other.
“Accha,”
she said. “Tell me.”
And I told her the whole story about Rukmani and her strange request.
“You’re taking
laddu
to the Milk Boy?” Lali shrieked.
“You promised you wouldn’t yell,” I cried.
“I’m only yelling because you made such a bad promise!”
I tried to reason with her. “I haven’t done anything yet, Lali. I’ve waited till they were stale, see?”
“I don’t care about that!” Lali cried. “I just can’t believe you’re going to do what she asked!”
“I have to,” I explained. “If Rukmani found out I went back on my word she’d be hopping mad.”
“What about Ramu? I thought he was also your friend!”
“But I’ve already given my word to take it to the cross-eyed boy, and a promise is a promise.”
“Oh! Must you always say ‘cross-eyed’? So rude, nai?” Lali stamped her good foot. “Anyway, it was wrong to make the promise in the first place! You know how Ramu feels about Rukmani!”
She was right, of course, and I didn’t have a good explanation. “She tricked me,” I said helplessly. “You know how wily she can be.”
But Lali scowled and walked away in a huff. I didn’t mind that so much. Being mad was much better than being sad, and I knew she wouldn’t stay mad at me for very long. I ran after her and gave her braid a playful tug. “Will you go with me, Lali?
Hanh?
”
Lali swatted at my hand. “
Humph!
Go where?”
“To the riverbank?”
“You want
me
to go with you to deliver the
laddu
from Rukmani to Ganga? Are you mad?”
“Lali, if you go, you’ll get to see him! And together we will give him an earful about Rukmani. Cross my heart.”
I could see wheels turning in her head, so I gave her another wee push. “Please, Lali?” I begged.
“
Accha!
I’ll go with you,” Lali said finally, and then she added, “but I haven’t fully forgiven you just yet.”
We walked on, raising dust with our bare feet as we made our way through the field.
Along the way, I went over my predicament again and again. Then an idea popped into my head.
“Oi!”
I declared,stopping suddenly. “I cannot—I
will not
take the
laddu
to the Milk Boy. I will not be a traitor!”
“Neither to me
nor
to Ramu?” Lali asked, and I nodded.
“God promise?”
“Yes, yes. God promise!” I said, and pinched my throat for good measure.
“What will you do?”
“Shhh,” I hissed. “I am thinking.” The riverbank was coming into view and I didn’t have much time left to cook up a good scheme.
But after twenty more steps, my plan was in place.
“
Hanh.
I’m thinking I should tell Ganga something else,” I said, giggling. “That would serve Rukmani right.”
“Tell him what?” Lali asked in alarm. “Don’t you dare without clearing it with me first!”
“Don’t worry, Lali,” I assured her. “I will tell the Milk Boy I have it on good authority that Rukmani sent him stale
laddu
because she thinks he deserves nothing but the worst and I will also say—”
“Wait!” Lali stopped me. “That would be telling a lie.”
“Lali, Lali. Don’t you see I’m on your side? I’m only telling little lies to make things better for you.”
“Big or small, a lie is a lie!” Lali insisted. “And it’s just not me who says so. Your mother—”
“Hanh, hanh!”
I cut her off. “But don’t you see? Sometimes when a person gets herself in a tricky place, she needs to bend a little rule here and there to protect….”
I was so busy laying out my defense that we didn’t seeRamu’s goat or hear the tinkle of her bell. Suddenly, something nudged the small of my back, and before I knew it, I was on the ground!
“Oo Ma!”
I cried.
“Oo Ma!”
Lali cried.
The
laddu
fell out of my pocket and rolled in the dirt. Ramu’s goat snapped it up before I could grab it.
“She’s eating the
laddu!
” Lali yelled.
“Oi!”
I raised my hand to swat at the goat, but stopped midair. Lady Providence, in the form of Ramu’s goat,
“Accha,”
she said. “Tell me.”
And I told her the whole story about Rukmani and her strange request.
“You’re taking
laddu
to the Milk Boy?” Lali shrieked.
“You promised you wouldn’t yell,” I cried.
“I’m only yelling because you made such a bad promise!”
I tried to reason with her. “I haven’t done anything yet, Lali. I’ve waited till they were stale, see?”
“I don’t care about that!” Lali cried. “I just can’t believe you’re going to do what she asked!”
“I have to,” I explained. “If Rukmani found out I went back on my word she’d be hopping mad.”
“What about Ramu? I thought he was also your friend!”
“But I’ve already given my word to take it to the cross-eyed boy, and a promise is a promise.”
“Oh! Must you always say ‘cross-eyed’? So rude, nai?” Lali stamped her good foot. “Anyway, it was wrong to make the promise in the first place! You know how Ramu feels about Rukmani!”
She was right, of course, and I didn’t have a good explanation. “She tricked me,” I said helplessly. “You know how wily she can be.”
But Lali scowled and walked away in a huff. I didn’t mind that so much. Being mad was much better than being sad, and I knew she wouldn’t stay mad at me for very long. I ran after her and gave her braid a playful tug. “Will you go with me, Lali?
Hanh?
”
Lali swatted at my hand. “
Humph!
Go where?”
“To the riverbank?”
“You want
me
to go with you to deliver the
laddu
from Rukmani to Ganga? Are you mad?”
“Lali, if you go, you’ll get to see him! And together we will give him an earful about Rukmani. Cross my heart.”
I could see wheels turning in her head, so I gave her another wee push. “Please, Lali?” I begged.
“
Accha!
I’ll go with you,” Lali said finally, and then she added, “but I haven’t fully forgiven you just yet.”
We walked on, raising dust with our bare feet as we made our way through the field.
Along the way, I went over my predicament again and again. Then an idea popped into my head.
“Oi!”
I declared,stopping suddenly. “I cannot—I
will not
take the
laddu
to the Milk Boy. I will not be a traitor!”
“Neither to me
nor
to Ramu?” Lali asked, and I nodded.
“God promise?”
“Yes, yes. God promise!” I said, and pinched my throat for good measure.
“What will you do?”
“Shhh,” I hissed. “I am thinking.” The riverbank was coming into view and I didn’t have much time left to cook up a good scheme.
But after twenty more steps, my plan was in place.
“
Hanh.
I’m thinking I should tell Ganga something else,” I said, giggling. “That would serve Rukmani right.”
“Tell him what?” Lali asked in alarm. “Don’t you dare without clearing it with me first!”
“Don’t worry, Lali,” I assured her. “I will tell the Milk Boy I have it on good authority that Rukmani sent him stale
laddu
because she thinks he deserves nothing but the worst and I will also say—”
“Wait!” Lali stopped me. “That would be telling a lie.”
“Lali, Lali. Don’t you see I’m on your side? I’m only telling little lies to make things better for you.”
“Big or small, a lie is a lie!” Lali insisted. “And it’s just not me who says so. Your mother—”
“Hanh, hanh!”
I cut her off. “But don’t you see? Sometimes when a person gets herself in a tricky place, she needs to bend a little rule here and there to protect….”
I was so busy laying out my defense that we didn’t seeRamu’s goat or hear the tinkle of her bell. Suddenly, something nudged the small of my back, and before I knew it, I was on the ground!
“Oo Ma!”
I cried.
“Oo Ma!”
Lali cried.
The
laddu
fell out of my pocket and rolled in the dirt. Ramu’s goat snapped it up before I could grab it.
“She’s eating the
laddu!
” Lali yelled.
“Oi!”
I raised my hand to swat at the goat, but stopped midair. Lady Providence, in the form of Ramu’s goat,
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