Shopping for Lily

Every day I went at least four or five times to see my sister. I would arrive at eight o’clock and spend an hour or so. I would return at 10:30, and again at 12:30 and six or seven o’clock. When I first arrived in Pondicherry, she could not get up from her bed, but when I went there the following morning, she was ready to walk. About fifteen metres she walked and sat on a chair to chat with me properly.

All of a sudden, as she was talking, she said that she did not like the garments that the nursing home had given her to wear. The petticoat was no good and she did not like their nightgowns. I said, “You do not have to worry. I will go and buy some for you.”

Immediately I went to the market. I have never bought petticoats before. My sister said that they had to be light and they had to look nice. I went to six or seven stores, begging them to give me very light ones made of cotton or silk. With greatest difficulty, I got six petticoats and six nightgowns, but not from one store. Happily I brought them back to my sister.

But she liked only two nightgowns and one petticoat. Then she said, “Take the rest back to New York.”

I said, “I do not take petticoats for the girls.”

She said, “No, you have to take them. I do not like them.”

Then I told her, “As soon as I go back to New York, I will find light ones, nice ones, and I will immediately send them to you.”