A long time back we were traveling by train to our native place... My father, mother brother and me.. we had booked a cabin with two upper and lower berths . The entire compartment was left to us and we spent the time singing songs and looking at the beautiful countryside as the train ran past the fields almost cutting through them. Evening turned to night and we slept.

My mother slept on the upper berth with me and my brother in the lower. As she slept her long below waist length hair overflowed the pillow on which her head rested like a waterfall down to my berth, swaying with the motion of the train.. back and forth. Well I peeked out of the berth to see if mom was awake.. but she was fast asleep..

Touching her hair was off limits for us.. At home we would stare at her hair wound up in a thick bun over her head as she would move about and when she would wear her hair down she was careful to keep it out of anyone's reach... I doubt even Dad ever got a chance to touch them.. she was so possessive of her hair... So our curiosity got the better of us. I reached out and stroked them feeling the silkiness my fingers.. It felt very soft and silky.. My brother too seeing mom sleeping touched her hair and felt them..

I took hold of her hair and tossed the locks back up.. it fell right over her face covering it and she woke up with a start.. as her hair tickled her face now..

She made a funny sight like cousin it from adams family as her hair fell all over her face as she sat up..

She swept her hair from her face with her hand and saw us staring at her. I went red. .. "Mom your hair was hanging down so I tossed them up.."

She just smiled at us.. and nodded ok.. Expertly her hands worked her hair into a soft loose bun over her head and she slept. It was a beautiful memory of her flowing hair that remains with me till today.