Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

7
MY FIRST TRAGEDY
S
trangely, no one was talking or making any noise outside.
Not even a bird was chirping. Silence reigned. I lay in
Tjobajo's bed. This morning he was not sleeping late as
usual. He was already up. Maybe I was missing something. I sat
up <strong>and</strong> looked out the bedroom window. I could not see
anything, not even the sky. "Is it foggy?" I wondered silently,
got up, <strong>and</strong> walked out of the bedroom. My Buddha! The
ground was entirely covered with white. It was snowing big,
heavy flakes. A frigid wind cut me to the marrow, blowing
snowflakes against my face <strong>and</strong> bare feet, making my heart feel
cold. I wanted to return to bed, but Brother suddenly appeared.
He had gone out early to kill sparrows <strong>and</strong> other birds with his
slingshot <strong>and</strong> pebbles. Snowy days were perfect for killing birds
that stayed perched in trees. His shoes were wet. Snowflakes
had melted on his hair <strong>and</strong> clothes, wetting them as well. His
face <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>s were pale. He was trembling with cold <strong>and</strong>
could not close his mouth tight. His lips were reddish-blue. Snot
was frozen over his nostrils so that it resembled icicles hanging
from two holes. I could only giggle.
He noticed I was laughing at him <strong>and</strong> said roughly,
"Stupid pig! How dare you laugh at me? You slept as late as our
pigs do." His anger made me want to laugh more. I tried to
control myself because I did not want to be beaten.
I no longer wanted to get back into bed, paused, <strong>and</strong>
then said, grinning broadly, "It's none of my business that you
are as cold as if you had slept in an icehouse, because I didn't do
anything to cause your coldness. Why didn't you wake me when
you got up? We always sleep <strong>and</strong> get up at the same time."
Rubbing his h<strong>and</strong>s together for a little warmth, he said
more calmly, "I'm sorry. I thought we would quarrel over the
slingshot."
"Why did you think we would quarrel? There is no
reason to argue since I have my bow <strong>and</strong> arrows to kill birds," I
said.
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