SNL25-26_final for print.pmd - sparrow

1.7nauseating. She went to the public tap, took her bit of soapfrom its hiding place, and turned the tap open with herforearm to wash her hands. She washed them two-threetimes. Then she went to give attendance in the must, andleft for her round of domestic work. By the time she finishedher work in the two houses she was drained of all energy,physically and mentally. Dragging her aching legs slowly,she reached home.Lakshmi was waiting on the doorstep. Seeing her mothershe said in happy excitement, ‘Wash your hands and feet,Amma, there is hot water.’ Anjinamma felt through herfatigue, it is I who should be pampering her, instead she islooking after me. To assuage her guilt she murmured, ‘Someavarekaalu is lying in the kitchen, tomorrow I shall comeearly; tell appa to get dry fish, I’ll make a tasty gravy of fishand avarekaalu for you.’Lakshmi’s eyes danced as she thought of the treat thatshe had prepared for her mother. ‘Amma, you can even havea bath if you like, I have heated enough water. I’ll scrubyour back for you.’‘I’ll have a bath,’ Anjinamma acquiesced. ‘No need toscrub my back. But make some tea, I’ll have it after my bath.’It’s time to eat and she wants tea, Lakshmi grumbled toherself. Not eating, drinking tea and coffee all the time hasdried up her insides. Let her bathe and come, I’ll make hereat well today!She heard her father calling outside, and hurried out togreet him.‘Gently, dear, take care. I’ve brought jilebi and khara foryou. Is your cooking done?’Lakshmi winked. ‘Amma does not know.’ Narasimhanodded and washed his face as Lakshmi poured the waterfor him. Anjinamma came out after her bath and asked forher tea. ‘No tea for you, you have become like a dry stick,’Lakshmi scolded affectionately. ‘You come and eat.’ Sheserved out meat gravy and ragi balls on three plates andtook her mother by the hand and seated her before a plate.She smiled mischievously. ‘Didn’t your nose get theflavour?’Filled with the stink of dead dog, Anjninamma’s nosecould not discern the delicious aroma of the food that herdaughter had cooked for her.‘Taste and tell me how it is.’ Lakshmi’s face bloomed withhappiness. Seeing this, Anjinamma tried. She picked withher fingers at the ragi ball; but its texture felt like thedecomposed body that she had handled earlier in the day.Tears welled up in her eyes. They were real tears of grief.Not understanding the tears Lakshmi remarked, ‘You musthave that operation. I shall stay and take care of you. Eat,Amma, you won’t enjoy the food if the ragi balls go cold.’Narasimha was engrossed in eating, silently appreciativeof his daughter’s culinary skill. Except for the bent headand the steady sound of munching, he may have beenmeditating.The daughter was fulfilling the hunger of the big tummy.StoryAnjinamma got up for water. As she was taking waterfrom the pot, some spilt on the floor. She looked for thecloth to wipe it. Observing this Lakshmi commented, ‘Godhas not written in your fate that you are to eat properly.’Before she could complete the sentence she felt a catch inher waist and the baby moving downward. Frightened, sheshouted, ‘Amma!’Anjinamma went to her swiftly and held and consoledher. ‘Don’t be afraid. If you get pains twice more we shall goto the hospital.’ But it seemed the baby had been waitingto taste the delicious meat before trying to come out.Narasimha broke his meditation and ran to get Ramanji’sauto. Lakshmi’s pains came again, more frequent andintense. She held on to her mother tightly, and left her onlywhen taken to the labour ward. Without much delayLakshmi’s ‘Chinna’ arrived in this world.The newborn had only two fingers in the right hand andthree in his left hand. Those fingers too were not properlyformed. The doctor pronounced that a surgery could beperformed after three months, which would remedymatters to the extent that the child would be able to usehis hands. Silence fell on the room. His three listeners werein wordless agony like a bird pierced with an arrow throughthe chest. The child cried loudly as if to break the silence.Anjinamma pulled the arrow from her chest and spoketo the doctor. ‘How much money would the operationrequire?’ Narasimha, in the meantime, held the newbornagainst the warmth of his body and stroked his daughter’shead gently.After speaking with the doctor Anjinamma came up toher daughter and seeing her pensive face said, ‘You mustnot lose heart at misfortunes in life, Lakshmi. When godgives us good things we take it with both hands; when hegives what is not so good we must accept that too and neverrefuse it. Only say to him, you gave me this, now show methe way to deal with it. My dear, the child will be all rightafter the operation; did you notice how active he is, howstrong his voice when he cried?’Lakshmi replied, ‘Amma, I was pensive only because Iwas recalling how much you tried to make me go to schoolbut I never heeded you; now there is no way but to sendthis child to school. You ask why? This child can only hold apen in two fingers and never a broom. God has given thisgift, why should I refuse?’(Translated by Radha Arun & Du Saraswathi)Bachisu: Tips or bakshishMama: Mama or ‘maternal uncle’ is also used for husband incommunities in which it is customary to marry the maternal uncle,actual or removed.Avarekkalu: A variety of beans, are a favourite food among Kannadigas.Owner: It is a colloquial usage in Bangalore for the boss in a privateset-up. For example, the word may be used by a domestic worker torefer to the head of a household. Unnikrishnan uses theword to refer to the contractors.Must: Place where the workers gather three times a day to giveattendance.