BY THE WAY

We as kids were served  tea and milk in enamel  coated  metal  mugs that we used to call tumblers. These mugs  came with a handle and were therefore easy to hold and grip and being made of metal were  unbreakable. These were  coated with  different  colours  from outside , with or without some design  but the inside was invariably white. These remained in use for a long time  till the enamel would wear way and metal would start showing.These were ordinary stuff, that came  cheap, a far cry from the fancy and costly mugs that are marketed online  nowadays.   But it is for some  unpleasant reason that  these linger in my memory.

I was a 5-6 year old  school going kid when one fateful day, I fell from the bed  the bed  and  the edge  of a tumbler hit me  hard  on the left side  just below the neckline. With  this started my two months’ long ordeal.  Apart from the  pain, the  portion  got swollen and developed into a lump,  much to the  worry  of my parents. I  was taken to the  hospital and the doctor prescribed  injections. On alternate days , I was taken to the hospital, was first given steam   and  afterwards given an injection. This went on for quite some days but was  of no avail . Someone  suggested applying poultice to the  affected portion . Poultice – hot halwa made in alsi oil was  applied  to the  affected portion and it seemed to work . After a  few days, probably on a Sunday, the lump  burst and  a lot of pus came out, which was wiped and removed  with  cotton  . At last my ordeal came to an end , much to the  great relief of my parents.