Did Amma follow the Paayaasam?

My family and I went to pay our humble salutations to Amma while Amma was visiting Calgary in May, 2000. The lady who was in charge of preparing Amma’s meals wanted to make paayaasam for Amma but did not have any Cream of Wheat in that household. Since we had a vehicle (we drove from Regina), she asked us to buy some Cream of Wheat at a grocery store.

We bought the item, went back to the house for one last visit with Amma and left the house forgetting that we had the item to deliver. We drove back to Regina and while unloading our van my husband discovered the package of Cream of Wheat. I felt so guilty! I prayed silently for Amma’s forgiveness and made a silent vow to offer Amma some paayaasam as soon as possible.

Every Friday, we hold special bhajans in our house. For the one that fell on the Friday following our Calgary trip, I opened the Cream of Wheat package, washed its contents very carefully and made the paayaasam that should have been prepared in Calgary days earlier. While praying, we offered it in front of Amma’s picture and I again begged Amma to forgive me for my forgetfulness.

After the bhajans were done, we looked in the paayaasam container and then stared at it with open bewilderment. In it was floating one tiny orange yarn that could have come from Amma’s lap cloth! Did Amma actually follow us to get the paayaasam that was owed to Amma? We will never know. When my brother mentioned this to Amma in a later visit, Amma laughed merrily and informed him that Amma lives in our house (Amma’s house as Amma rightly points out) always.