We study in good schools and colleges and have fancy double degrees. Yet we crib. This strong woman teaches us the best lesson of all – for free – to be content with what we have….
I don’t remember anything special about my school life. I loved going to school. I had quite a few friends too. I didn’t have any particular best friend. None of us had one best friend or things like that. We were friends with everyone. All I remember is that I was not allowed to study after I reached the 3rd standard.
I could not even insist on it. I belong to a poor family. I have two elder brothers and a younger sister too. My father could not bear the expenses of our education. So all four of us could study up to 3rd or 5th grade only. My mother is blind. She cannot see anything so I had to take care of our home.
I would get up early, fetch water from the nearby well and start cooking well before dawn every day. I would then clean our home and wash all our clothes. I spent all my childhood years taking care of my family.
I would first pack lunch for my father and my siblings as soon as I finished cooking. I would then eat with my mother, finish all the chores and take a short nap. Evenings would whiz past preparing for the next day and cooking the evening meal. Sometimes, I would meet my other friends who lived close to my house. I loved chatting with all of them but none of us had too much time. We always had more than enough work to do at home. We have all been following this routine for decades. It has become a habit for all of us now.
Most of my friends too were forced to drop out of school for some reason or the other. It is just a way of life for us. We don’t question it or wonder about such things. We know some things will never change in our lives. So we just accept it.
I got married to a good man who lived in another village. He used to work in a small factory. I started working after I got married so I couldn’t meet my parents frequently. I would finish all the household chores by 8.30 a.m. I would pack my husband’s lunch box and carry mine with me. All the women around our house would gather near the bus stop. We would then walk all the way to a rich farmer’s storehouse.
We would report at 9.00 a.m. sharp and begin pounding, de-husking and cleaning all the millet, rice, pulses, sugar and other grains that he grew in his farms. There was ample work for several women on his farm. Our workday would end at 1.30 in the noon. It was a labour-intensive job and I think only people who live in villages can work like that. I don’t even find millet or food grains of that kind or quality here. I miss those days even today. Despite the hard work and life, we all lead content lives.
The farmer would pay us Rs.150/- per day for the work we did. After we finished our work, we would all sit down under the shady trees and eat our lunch together. We would then chat and tease one another as we walked back home. I already told you earlier: I did not have any special friend. We were all friends with one another.
A few years later, I was blessed with two children. My son was sensible enough to listen to our advice and study until the 12th grade. He works in a big factory in a small town and earns a decent income now. But my daughter was very stubborn. We wanted her to study. But she studied only till the 5th standard and then stopped going to school. She said, “All my friends have gone to other cities or bigger villages to study. I don’t have any friends in school now. So I will not study anymore!” My husband and I even beat her up one day to make her see sense. But she refused to listen to us. So we just gave up. She took care of the house when I went to work.
My daughter is married now. She does the same kind of work that I did when I was in our village. She earns Rs. 150/- per day too. The rates are still the same even today. We are grateful to get even this kind of job. So we don’t complain.
But my husband and I decided to leave our village after my daughter got married. My husband is the watchman of a big factory in this city. He works in shifts and earns a decent salary here. It was easy for me to get the job of a maid in this city. I earn Rs. 200/- in a day but I have to work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. here. The people I work for are good. They give me lunch and tea too. Their guests tip us well. I wash the utensils in two other flats that are close to this house in my spare time. So I end up earning almost Rs.8000/- a month here.
But we don’t get any day off. We have to pay rent here. And the food grains here are very expensive compared to our village. But we manage to save more here.
Yes, I was married at a very young age. I don’t know when I was born. So I don’t know my age. I told you. There is nothing special, interesting or memorable about my childhood or life. Every day is the same for all of us. I don’t know if I like what I do. I just do what I have to do. We are able to lead a decent life so I don’t mind working hard. I don’t get angry or upset. I have always been like that from my childhood.
Yes, you can go ahead and write and publish my story. It makes no difference to me. I can’t read it anyway and my life is not going to change in any way after that. But I can see that it will make you happy. And that makes me happy. So you can do whatever you want.
Can I go now? If I miss the bus, I will have to wait for another half an hour to catch the next bus. I have to cook and clean up my house too after I reach home.