not that far from the truth. Buffalo … goat; goat … buffalo. It was six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Ramu’s goat sauntered toward us, her udders swinging, a yellow crumb still clinging to her beard. I had a feeling the
goonda
boys had something to do with her tether being untied. For once, I was thankful for their mischievous ways.
“What are you thinking?” Lali asked.
“I’m thinking that I should thank Lord Rama for Paki and Raju,” I said.
Chapter 13
I t had now been three nights since Kalu had come to the hut.
Poof!
Just like that the little dog had disappeared—just like my ring.
“Kalu!
Oi,
Kalu!” I called for him all the way to the Big House, but he didn’t come. “He’s been gone for days, Amma.”
“He’s a dog of the streets, Basanta,” she said. “He knows how to fend for himself.”
When I spied the
goonda
boys in the jamun berry tree, I yelled, “
Oi!
Have you seen dear Kalu?”
“
Bah!
We already told you one hundred times we have no time to waste on a mangy dog!” Paki said.
And finally I asked Bala. “
Oi!
Where’s Kalu,
hanh
?”
“Umm. Here, there, everywhere!” he said as he took careful aim and sent a marble flying into the air.
I was resting under the tamarind tree at the end of the day when Lali came up the knoll. “
Oi,
Lali!” I called. “Is there news of the dear dog?” But she had no good news for me.
Lali tucked her bad foot under her
lengha
and made herself comfortable next to me. “I have something nice to show you, though,” she said, waving a feather. “I found it along the trail. So pretty,
nai
?”
“It’s only a sparrow feather, Lali,” I said. “People find nicer things all the time.”
“Go! Go! What could be nicer than this?”
I showed her my ring. When Lali’s face changed like the sky at sunrise, I knew it was far, far better than any bird feather.
“
Oo Ma
!” Lali gasped. “So pretty, truly! From your Bibi? She gives you very nice things,
nai
?”
“
Hanh.
From time to time.”
“You are so lucky!”
“
Na
,” I said. “
She
is the lucky one. Who is the one with servants to run and fetch for her all day,
hanh
?”
Lali examined the ring more closely. “
Aiyyo!
What’s this?”
“It’s only a little hole,” I sighed. “One stone is missing. The others make you forget all about it. It’s pretty enough for a nice wedding present when the Milk Boy takes you away in his bullock cart!”
Lali covered her mouth with her hand, but I could see that she was smiling.
“Did you get more flowers from Ganga?” I asked. It had been several days since the yellow flower had wilted behind her ear. “He should buy you green bangles for your wrist. His father is rich enough!”
“I don’t need green bangles for my wrist,” Lali replied.
“Don’t be silly. Every girl worth her salt wants green bangles for her wrist.”
“Not every girl,” Lali whispered.
I looked at her. My friend seemed pensive today. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you so mopey? Didn’t your precious Ganga visit you in a sweet dream last night?”
“I tossed and turned all night,” Lali replied.
“Because?”
“Because … Forget it. It’s nothing.”
“Because your precious boy came to pin another flower behind your ear in your sweet dream?” I prompted.
Lali shook her head and I tried again. “You tossed and turned all night because your precious boy
didn’t
come to pin a flower behind your ear in your sweet dream?”
Lali stood up to go. “
Na.
There was no flower, and no Ganga, and no sweet dream,” she said. “I tossed and turned because my mother let us eat from her plate and she went to bed hungry.”
I stared at Lali again and this time I saw the worry lines.
“She tosses and turns at night,” she said. “The rice pot is empty. There won’t be much on my
thali
plate tonight, and there won’t be any more sweet dreams for me at night either.”
She said it so softly, I almost didn’t
Ramu’s goat sauntered toward us, her udders swinging, a yellow crumb still clinging to her beard. I had a feeling the
goonda
boys had something to do with her tether being untied. For once, I was thankful for their mischievous ways.
“What are you thinking?” Lali asked.
“I’m thinking that I should thank Lord Rama for Paki and Raju,” I said.
Chapter 13
I t had now been three nights since Kalu had come to the hut.
Poof!
Just like that the little dog had disappeared—just like my ring.
“Kalu!
Oi,
Kalu!” I called for him all the way to the Big House, but he didn’t come. “He’s been gone for days, Amma.”
“He’s a dog of the streets, Basanta,” she said. “He knows how to fend for himself.”
When I spied the
goonda
boys in the jamun berry tree, I yelled, “
Oi!
Have you seen dear Kalu?”
“
Bah!
We already told you one hundred times we have no time to waste on a mangy dog!” Paki said.
And finally I asked Bala. “
Oi!
Where’s Kalu,
hanh
?”
“Umm. Here, there, everywhere!” he said as he took careful aim and sent a marble flying into the air.
I was resting under the tamarind tree at the end of the day when Lali came up the knoll. “
Oi,
Lali!” I called. “Is there news of the dear dog?” But she had no good news for me.
Lali tucked her bad foot under her
lengha
and made herself comfortable next to me. “I have something nice to show you, though,” she said, waving a feather. “I found it along the trail. So pretty,
nai
?”
“It’s only a sparrow feather, Lali,” I said. “People find nicer things all the time.”
“Go! Go! What could be nicer than this?”
I showed her my ring. When Lali’s face changed like the sky at sunrise, I knew it was far, far better than any bird feather.
“
Oo Ma
!” Lali gasped. “So pretty, truly! From your Bibi? She gives you very nice things,
nai
?”
“
Hanh.
From time to time.”
“You are so lucky!”
“
Na
,” I said. “
She
is the lucky one. Who is the one with servants to run and fetch for her all day,
hanh
?”
Lali examined the ring more closely. “
Aiyyo!
What’s this?”
“It’s only a little hole,” I sighed. “One stone is missing. The others make you forget all about it. It’s pretty enough for a nice wedding present when the Milk Boy takes you away in his bullock cart!”
Lali covered her mouth with her hand, but I could see that she was smiling.
“Did you get more flowers from Ganga?” I asked. It had been several days since the yellow flower had wilted behind her ear. “He should buy you green bangles for your wrist. His father is rich enough!”
“I don’t need green bangles for my wrist,” Lali replied.
“Don’t be silly. Every girl worth her salt wants green bangles for her wrist.”
“Not every girl,” Lali whispered.
I looked at her. My friend seemed pensive today. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you so mopey? Didn’t your precious Ganga visit you in a sweet dream last night?”
“I tossed and turned all night,” Lali replied.
“Because?”
“Because … Forget it. It’s nothing.”
“Because your precious boy came to pin another flower behind your ear in your sweet dream?” I prompted.
Lali shook her head and I tried again. “You tossed and turned all night because your precious boy
didn’t
come to pin a flower behind your ear in your sweet dream?”
Lali stood up to go. “
Na.
There was no flower, and no Ganga, and no sweet dream,” she said. “I tossed and turned because my mother let us eat from her plate and she went to bed hungry.”
I stared at Lali again and this time I saw the worry lines.
“She tosses and turns at night,” she said. “The rice pot is empty. There won’t be much on my
thali
plate tonight, and there won’t be any more sweet dreams for me at night either.”
She said it so softly, I almost didn’t
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