The Mud Hut
Far Left: our rice patties
Left: The Mud Hut
Above: Rukmani with our first 3 children
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Nathan
My wife, Rukmani, is not the most beautiful woman, but she is the most important thing in my life. Even though we had not married in our own caste, Rukmani has learned from our neighbors how to be a good wife.
When she first arrived at my humble home, Rukmani was clueless and could not tell a pot from a pan. But nevertheless, I was patient and now she washes my clothes, cooks for me and manages our property. I am so proud of her.
The day we got married was the happiest day of my life. I had hung up mango leaves for Rukmani and built her a mud-hut with my own two hands, but I could tell that she was a little bit disappointed with it. On that very day, I made a promise to myself that I would never let anything or anybody hurt her in anyway or else I would fail to be a good husband.
I have to go now or else I will be behind in the harvests, but before I do, I just want to say that I have great hopes for the future, and in return for our hard work and good deeds, I hope that our gods would bless us with many sons and good prosperity.
Disaster... After droughts and monsoons, starvation and unpaid rent, my family is in a desperate state. I feel ashamed of myself as I did not keep the promise I made to Rukmani that I would support her. Now she is hungry and has to sell all her beautiful saris so that we don't starve. I keep worrying about her so much that even my health has been at stake. Rukmani has gone to Kenny to ask for advice and he recommends nutritious food and lots of rest. But how can I when I am the sole provider for my whole family?
Today, a part of our lives has been taken away from us. Our land, which has provided us with food and money for so many years has been yanked out of our hands. Rukmani and I have agreed to travel to live with Murugan as finding another landlord would be near impossible in my state for I am old and weak. My son Selvam had almost tempted me into staying by offering himself to work on the lands with me but I couldn't have taken his offer. He is old enough now and it would be the right decision for him to work with Kenny. I could never be that selfish to take away his dream. Rukmani feels that while there is no land, there is no hope and that the 2 weeks given to us to leave are way too short. I think that that the 2 weeks they have given us are good enough, for many people were immediately kicked out. All we can hope for is the best.
By Victoria
Sacrabani
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today i go out play.many peepal look at i say """"""baistad" and no play with i. veri schranji, i ask mudder. she say fadder and mudder not wish chid to bourn, i ask do you wish i bourn and she say yes and cry. why mudder cry?i dont cry
By Ann S
Ira
It was the most horrible, most decadent page of my entire life. I tremble as I put down these words, using these powerful symbols Mother taught me to record the rotten past.
It was after the death of Raja. Father and Mother could do nothing but arrange for his funeral. The drought deprived us of everything. First, our crops: we watched as the sun dried up every drop of Fathers hard work, helpless. We prayed with dwindling hope that the clouds would come, but day after day the sky was bare until at last, we were so weak that the strength for hope diminished. Then it greedily swallowed our pathetic savings, belongings, and now our beloved. But I had no chance for sorrow; Death had set eye on little Kuti.
I did my best to comfort him, but he would not stop crying. The fight he was going through, only by his desperate protest could I start to imagine. It was only at night that he lost every sign of vigor and ceased into uneasy sleep. Father sacrificed his life on the fields and Mother did her best for every child. And what have I done for this family, the eldest sister, who couldn't even bear a child and a burden to my parents and brothers? The only thing I had that I could exchange for money was my body.
My mind twisted in pain by this thought. Should I do it? But when I turned to look at Kuti, my mind was set. For who could go through more pains than him? I would be willing to suffer his pains no matter what it took.
A few days after I began feeding the child with milk and food bought with the money made from my torturous work, he was starting to look better. The cries became less frequent until one night he finally fell into peaceful sleep. But on the same night, as I slipped home from town, an angry shadow pounced on me, knocking me to the ground. Then I realized it was Mother, and out of mere horror and bewilderment I screamed beneath her grasp. I could feel her body being pulled away and Fathers furious cries, before I fell into black unconsciousness.
When I got better, I struggled to go back to work. Mother implored the truth about my coming and going. For a fraction of a second I wanted only to fall into her arms and cry like a girl, but I remembered Kuti and threw her the cold words: The truth is unpalatable. My mind rewound in search of that phrase and surely, there it was, said by the two officials after Rajas death. Why did I say it without realizing that? I was stopped again by Father, leaning on to his fork. Again I was questioned, and again I had to say the most rebellious words to continue my path. My heart burned with pain and grief, as if someone would tear it into a hundred pieces. But still I had to go on. Father would not touch a morsel bought from the money I made. I turned my sight away from him, from that thin, dry figure, for the mere sight of him aroused that burning sensation inside me.
And then it all ended. Little Kuti was finally taken away by Death. After all the pain, all the sufferings, at least he went in peace.
Perfecting what my mother had passed on to me: writing.
Selvam
I am fed up with this village! Why is it that people can judge other people without even getting to know them? Today has angered me more than I have ever felt in my entire life. Mother and Father decided to have a naming ceremony and get over with it. Because Ira had an albino baby out of wedlock, the news of Sacrabani's arrival has traveled all over the village and my parents were sick of people just coming over to stare.
At Sacrabanis naming ceremony, Kali (that fool) hurried
forward and wanted to know if all the rumors where true-if Ira really did have a milkwhite baby. After one look at him, I saw her wrinkle her nose and take a step back, as if she was scared of catching whatever illness she saw in Sacrabani.
I felt sorry for Ira, but even more so for Sacrabani-who would grow up to be taunted and teased by his peers and that was when I decided to stand up for it !
"Who is to say that this color is right and that is not?" I said, not only to Kali-but to anyone else who looked at my nephew and grimanced in horror. "A pink-eyed child is no worse than a brown eyed one," I looked directly at her "I should have thought your instincts as a woman if nothing else would have told you that."
That very night I was lying awake thinking about Sacrabani. Hope and fear were twin forces just as Mother had said. I really hope that the latter would not be a major part of Sacrabani's life.
Who is to say that this child is any worse than any other child?
Murugan
Finally, I left the village that I have lived in for years. However, I dont think I will miss it. There are many things that are much more exciting and interesting in the big city that I will be doing. Although the doctor that I worked for was a really nice lady and she helped me when I was completely helpless, I still wanted better pay. I didn't tell m' parents about my leaving from my wife and my child since theres no necessity to tell them. Actually she is not even my wife, she is just one of my girls and I will have more girls when I go to the city. Im addicted to gambling, I have to admit. But I dont see this as a very bad habit, because I am making money from it. If there must be something in this village that I should care about, then its my child, my first child. But still, I want to live a better life. I dont want to live with starving, chilliness, agony and loneliness anymore!!!
I have seen my parents and other people working their whole life and they still need to worry about the food that they are going to eat every day. I dont want to be like that anymore!!
So I decided to leave. I am surprised that I dont feel guilty to be leaving my child. I just want better life!! Forgive me, my child.
By Heidy
Puli
Today I felt wanted! After being exhausted and begging and stealing off the streets for years, I have found my family!
They are two very kind people named Rukmani and Nathan and I feels very blessed to have found them. They are honest and caring...especially caring to ME! I love saying that. That phrase: someone cares about me!
Though my life is still hard I accompany my adopted parents to the construction sight and on the way back, I try to beg and make a little money, though honestly, I think it is getting harder and harder. I have gotten older and my childish features have gone with the years. I no longer appeal to people because I am young. Im also well-known around here, and once someone gives you money once or twice, they probably wont give you money again.
Yesterday, Rukmani asked if I would go back with her too her village, but Im not sure. Is it wise to give up the place one knows so well? It is getting late, I will decide later...
Kenny
Finally, we finished building our hospital. We will start it tomorrow. Selvam is a really smart boy and he finished all the work that I gave him very well. It is rainy today; I hope the weather tomorrow will be very nice. There has been a serious disease this month of the year, but I think I have already controlled the diffusion of the disease. As a result of this, I think there will be lots of people coming to our hospital tomorrow. So, we may be even busier tomorrow.
However, this makes me feel happy. I had a dinner with Rukmanis family this evening. To my surprise, the person that was the happiest among us was neither Selvam nor me, but Sacrabani. He laughed all the night and played with each of us with great fun. I saw Ira smiling the whole night; she was very different from what she used to be. As I said, everything will be all right after the baby was born, I felt the family has been full of happiness again.
Although I dont want to mention about this, but it still made me feel a little bit strange without Nathan in the family
Arjun & Thambi
We are on an island called Ceylon. The reason why I am here is for my work. Before there were many difficulties and arguments, but we finally chose to come here. And I am thinking those things again.
At that time, when we were working at a tannery in our hometown. We stopped helping our father do farm work and went to the tannery to earn lots of money. But there was a problem with this. The problem was that the tannery gave us far too little money . We thought it was unacceptable and of course we protested to them. Unfortunately, we were fired. We didn't give up and began to travel around town more and more, coming and going at all hours to find a new job. After all that, we found an island called Ceylon which we can work on. But there was another problem. The island was so far from our home town that we had to live in that place if we want to work there. Of course our parents disagreed with us working in Ceylon because they were worried about our health, safety and everything. We thought that we must earn much money, and that it is an very important part of our life. So that is why had to come here.
We dont know if our choice is right or not. Thought we chose our way, we believe that only time will tell if we chose the correct answer.
By Andy