Maternal Grandmother's Experiences

I'll be posting my personal experience soon enough but it's taking me some time to write it down. Each time I think about what happened, I remember the bone chilling fear that I went though. But in the mean time, I would like to tell you some experiences that my maternal grandmother experienced. These stories were told to me by mother as my grandmother has passed away a couple of years ago. (I still miss her to this day and I wish I could have her back).

I would also like to mention before I start telling the stories is that the women on my mother's side of the family have the ability to tell if something is going to happen or if something has already happened. Many times it is something bad but there have been incidents where something good has happened. These experiences come though feelings (like sadness or happiness), physical changes (like becoming sick or being in pain), or through a spirit visiting us in a dream or while we are in the state between sleep and awareness of our surroundings. I hope you understand what I'm trying to describe. I have experienced some of the things like my mother and grandmother but not always in the same intensity.

Story #1:

This story is about what my grandmother experienced the day my grandfather (her husband) died and it takes place back home in Sri Lanka. I never got to meet my grandfather as he died when my mother was only three years old.

My family is what you would consider a well off middle class Tamil family; this is considered a good thing in a civil war torn country. My family had a small rice farm, plus a few cows, goats, chickens, and three herd dogs.

My grandfather had gone early to the farm to help out with the harvesting, especially, since a helping hand was home sick. My grandmother would usually go and help my grandfather at the farm after helping Archie (maternal great-grandmother) with the cooking and sending my uncle off to school and feeding my mother. Since my mother was only three years old, she was left with either Archie or one of my many great-uncles and great-aunts (my grandmother was one of 10 children, so there wasn't a shortage of people looking after each other's children).

On this particular day, my grandmother sent my grandfather off to the farm and did her usual stuff but planned to stay a little longer because one of the cows was going to give birth to a calf. Since Archie couldn't travel a long distance to get the vet, my grandmother went to get him. I was told by my mother that if one of the animals gave birth it would be Archie or my grandmother who would usually help with the birth but my grandmother ended getting the vet for this birth because the cow started getting sick and acting weird just before giving birth. My grandmother also started getting weird feelings like having a heavy heart and butterflies in the stomach at the same time. Before she left to get the vet, she told Archie that she was having these feelings and with the cow being sick before giving birth something bad was going to happen (cows are consider sacred animals and we would pray to them). Archie (being the crazy woman she is) told my grandmother to stop being stupid and go get the idiotic vet (for some reason Archie didn't get along with the vet, even though he was a family friend; probably because Archie could be a hard head sometimes).

Anyways, the calf ended up being born dead and the cow ended up coughing blood and dying about two hours later. The vet tried saving the cow but couldn't and ended up putting her to sleep. Archie finally agreed that this was a bad omen. At this point, my grandmother got really sick to the point that she was really dizzy and had to lie down. Archie helped her into the cot bed that was in the backyard shade so that the breeze could help her. My grandmother fell asleep and when she woke about a little later, she asked where are husband was. At this point in time, one of my grandmother's sisters was with her and she told my grandmother that he was still out in the field. My grandmother wanted my grandfather back to the house as soon as possible.

When my great-aunt asked why she was in a panic and why she wanted my grandfather back home, my grandmother said that she had a dream. In the dream, she saw the cow that just died with her husband standing beside it and her husband saying that the cow was his responsibility now and that he will take care of it and that he was happy and not in pain anymore. My grandmother woke at this point in a panic and wanted her husband to come home. My great-aunt sent one of her sons (my uncle) to get my grandfather but came back with some bad news.

According to one of the helping hands, my grandfather started feeling really dizzy and decided to take a break and sit under one of the trees surrounding the farm. Within a few minutes, he started screaming that his chest hurt. Before they could get him far, he died of a massive heart attack. This incident happened a few minutes before my grandmother woke up from the dream.

The doctors did an autopsy on my grandfather and found a clot in one of his veins leading to the heart. But they couldn't find out that was possible because like other farmers, my grandfather was a hard working man, who never smoked a day in his life and probably had a shot or two of alcohol with his dinner. According to my uncle (mom's big brother), he was a fit man.

Since the day my grandfather died, my grandmother raised my mom and uncle with the help of the rest of the family. Even though many of them asked her to, my grandmother never remarried because she was afraid that the next man she married won't be a proper father to her kids.

Story # 2:

This next story also takes place at and near my grandmother's house in Sri Lanka. It was told to me by my mother. Like many large families, we would either live as one big family in one large house or live with their individual families in smaller houses close by. Our family setup was the latter.

There was a guy name Raja. My mom believes he was a distant cousin or something to my grandmother. Raja was about a year or two younger than my grandmother and although he was a hard worker and a good guy who would help anyone out if they asked, he was a little slow and because of that nobody came to marry him. Even though Raja helped a lot of people, these very same people would make fun of him behind his back. My mom (who at this point was about 10 years old) said that some people like his father were so mean that they would insult him in front of other people. My grandmother was a like a big sister to him and Archie would always pity him and give him food. Archie can be a hard headed woman, but she was also kind. She would defend Raja whenever his father or someone insulted him. Raja, on the other hand, just took everything with a pinch of salt.

Anyway, Raja was working on the banana farm that belonged to my grandmother's brother. After a long day of work, Raja came to my grandmother's house through the short cut path in between the two properties for a cup of tea. (According to my mother, Raja doesn't eat or drink at my great-uncle's house because my great-aunt didn't like him and always put him down. My great-uncle gave him the job on the farm because he felt sorry for him). After drinking the tea, Raja told my grandmother and Archie that he was going to go home. Archie asked him to stay for dinner but he said that was tired and wanted to take a shower before going to sleep.

Just before leaving, it started to rain. Many of the posters who are from village type places should know that there are a lot snakes in the bushes. My mother said that many times the snakes would come out of the bushes when it rains. It would have been safer to take the main road home but it was the longer route and Raja decided to take the path behind the houses where on one side there were lots of bushes and leaves. Within minutes of leaving, Raja screamed out, "Akka (big sister), a snake bit me". Apparently, Raja stepped on some leaves that were gathered together in a pile and a snake was coiled under the leaves. When Raja stepped on the pile of leaves, the snake bit him. It was dark and it took a few minutes for my grandmother, Archie, and two of my great-uncles (who also heard the scream) to find him and when they did find him, Raja had passed out. The group picked him up and brought him back to my grandmother's house while one of my great-uncles went to rent out a car from a nearby neighbour (he had a car rental business and this was easier to get because getting a taxi was difficult to do at that time of the evening).

Because of space, only my great-uncles went with Raja to the hospital. They initially went to the local hospital but after testing Raja, the doctors said that they couldn't do anything for him and that he needed to go to the government hospital. Unfortunately, Raja died before they reached the government hospital. My mom said that the doctors saw the venom had spread and probably wanted to avoid all the paper work that went with the dead.

Anyway, while my great-uncles went with Raja, my grandmother and Archie (great-grandmother) stayed behind at the house. My grandmother dosed off on the front porch when she felt someone by her legs. In her vision, she looked to see that it was Raja. He thanked my grandmother for treating him nicely and always giving him tea whenever he asked. Raja also told my grandmother to tell Archie to stay out of trouble.

My grandmother just woke up then and she told Archie that Raja didn't survive and that he thanked her for the tea and told Archie to behave. Being the person she is, Archie told my grandmother to shut up and go back to sleep. Not even a minute later, the phone rang and the news came that Raja had died. Many people like my grandmother and Archie were sad about Raja's death, but some people were happy that they didn't have to care for him.

I know this was kind of long and I apologize for that. It is weird sensation that you go through and I was wondering if anyone else experienced these kinds of events.