It was a foggy morning. So 9'o clock seemed like very early. And not just to Tee, but it seemed to her the whole house..in fact the whole town had decided to set back the clock a few hours. There was really no hurry, she mused to herself. After all, they all would be hurrying to the same things they hurried to everyday, only to find out that everything could have waited..another few hours, at least. Back home, this would not have been possible. But here in this old, almost antique house, in the far east corner of the world, everyone could pretend for a little.
There was a knock on the door. It was an old wooden door, the brown color replaced by a light version of black? It was flat and without any carving, things, which was such prominent features on the outside surface of the door. And Shejdi was knocking on that surface of this door. Tee smiled. The knock implied that there was an nicely sweetened, a bit over maybe by her taste, tea in a white cup balanced somewhat at the edge of a matching white saucer. In the center would be two tea biscuits. Those yummy biscuits..why couldn't shejdi bring her the whole box? It took some effort on her part to get out of the quilt in which she had wrapped herself while sitting by the window..looking at the narrow lane, two floors down, through the rusted iron bars which ran vertically through the rectangular empty space bound by the top and bottom wooden bars. The temptation was too big.
Hand wrapped around the cup of tea and nestled back in the very long arm chair by the window, Tee reflected on how Shejdi's life might have been...
Clank clank clank clank sounded the bell on the cycle. Siri almost started running from the kitchen down the long hallway making a beeline for the main door. The milkman was here and any time the local fisherman would be here as well. It was already 9'o clock. And brunch was not even halfway ready! The fog had clouded the sense of time of everyone. But the train times and office times would not stop. And it was upon her to have the entire household--a staggering 20 people, excluding the servants-- ready by 10.30 A.M for their daily activities. It was not such a daunting job to her. Only, she seemed pressed for time which always got the better of her. Well almost. In half an hour her father-in-law, a businessman who held office in the morning room of the big house, would ask for his brunch. Quickly his eldest son, Siri's husband, and his brothers and their sons-- a priest, a writer, a clerk, a student and many assortments of jobs-- would want their , sort of, 'elaborate' breakfast before embarking on their daily voyage. At least so it seemed...
...to Tee, when she heard of such stories from Shejdi. To her, whose regular morning started at 7.30 AM with a cup of coffee and cereals, this was unreal and oh-so desirable. Almost in a fairy tale like reality. Things she knew instinctively to be true yet not comprehendible.
Siri was not beautiful. A quality prized then, more than now, if a girl had any hopes of landing a good husband. Literally translating to marrying into a reputed and well-to-do-household. She was not even born to a rich set of parents. Reputed, yes. As a child, which had lasted a mere 16 years, she never thought of these things. Except when her father used to muse over her marriage prospects. Siri knew she would be married. She looked forward to that day. Neither with hope nor with remorse. Just as a kind of reality which you accept without really questioning it. For she knew, it would be a fine one. Almost happy. That was more than many could ask for. And She was happy.
Happiness in way that you, me or Tee would not understand.
Siri's childhood days were spent running along the river bank calling out to her brothers to take her along on the boat ride. Of looking at the boat sullenly with tear filled eyes when they left her out. Returning to her books and poetry and dreaming of the days--days she knew may never come and without much longing either--when she would take that boat and travel to those places, educated people called Spain and Java and Borneo. She liked foggy days and rainy days...days she had to spend indoors without craving to be outdoors. On such days she would paint or, think...simple thoughts of nothing and everything.
It was mid afternoon when Tee let herself out of the room. The hallways were pretty deserted. The children maybe had made their way to school and the men to the offices. The big house looked like a ghost the feeble afternoon sun. The doors on most of the rooms along the hallways were latched. She loitered downstairs into the kitchen. Shejdi was there. Busily cooking up for the evening fare. She looked up and saw Siri..I mean Tee standing.
'Here, sit down... feeling lonely?'...Shejdi asked. Seemed to Shejdi she was repeating something from the past she could not really recall. Oh yes, the milkman said something similar today morning...or was it the fisherman...or no the postman that day when she was walking back along the river...?
