{"id":149,"date":"2009-01-08T23:50:06","date_gmt":"2009-01-08T23:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/?p=149"},"modified":"2010-01-22T03:36:37","modified_gmt":"2010-01-22T03:36:37","slug":"149","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/?p=149","title":{"rendered":"Gold Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>The Goldfish<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Saryu Parikh<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWow, what a beautiful fish pendant you have! From where did you get it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Every time I wear this pendant, this curious question brings a smile to my face, carried on the gentle breeze of sweet memories.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0When my children were little, I started selling Avon products in Placentia, California. One evening I stopped by at the home of Margret Kyling. This pleasant lady invited me in and very happily placed an order for a few things. After that, our visits every other week became a welcome routine. She wanted me to spell her name \u2018Margret\u2019 and not \u2018Margaret\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She would always place her new Avon purchases into a cabinet. Later on I would witness her generosity many times over. She used to take two or three pieces out, without\u00a0any hesitation about the price of those items,\u00a0and would happily give them to visiting guests. When we had known her less than a year, I took my sister-in-law to meet her.\u00a0 Margret welcomed her very lovingly and gave her two beautiful gifts, which Didi cherished for many years.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0With the passing years we experienced her kindness on so many special days like birthdays and Christmases. One time was exceptional \u2013 after our son Samir was born. She came over to see the baby with a large bouquet of roses from her garden and a huge carton of about twenty boxes of diapers. As young parents, this was the nicest surprise we received.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>After years of struggle in her youth, Margret had moved from her homeland of Germany. She valued the safe and wonderful lifestyle that she discovered in America. Margret and her husband Ben, had two white gentle dogs. She had a steady job as an accountant and she kept her home beautiful. She did not have children, but she became like a Godmother to my children and showered her affection upon us.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 My children got to know Margret for about six years. After that, we moved away and eventually Margret retired and moved to Hemet, California.\u00a0 We lost touch. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And time flew by. Dilip got a job with AT&T Bell Labs, and we moved to Orlando, Florida.\u00a0 Sangita and Samir were in college and I started working. Once in a while some reminder of Margret would pop up and we would lovingly talk about her. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One day, after almost thirteen years had passed, I thought, \u201cFor old times\u2019 sake, let me try to find Margret!\u201d I inquired for her phone number in Hemet, California, and I was pleasantly surprised when the operator gave me her number. But I was hesitant to call. I was thinking that she would be close to eighty years old and may not remember me. It may be awkward. But I decided to give it a try.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHello, Margret,\u201d I spoke into the phone after hearing a sweet Hello. \u201cYou may not remember me, but years ago, we lived in Placentia—.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIs this Saryu calling?\u201d she responded.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I was speechless for a few moments, overwhelmed with my emotions.\u00a0 I could not believe that she remembered me. We talked for a long time. She was all alone, living in a mobile home community. Her husband Ben had passed away several years before, and she missed him terribly. I had met one young German couple at her house, and they were like her family. When I inquired about them, she regretfully told me that they both had died in their private plain crash. Unfortunately, Margret herself had suffered a stroke.\u00a0 She was blind in one eye and had many other medical problems. But her good nature had prevailed. She said a good friend was helping her, and she was happy. After that, every time we talked I hardly heard her complain. She was always very interested in hearing about my children\u2019s lives, just like a grandmother would. We were very happy to reconnect with her.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0About 8 years ago, Samir was in law school and had an opportunity for a summer job in Los Angeles. On his trip there, I accompanied him, and we decided to see Margret in Hemet. Samir selected a big flower bouquet for her. She was thrilled to see us. She introduced us to her neighbors and friends as if we were her family. She could not take her eyes off of the six-foot tall Samir\u2019s smiling face.\u00a0 \u201cWow! Look at him. Isn\u2019t he a handsome young man? He\u2019s all grown up!” \u00a0<\/em>After that, Samir continued to visit Margret, never without the flowers. He sent her flowers or fruit baskets on her birthdays. We also made sure that she may not have financial difficulties.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The last time we met, I showed her my goldfish pendant. I asked her, \u201cDo you remember when you gave me this?\u201d With age and time her memory was cloudy, so I told her the story. One day, when I had been visiting Margret on an Avon sale, we had been talking about something that made her realize that my birthday was the following day. She had told me to wait, while she ran into her house. She had returned with the goldfish pendant and had placed it in my hand, kindly closing my fingers over it. It had surprised me to see the Aquarian symbol, my birth sign! She had said that her husband Ben was also born in February.\u00a0She had held\u00a0my hand for a moment warm, saying, \u201cBut it was meant for you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Upon\u00a0this refreshed memory, her face blossomed with a smile like a white rose.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0She said, “Saryu, at that time I did not want to tell you the somber story behind this pendant, but today I will. I was a teenager during the war, and my sister and I were staying with my aunt.\u00a0 Right before we were to escape and leave the country, my aunt hugged me for the last time and gave me\u00a0this pendant.\u00a0 I was afraid that if I put it in my bag, it could be snatched away, so I held onto this pendant tightly in my hand. I am glad to see that it is in \u00a0good hands today.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Margret recently passed on. Her sweet memories fill our hearts. <\/em>And the unconditional love she shared with us was gladly reciprocated when she needed it most.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0——————————————————-<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Goldfish\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Saryu Parikh \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWow, what a beautiful fish pendant you have! From where did you get it?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Every time I wear this pendant, this curious question brings a smile to my face, carried on the gentle breeze of sweet memories. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0When my children were little, I started selling Avon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-172"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saryuparikh.gujaratisahityasarita.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}