The Celebration
It was festival time and there would be a big celebration —
the children thought so — and they will be getting new shoes and clothes.
Out of the three children, the older one was looking at her father
and also very helplessly observing her mother,
knowing that they cannot afford a piece or two of meat
as she realized, this time, they were very poor.
The older one knew what it means to be poor.
It meant that they could not even have a small celebration.
She was a sensitive child, not that bothered about the meat
or what will be cooked, or the shoes or the clothes.
She was quite anxious about her mother
as her mother wanted some money from the father.
With a broken heart and in penury, the father
was stoic and avoided the children, just told them they were poor.
But he was very hesitant to tell their mother
that they will not be able to have the celebration,
that he cannot buy any shoes or clothes
for the children, that he cannot buy the meat.
The children loved the spicy rice with meat,
but if no money, what could the father
do? The children wanted new shoes and clothes
and did not understand why they were so poor.
They only wanted the celebration
and lovingly looked at their mother.
She being a strong-willed mother
devised something to get the meat
and cook it with the rice and go ahead with the celebration.
She did not complain or haggle the father.
Quite barefaced, she told her rich brother they were poor
and asked for help in buying the clothes.
Her brother understood their misfortune and bought the clothes
and shoes, and gave them to the mother…..
— The older child promised herself, after this, they will never be poor —
….He took some more pity on them and bought them some meat
put it in a black plastic bag, which they silently took and did not tell the father.
Then, they all started preparing for the celebration.
With the new clothes to wear and the cooked rice with meat,
an embarrassed mother and a distraught but oblivious father,
the poor and innocent children heartily enjoyed the food and celebration.
©A.H. Mehr
