Musings

Ucoirisyt came running to Nkwodeleg. “You just GOT to hear this!”

            “Err…what?”

            “Follow me.”

            In the distance Nkwodeleg could hear two voices. He could vaguely make out the words ‘Hanuman’ and ‘uppu soru’ (salted rice). For the benefit of Nivra and Nivan he wrote the dialog he heard in his diary. (Please take note that this contributed to the mythological world of Hinduism in later years.)

Voice 1: So what are you going to have for dinner?

Voice 2: This IS my dinner.

Voice 1: Why don’t you go to the Hanuman temple today? There’ll be nasi lemak.

Voice 2: How you know?

Voice 1: I know lah. I go there everytime. Oh yea…there’ll be uppu soru as well.

Voice 2: Huh? Uppu soru??

Voice 1: Yeap…OMG…Haven’t you heard of it before?

Voice 2: Err…no…

Voice 1: You see, when Hanuman offered his help to Rama to find Sita, Rama gave Hanuman a pouch of rice to take with him. On the way, when Hanuman felt hungry, he took out the pouch of rice but realized he had nothing to eat the rice with. He couldn’t eat it by itself, so he dipped the rice into the ocean, and hence he got ‘uppu soru’. This explains why ‘uppu soru’ is served in all Hanuman temples. ‘Uppu soru’ is believed to give energy to anyone who eats it.

(Voice 2 sounds convinced)

“Ucoirisyt, do you think we should send our representative?”

“Indeed we should, Nkwodeleg. This guy is sickening me.”

Voice 3: (Bursts out laughing) you actually, ACTUALLY believed that?

Voice 1: What’s wrong with that? Give me a good reason why it’s not believable. What is YOUR story then?

Voice 3: Hanuman was known for his strength, loyalty and courage. It was because of his devotion to Rama that he offered to look for Sita. Hanuman’s devotion is always spoken of because it is considered sincere, pure, and above all others. Hence, throughout the journey to Lanka, Hanuman restricted himself from all worldly desires including food. Only when he reached Lanka and found Sita did he take out his pouch of rice. Sita realized he had nothing to eat it with and sympathy filled her heart. At that exact moment, a fruit fell from the tree which was giving Sita shade in the Ashokavaanam. She told Hanuman to break it open. Once halved, she took the halves and squeezed the juice of the fruit into the pouch of rice. Therefore, it is ‘cheeni soru’ (sweetened rice) that is served as prasadham in the Hanuman temples.

            Nkwodeleg clapped his hands in delight. “How ridiculous does THAT sound Ucoirisyt?”

            “Pretty much not. Why do you ask that?”

            “There was never a pouch of rice.”

  "How vas school today chveetheart?"

I NO! NO! I failed my English paper again. There goes amma all over again. “Hare Bhagavan! How can I have such a stupid daughter? Won’t you ever learn this language properly?”

I wake up fram my deep sleep with the sour taste of paneer and spinach curry in my mouth. I uncomfortably try swallow down the horrible taste but it remains there. I sleepiedly valk towards the bathroom and merely touch my teeth with the toothbrush. Hurryly I pour water over my body and walk out. Today no time to wash heair. I myself can sense the sour smell of sweat and coconut oil flying fram my hair but I can’t help it. I pour somemore oil to flat my hair down and put a big group of jasmine on my hair. Today go late surely teacher vill scold.

Then I think of him. I smile. I dream about how ve might bumper into each other today. But god is bad, no? He never lets it happen. Aiyo, there is amma again. I quickly race down steps so that can reach kitchen fast and make her keep quiet.

Within 10 minutes I’m ready to hop onto bus. Hai, hai! Crowd in

India

buses. They drive you mad, yar! Man sitting on ladies’ seat. Tsk tsk tsk. I fight with that fat lady again for my vindow seat. There goes the brown cow, I see Chandu chacha’s black doggie. All letting out vaste and eating food from same ground. Ai, ai!

School come already. I run until the yellow colour block then slow down. He shouldn’t see me running like this, no? Then he vill think I am so dying to see him. I mustn’t make it so obvious. That’s what Kareena Kapoor said in that movie yesterday. Vaat was the other thing she said again? Ahh..She said must lift your skirt a little and make him go pagal. Aiyo! Today only I have to wear chudidhar. I think for awhile. Then vun idea come to me. I lift up my sleeves to open up my dark thinly arms.

I try to remember how Kareena valked to her lover and I follow. He looks up. I get very yexcited. I show him my peerly teeth. He raises one eyebrow and cantinues to read. I take the seat closed to him. I try to peep into the title of the book he reading. It said ‘Alchemy of Desire’. Hey Ram! Veary good. He also desiring me. thats why he showing me that tile. I also vaant to show I can read. I take out my favourite copy of Tenali Raman. I purpursely lift up the book to make sure he can read the title. Surely he vill like a girl who can read books.

My friends alvays tell me. It seems, his language is veary good. He write yamazing staarys and poyems. He also talk veary well. I see him going competition. Oh Ram! He is so jasmine color and beautiful looking yar! His height also veary nice. He play tabla veary well. I laugh in my head. He vill be shacked if he knew I can play the hop-scatch and catching game. My friends alvays say I play that bestest. I’m like their captain you know.

I sense him moving a little to the yather side. *giggle* It must be becaz he is shy of me. Hare Bhagavan! How can I thank you yenuf? You are answering aal my prayers. Let this love vork out. I will do yenithing far you.

I sit there like that until school bell ring. By then his friends are already vith him. I too vill be with him like that vun day. His smile is so darshing yar. I hear them planning for a game of cricket. Ok, I vill be there too. But sometimes I scared. You see, they all 4 years older than me. He also. They aal doving engineering carse in the school. But nevermind. Far him I vill go.

I vatch him until he dissolve around corner of building. Then I smile and walk in aapasit direction to my classroom. Such a lovely day no?