41. The bitter and the sweet

Ba's was the eagle-eye. Whenever she saw in the kitchen anything not in its proper place, or any fruit or vegetable about to de-compose, or any edible kept uncovered, she would reprimand the person in charge, setting right, however, at the same time, whatever seemed to her to be amiss. She was always plain-spoken. That is why often a new-comer would not at first take kindly to her. If anyone complained about Ba in this respect to Bapu, the latter would say, "Maybe, Ba has something of the bitter in her, but she has also of the sweet in her and that, too, in abundance."