At the young age of 16, S. Sneha has had to assume the role of a caretaker for her younger brother. She had to take up the responsibility after as their mother died in a road accident on Kamarajar Salai last November.
Their mother, Thilagavathi, a fish vendor from Nochikuppam, was among the three who were hit by a speeding sedan near Light House on Kamarajar Salai on November 2 last year. The 21-year-old driver was arrested, but later came out on bail. For Sneha and her brother Vishwa, on the other hand, life has been an uphill struggle.
They now stay with their maternal grandmother as their father P. Sivakumar, a fisherman, is mostly out at sea. “Often, after I get back from school, I end up weeping. I recall how my mother used to prepare snacks and wait for me,” says Sneha, a 10 standard student at St. Raphael’s School.
Thilagavathi would always look at the bright side of everything, family members recall. “When I was injured while fishing, she said the family can be run with the money she earns by selling fish. I miss her motivation,” says Sivakumar.
Sneha misses her encouragement too. “She would always urge me to study well and wanted me to become an English teacher and not a fish vendor,” she says. Her classmates, she says, have been a pillar of support over the last year. “They ensure I never feel low,” she adds.
Vishwa too breaks down whenever someone mentions his mother. “She used to get me whatever I need. Now, there is no one I can turn to,” he says.
Sivakumar remains haunted by the events of that day. “She went off to buy fish and I never saw her alive after that. My happiness ended with my wife’s death,” he says.
