was an English medium school that the author attended via motor bus. It taught Western science, the law of gravity, and Archimedes’ principle, but lacked teachings about God and religious scriptures, causing the grandmother distress.
2. "She was like the winter landscape in the mountains." Explain this comparison made by the author.
Answer: The author makes this comparison to highlight the grandmother's physical appearance and her inner peace. She dressed in spotless white, had untidy silver locks of hair, and a pale, puckered face. Much like a winter mountain landscape, she emitted an aura of pure white serenity, breathing deep peace, stability, and contentment.
3. Explain how the grandmother spent her days after the author grew up and went to the university.
Answer: When the author went to the university and got his own room, the grandmother accepted her seclusion quietly. She rarely left her spinning wheel to talk to anyone, spending her days from sunrise to sunset spinning and reciting prayers. Her only break was a half-hour in the afternoon when she relaxed on the verandah to feed bits of bread to hundreds of sparrows.
4. Describe the grandmother's reaction when the author decided to go abroad for further studies.
Answer: The author expected his grandmother to be highly upset given her old age, but she remained completely calm and was not even sentimental. She came to the railway station to see him off, keeping her mind entirely focused on her prayers while telling her beads. She silently kissed his forehead, leaving him with a cherished moist imprint before his five-year departure.
5. How does Khushwant Singh describe his grandmother's physical appearance in the opening of the story?
Answer: Khushwant Singh describes his grandmother as an old, terribly wrinkled woman who had remained physically unchanged for the twenty years he knew her. She was short, fat, and slightly bent, hobbling about the house with one hand on her waist to balance her stoop. Despite lacking youthful prettiness, he considered her deeply beautiful in her serene, spotless white attire.
6. Why was the grandmother unhappy with the education provided at the English school in the city?
Answer: The grandmother was traditional and religious. She was unhappy because she could not understand English words or Western science concepts like gravity, rendering her unable to help the author with his studies. More importantly, she was deeply distressed that the school provided no teachings about God and the scriptures.
7. Describe the events of the evening when the author returned from abroad.
Answer: Upon the author's return, a notable change came over the grandmother. For the first time, she did not pray in the evening. Instead, she collected the women of the neighbourhood, got hold of a dilapidated drum, and spent several hours thumping it while singing songs about the homecoming of warriors, overstraining herself in the process.
8. What rationale did the grandmother give for not talking to her family during her final hours?
Answer: After falling ill with a mild fever following her evening of singing, the grandmother realized her end was near. She stated that because she had omitted her prayers just a few hours before the close of the final chapter of her life, she needed to make amends. Therefore, she refused to waste any more precious time talking to her family and chose to pray instead.
9. How did the author's mother try to comfort the birds, and what was the result?
Answer: Seeing thousands of sparrows sitting silently around the grandmother's corpse, the author's mother felt sorry for them. She fetched some bread, broke it into little crumbs just the way the grandmother used to, and threw it to them. However, the mourning birds took absolutely no notice of the bread and flew away quietly once the corpse was removed.
10. What does the story reveal about the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren?
Answer: The story highlights the pure, nurturing bond between a grandparent and grandchild, characterized by deep affection, silent understanding, and mutual respect. Even as the author grew older and physical distances widened due to modern education and separate rooms, the underlying emotional connection and love remained steadfast until the end.
Long Answer Questions (4/5/6 Marks)
1. The author’s grandmother was a woman of strong character. Provide detailed instances from the text to support this statement.
Answer: The grandmother possessed immense emotional strength and a resilient character. First, she adapted to the profound changes in her life without complaint; when the family moved to the city and she could no longer help her grandson with his English lessons, she accepted the distance quietly. Second, when the author went to the university and their common link of sharing a room was snapped, she resigned to her seclusion peacefully, filling her days with spinning, praying, and feeding sparrows rather than lamenting her loneliness. Third, she displayed extraordinary emotional control when the author went abroad for five years; despite her advanced age, she did not cry or act sentimental at the station, bidding him farewell with a silent kiss and continuous prayers. Finally, on her deathbed, displaying iron-willed determination, she ignored her family's protests and dedicated her final moments exclusively to prayer to compensate for having missed them the previous evening.
2. Trace the three distinct phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he went abroad for higher studies.
Answer: The relationship between the author and his grandmother evolved through three distinct phases.
The first phase took place in the village, characterized by deep intimacy and constant companionship. The grandmother practically raised him, waking him up, dressing him, feeding him, and accompanying him to the temple school where they spent their days together.
The second phase began when they were called to the city. This marked a "turning point." Although they still shared a room, physical and intellectual distances grew. He went to an English school in a motor bus, and she could no longer accompany him or assist with his Western science lessons. Her distress over his music lessons further reduced their verbal communication.
The third phase occurred when the author went up to the university. He was given his own room, which completely snapped their common link of friendship. The grandmother accepted this extreme seclusion with resignation, shifting her entire focus to her spinning wheel, prayers, and feeding the sparrows, signifying the transition from an active guardian to a silent well-wisher.
3. Animals often understand human feelings better than humans do. Justify this statement based on the sparrows' behavior after the grandmother's death.
Answer: The story provides a profound, touching example of the deep emotional bond between animals and humans through the sparrows' behavior. In the city, feeding the sparrows had become the grandmother's happiest half-hour. Hundreds of birds would create a veritable bedlam, perching on her body without fear, demonstrating their absolute trust in her. When she died, thousands of sparrows gathered in her room and on the verandah, sitting silently around her corpse. The usual chaotic chirping was entirely absent, reflecting a somber atmosphere of genuine mourning. When the author's mother threw bread crumbs to them—exactly as the grandmother used to do—the sparrows completely ignored the food. Their presence was solely to pay respects to the soul that had loved and fed them. Once the grandmother’s body was carried off for cremation, the birds flew away quietly. This poignant scene shows that the birds recognized the loss of their benefactor and experienced grief, proving that animals deeply understand and reciprocate human love and loss.
4. Contrast the lifestyle of the grandmother in the village with her lifestyle in the city. How did she adapt to the changing circumstances?
Answer: In the village, the grandmother's lifestyle was highly active and deeply integrated with the author's daily routine. She managed his mornings, prepared his slate, fed him breakfast, and walked with him to the temple school. Her days were spent reading scriptures in the temple and feeding the village dogs on the way back.
In contrast, her city lifestyle was marked by physical confinement and growing isolation. She could no longer accompany her grandson to his English school or understand his modern subjects. To adapt to this forced seclusion, she replaced her morning walks to the temple with continuous spinning at her wheel. Since there were no street dogs in the city, she adapted her charitable nature by taking up the feeding of sparrows in the courtyard. As her grandson grew older and moved into his own room, she fully embraced a life of quiet resignation, finding peace in her daily prayers, her spinning wheel, and her profound, silent connection with the sparrows.
5. "She could never have been pretty; but she was always beautiful." Explain the significance of this statement with reference to the grandmother's character and appearance.
Answer: Through this statement, Khushwant Singh beautifully distinguishes between superficial physical prettiness and profound inner beauty. Physically, the grandmother did not possess conventional youthful attractiveness; she was short, fat, slightly bent, and her face was a "criss-cross of wrinkles." To the author, the idea that she was once young and pretty seemed almost absurd.
However, she was incredibly "beautiful." Her beauty stemmed from her pure, saintly character and her deeply spiritual nature. Dressed in spotless white, with a serene expression and silver hair scattered over her face while her lips moved in constant prayer, she radiated peace and stability. The author compares her to a "winter landscape in the mountains," an expanse of pure white serenity. Her unwavering dedication to her grandson, her gentle kindness toward animals, and her stoic, uncomplaining acceptance of life's changes elevated her beyond mere physical looks, making her a figure of immense spiritual and emotional beauty.
6. Describe the grandmother's religious nature. How does it dictate her actions throughout the story?
Answer: The grandmother's religious nature is the defining pillar of her existence. From the beginning, we see her lips constantly moving in inaudible prayer, her fingers eternally busy telling the beads of her rosary. In the village, she sang her morning prayers aloud while bathing the author, hoping he would learn them by heart, and she spent her days reading scriptures at the temple. Her traditional, religious mindset made her deeply distressed by the city school's curriculum because it taught Western science instead of God and scriptures, and she viewed music as sinful. Even when her grandson left for abroad, her farewell was devoid of emotional words; instead, she remained engrossed in prayer, kissing his forehead with a mind solely fixed on God. On her deathbed, realizing she had forgotten to pray during her brief celebration the night before, she vehemently refused to talk to her family. She spent her absolute final moments lying peacefully in bed, entirely consumed by her prayers and rosary until she passed away.
7. Analyze the grandmother's view on education. Why was she so opposed to what the author learned in the city school?
Answer: The grandmother’s view on education was firmly rooted in traditional and religious values. She believed that true education must impart moral values and spiritual knowledge. In the village, she approved of the education because it was administered by a priest who taught the alphabet alongside morning prayers, all within the premises of a temple.
Her strong opposition to the city school arose because it completely lacked this spiritual foundation. She was distressed that there was no teaching about God or the holy scriptures. Furthermore, the subjects taught—English words, Western science, the law of gravity, and Archimedes’ principle—were entirely alien to her, preventing her from assisting her grandson. Her opposition peaked when she learned he was given music lessons. To her conservative mind, music had lewd associations and was the monopoly of harlots and beggars, completely unfit for gentlefolk. This modern curriculum alienated her and clashed fundamentally with her religious worldview.
8. What is the significance of the episode involving the old drum and the singing of the homecoming of warriors?
Answer: The episode involving the old drum is highly significant as it marks a sudden and stark departure from the grandmother's deeply ingrained, lifelong habits. For the entirety of the story, the grandmother is depicted as an exceptionally pious woman whose lips constantly move in prayer and whose fingers never stop telling her rosary beads. However, on the evening of the author's return from his five-year study abroad, she experiences a rare, overpowering surge of human emotion and joy.
She skips her evening prayers—an unprecedented event. Instead, she gathers the neighbourhood women, thumps the sagging skins of a dilapidated drum, and sings passionately about the homecoming of warriors. This celebration symbolically elevates her grandson's return to the level of a victorious warrior coming home. It shows that beneath her stoic, quiet, and profoundly religious exterior, she possessed an immense reservoir of love for her grandson. Tragically, the physical overstraining from this out-of-character celebration leads directly to her fatal fever the next morning.
9. Discuss the theme of loneliness and seclusion in "The Portrait of a Lady". How does the grandmother deal with it?
Answer: The theme of loneliness and seclusion develops progressively as the author grows up and modernizes. In the village, the grandmother enjoys active companionship with her grandson. However, moving to the city initiates her isolation. She loses her role as his school escort and academic helper due to the modern curriculum. The gap widens further when he begins music lessons, leading to silent disapproval and a lack of conversation. The ultimate break occurs when he enters university and gets his own room, snapping the final physical link of their shared space.
The grandmother deals with this increasing loneliness with remarkable stoicism and dignity. She accepts her seclusion with "resignation," never complaining or demanding attention. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she pivots her focus. She dedicates her time from sunrise to sunset to her spinning wheel and continuous prayers. Most importantly, she redirects her nurturing instincts towards feeding hundreds of sparrows in the courtyard, making it the happiest half-hour of her day. Her ability to find peace and purpose in isolation highlights her immense emotional strength.
10. Imagine you are the author. Write a diary entry describing your feelings on the day of your grandmother's funeral, focusing specifically on the sparrows.
Answer:
(Diary Entry Format)
Dear Diary,
Today has been a day of profound loss and strange, melancholic beauty. We finally said goodbye to Grandmother. As I watched the sun blaze golden light across her room and the verandah, setting the stage for her final journey, an extraordinary event unfolded that I will never forget.
Thousands of sparrows—her daily companions, her noisy, demanding friends—gathered in the courtyard and right up to where she lay wrapped in her red shroud. But there was no bedlam today. There was no chirping. It was a suffocating, deeply respectful silence. My mother, feeling sorry for them, broke bread into little crumbs just the way Grandmother used to, and threw it to them. Yet, they didn't touch a single crumb. They weren't there for the food; they were there for her. They understood our grief because it was their grief too. When we finally lifted her stretcher to take her away, the birds rose together and flew away in utter silence. The bread crumbs remained untouched, swept into the bin the next morning. She was gone, and her feathered friends knew they would never see her again. She truly left a profound imprint on every soul she touched.
No comments:
Post a Comment