The Hope of Shridula (32 page)

Ashish looked over at Miss Abigail. Shridula had cut a custard apple open for her. The old woman lifted it to her mouth and noisily sucked at the fruit. She spat out a mouthful of seeds and asked, "Strawberries, my dear?"

Shridula smiled. "Yes. Strawberries."

"Delicious!" Miss Abigail sighed. She sucked out another bite.

"Her mind is not well," Krishna told Ashish. "I do not know what to do. I am afraid for her."

"Who are you, dear?" Miss Abigail asked Shridula.

"Shridula. I am the daughter of Ashish."

"Oh!" Miss Abigail exclaimed. "I know a boy named Ashish! Would you happen to know him? He is smaller than you, I fear. I will tell you a secret. That sweet boy has my dear father's Bible."

Miss Abigail sat in one of the two chairs in her sitting room. "But of course you shall live with me, Ashish!" she said, slipping back into her fluent Malayalam. "Why would you live elsewhere? This is your home."

Ashish shook his head hard, but he could not make sense of it all. The pale English lady on a horse . . . Krishna writing letters in the dirt with a stick . . . the frightening clinic at night. So many memories.

"Your blue dress, Miss Abigail," Ashish whispered. "I remember that."

"I was wearing it when I took you home in the cart," Miss Abigail said. "That's when I gave you my Bible. Did you ever read it?"

"Yes," Ashish said. "Eleven times."

"I read it, too," Shridula added. "In our hut.
Appa
taught me the words."

Miss Abigail chuckled. "Dr. Moore said I was a fool to give my Bible away. I knew he was wrong.
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."

Shridula looked up at her father, but he seemed as confused as she.

Miss Abigail turned to Shridula. "My dear, do you know how to make kidney pie?"

"No," Shridula mumbled. "I . . . I . . ."

"I will show her,
mem,"
Krishna said.

"There's my boy," Miss Abigail cooed. "My Krishna and my Ashish, my two boys, home from school. I never should have sent you away. Never!"

Krishna cooked rice with chili peppers and a large pinch of curry. Shridula cut open more of her seedy custard apples, their creamy flesh sweet and fragrant. "My favorite," Miss Abigail said. "What I wanted more than anything for my supper. Strawberries and cream!"

Ashish and Krishna sat together and talked through the evening while Miss Abigail dozed in her chair. From time to time, the old lady roused herself enough to make a comment— sometimes confusing and sometimes profound, sometimes in English and sometimes in Malayalam. As for Shridula, mostly she just listened.

"We are clean. We work hard. We do right," Ashish said. "Why must we still be Untouchable?"

"Because that is how we were born," Krishna said.

"Perhaps things will change now, I do not know," Ashish said with a sigh.

"If God commands it, then things get better. The crops will grow and everyone will prosper," Krishna said. "Perhaps hearts will grow softer, too, and more generous."

"I do not believe in the Hindu gods and goddesses anymore," Ashish told Krishna. "I am not sure I can even believe in the Christian God."

"Did you really read the Bible eleven times?"

"Yes," Ashish said. For a moment he was silent. "On a clear night, I look at the sky and see the stars twinkle. But in the time of the monsoon, I see nothing but clouds. I am not like Shridula. She sees stars ahead, but I cannot see a good future. Only clouds. All I can see for us is clouds."

"How can you say that,
Appa?"
Shridula asked. "Here we sit in a dry house with people who do not want to hurt us or make us slaves. The landlord would never dare come and get us away from here. We are free!"

"We are still Untouchables," Ashish said.

Miss Abigail sat up and gazed around her with bright eyes. "Brahmins dislike Christians," she said. "Because if one removes the inequities and injustices, and the belief in karma, where is Hinduism's foundation? Crumbling away, that's where."

"Without us, who would be slaves for the upper castes?" Ashish asked.

The boisterous call of a pitta bird echoed through the open window:
wheeet-tieu, wheeet-tieu.

"So loud a voice for one so small," Shridula said.

"Like too many people I know," Krishna added with a laugh.

Miss Abigail's blue eyes cleared. "When the pitta bird has something worth saying, he throws his head back, points his bill to the sky, and says it with all his might. He says it tonight, and tomorrow he will come back and say the same thing all over again."

"I want to be like that," Shridula whispered.

Miss Abigail laid her head back and let her eyes drift closed. "Matthew chapter 10, verse 31.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many pitta birds."

"The Holy Book says that?" Shridula asked with a gasp. "It says
pitta birds?"

Krishna laughed out loud. "Fear not, young one. God's hand is on you and your father. You are especially blessed."

"But does the Holy Book really say
pitta birds?"
Shridula insisted. "Does it, Miss Abigail?"

Miss Abigail didn't answer. She was already snoring softly.

Ahimsa:
A Buddhist and Hindu doctrine promoting nonviolence toward all living beings.

Amma:
Malayalam for mother

Anna:
An old Indian coin, worth one-sixteenth of a rupee

Appa:
Malayalam for father

Ashoka Chakra:
Depiction of the Buddhist Dharmachakra represented with 24 spokes. It is so called because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, the most prominent of which is the Lion Capital of Sarnath, adopted as the National Emblem of the Republic of India. The most visible use of the Ashoka Chakra today is in the center of the national flag of the Republic of India.

Benares:
Located in Varanasi, in the present state of Uttar Pradesh, India, this revered and spiritual city located on the sacred Ganges River is considered holy, the city of "Lord Shiva."

Brahma:
Creator god of the Hindu "trinity." The other two gods are Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. (Not to be confused with
Brahmin.
See below.)

Brahmin:
The highest and most honored of the
varnas,
or castes, in Indian society. Brahmins are the Hindu priests and spiritual leaders. They put great and minute emphasis on ritual purity, and are forbidden from doing any manual labor. They make up approximately five percent of India's population. (Not to be confused with the god
Brahma.
See above.)

Caste:
Traditional Hindu society is divided into four main
varnas,
or hierarchical groups known as castes: Brahmins (5 percent), Kshatriyas (5 percent), Vaishyas (5 percent), and Sudras (50 percent). Below this four-fold caste structure are the "outcastes"—now called Dalits—an oppressed people forced in all ways to occupy the lowest positions of this social order (25 percent). Also outside the caste system are the "tribals," the indigenous Indian peoples. Technically, Christians and Muslims are also outside the system, since caste is really part of the Hindu religious philosophy, though in actuality most outcaste Christians and Muslims remain mired in its oppression. These and people of other nationalities and religions make up the other 10 percent of the population. Each caste has its own group of occupations associated with it.

Chai:
Indian spiced milk tea. It starts with a black tea, then various spices are added. The spices vary from place to place, but often include cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.

Chaddar:
A long strip of cloth, half the size of a mundu, worn by men as a shawl or turban.

Chamar:
One of the many Untouchable occupational subcastes, this one being that of leather tanners.

Chapati:
Round, flat baked bread, similar to unsweetened pancakes or tortillas.

Chital:
A reddish-brown deer with white spots, native to South Asia. Its antlers, which it sheds each year, are three pronged and curve in a lyre shape. They may extend to 2.5 feet.

Cows, sacred:
In India, "Mother Cow" is respected and looked after. It is considered sacred, and to harm a cow is a great sin. It is likened to harming one's own mother. The cow is also associated with mythological stories that surround several Hindu deities, including Krishna, said to have been raised by the son of a milkman.

Dharma:
A moral law, or righteousness. This can vary, person to person, caste to caste.

Dowry:
Money and/or property required of the family of the bride by the family of the groom in order to secure a marriage. The amount varies, depending on the "value" of the bride, but it is crippling for many families of girls. Dowry is a major cause of the abandonment and even killing of female children.

Ganges River:
"Mother Ganges," sacred river of the Hindus, runs for 1,560 miles, from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. It is revered as the source of life and purity, and is itself considered a goddess. Though the river is horribly polluted, people flock to it to bathe, to perform ceremonies, to float their dead, and even to drink from it. For the belief is that anyone who touches these purifying waters will be cleansed of all sins.

Ghee:
Butter, boiled and clarified. It is greatly prized, both as a food, and as a part of ritual worship and the preparation of food for gods and goddesses.

Harijan:
Children of God. The name Mohandas Gandhi used for Untouchables.

Jati:
Each caste, or
varna,
is further divided into sub-classes, each representing a stratum in the strict hierarchy of Indian society. While there are only four castes, those are broken into thousands of
jatis,
as is the outcaste stratum.

Kanikkonna:
A fast-growing, medium-sized tree with deeply fragrant yellow flowers that hang down in lovely profusion. The official flower of Kerala, it is used to arrange
kani
during the Festival of Vishu.

Karma:
the sum total of a person's actions that is believed to lead to his or her present fate. This major tenet of Hinduism easily brings about an atmosphere of fatalism which can lead to hopelessness.

Kshatriyas:
The second of the varnas, or castes, in Indian society. Formerly the kings and soldier-warriors, they, like the Brahmins, are respected and privileged. Also like the Brahmins, they may be "twice-born." Many are in the military, and many others are successful business owners and landlords. Kashatriyas make up about five percent of the Indian population.

Kurta:
A collarless Indian shirt.

Lakh:
A unit of Indian numbering that is equal to 100,000.

Lord Krishna:
The most popular of the Indian gods. Krishna is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, the Preserver.

Mahatma:
Great Soul. The title was often applied to Mohandas Gandhi.

Malayalam:
The language spoken on the Malabar coast of South India, in the state of Kerala.

Mantra:
Sacred words and sounds used for rhythmic chanting.

Manusmriti:
The writings of Manu (though said to be authored by the god Brahma) that codified the caste system and sanctified it as religious institution.

Mem:
Short for
memsahib
(see below).

Memsahib:
Respectful address for an Indian to use toward a white woman.

Monsoon:
The July to September season of torrential rain and wind. While the rains bring relief from the suffocating heat, it can be a time of treacherous downpours and flooding.

Mundu:
A piece of thin cotton, linen, or silk cloth, fifty inches wide and five yards long, worn by men as a lower garment. It can be an ankle-length "skirt" or tied up to more closely resemble shorts.

Naga:
Snake. In India, snakes are so revered that even temples are erected in their honor. The Naga culture was fairly widespread in India before the Aryan invasion, and continues to be an important segment of worship in certain areas. After the invasion, the Indo-Aryans incorporated the worship of snakes into Hinduism.

Naga Panchami:
One of the most ancient celebrations in India, Naga Panchami, or the Festival of the Snakes, occurs on the fifth day of the bright half of the Shravan month (July/August). In Hindu culture, snakes hold a prominent place. Hindu mythologies are filled with stories and fables about snakes.

Neem:
A common and appreciated tree in India. Every part of this wonderful tree is used for medicinal purposes—bark, roots, leaves, branches, flowers, fruit.

Nilavilakku:
A flickering lamp integral to all celebrations and festivals in the Indian state of Kerala.

Outcastes:
Now called Dalits, these are the people who fall outside and below India's caste system. They are forced to occupy the lowest position in the Indian social order. For many centuries they accepted their miserable lot as their justly deserved karma, a result of their own sins in a former life. More recently they have attempted to assert the rights afforded them when India gained independence from Britain. These attempts are often met with strong resistance from the upper castes, and the results can be horrendous: torture, rape, massacres, and other atrocities. The dominant castes have deliberately prevented the outcastes from rising to the level of equality by imposing on them impossible limits in every area of life, from occupation to dress to the very right to eat and drink. The social order has been constructed to keep them helpless and subservient. A conservative estimate of the number of "outcastes" is 25 percent of the Indian population.

Paddy:
This can refer to a food, in which case it means rice with the husk still on. Or it can refer to the rice field—the paddy field.

Pallu:
The loose end of a sari. In fine saris, the pallu is beautifully decorated.

Panch-kos:
Sacred road that forms a boundary around the sacred city of Benares.

Purification:
A ritual washing to remove sin and/or pollution.

Rupee:
The most commonly used Indian currency.

Sadhu:
An Indian holy man. Often, sadhus dress in saffroncolored robes that set them apart as dedicated to sacred matters.

Sahib:
An Englishman. Often times, one who is very important.

Sari:
A thin garment, fifty inches wide and five to six yards long, worn by Indian women, wrapped around the body to form a dress.

Sacred thread:
A thin rope of cotton threads worn over the left shoulder by all initiated males of the Brahmin caste— and, though less frequently, by those in the second and third castes, too.

Sanskrit:
The ancient language of India, and the language of the Vedas. Now it is used almost exclusively by the Brahmin caste for religious purposes.

Sharvan:
The name of a month in the Hindu calendar, roughly falling July to August.

Shiva:
Hindu god of creation and destruction. (See "Brahma.")

Sudras:
The fourth of the
varnas,
or castes, in Indian society, supposedly created from the feet of the creator god, Brahma. Although they are still people of caste, they are of much lower status and privilege. They cannot be "twice-born." They are relegated to such jobs as laborers and farmers and servants. In fact, they are believed to have been created for the purpose of serving the higher castes. Sudras are not allowed to read, study, recite, or even to listen to the Vedas. The stated penalty for doing so is horrific maiming or death.

Thag:
An Indian word that is the source of the English word "thug." The meaning is the same.

Untouchable:
An outcaste, as determined by the laws of Manu. Depending on stratum, and on the area of the country in which one lives, this could also mean a person is unseeable (meaning laying eyes on them is polluting). Not long ago, polluting a member of an upper caste, even with a shadow, a footprint, or a drop of spittle that may result from speaking or sneezing, was crime enough to result in drastic punishments.

Vaisyas:
Members of the third
varna,
or caste, in Indian society. Businessmen and traders, they are also high caste and may be "twice-born," although their status is much less than the two higher varnas. Vaisyas make up approximately five percent of the Indian population.

Vedas:
Ancient Hindu scriptures, written in archaic Sanskrit in the form of a collection of mantras and hymns of praise to various gods.
Vedas
means sacred, revealed knowledge. The four Vedas are: the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Atharva Veda, and the Yajur Veda. The Yajur Veda is considered to be the oldest and most important. The foundation of the philosophy of Hinduism, the Vedas set forth the theological basis for the caste system.

Veranda:
An external covered platform that sits at ground level of an Indian house. Most of a family's living took place on the veranda.

Vishnu:
Hindu preserver god. (See "Brahma.")

Vishukkani:
New Year festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala.