Authors: Monica Ali
You see how it is. Mr Chowdhury not even ask for rent and I get a little money cook for jute men. I make breakfast and dinner and they give portion for my meal and little money also.
I buy chickens and they have begin to lay. Ten twelve eggs under veranda every morning. Day it is quiet and I talk to the goats. They tied up now and washing is safe. I watch trains go by and think of the train that bring me from Khulna. I think of people on those trains where they going and where they from. Sometime I hear the hauls in the street and I run round to the front listen to them sing about love. Or I talk to Zainab she is friendly with me now.
Her boy youngest one have failed in exam. Father did not flog properly or he would have learn. She say 'What kind of father is that? How many times I told to flog properly. I do my best but I am only a woman.' Then she say 'I told him to pay more for tutoring. He did not listen. Now the boy has failed.' Then she has idea. She come to me hands with flutter. Looks like cat jump in the bird nest. 'The teacher is at fault not only the father. These teachers must be responsible. Only way to make them responsible is take the whole damn lot to Court. Tomorrow I serving Notice.' That Court getting crowded like anything.
Evening time I cook the meal and I serve. I sit a little way apart and eat. I listen to men make talk and joke and I watch the sky. I look at the moon and I think of you sister look at same moon. We cannot see each other but we see it and we are join.
Jute men all saving up money. Most night is money counting. Many sending back to village. They save for wife and children and parents. Few saving only for own selves. For starting business or build a house or take a wife. These ones save hardest. Others buying hair oil or sweets or ticket to cinema. They smoke more and take more pan. However much they saving it not enough so they spend a little to forget a little. Young ones have not learned and they saving hardest counting most often.
They still playing chess but some of piece are lost there not so many fight now. Also they tell story and everyone try to tell the best. Some are jute farmer before they lose the land. Do you remember Abba take us one time in boat to watch jute harvest? Mens stay down so long we cannot hold breaths until they come again to surface.
These ones tell biggest story. One say I have dive twelve feet down to cut the jute. The next diving fifteen feet. Third must be diving always twenty-five feet and fourth going down thirty and fighting with crocodiles. I stay apart and listen.
Sometime Hussain come and talk with me. He so yellow like he turning into jute himself. I tell him what happen at factory. I tell everything. I only tell Mr Chowdhury I get laid off due to how easy he get upset.
Hussain say 'Sometime when people see a beautiful thing they want to destroy it. The thing make them feel ugly so they act ugly.' He meaning me for the beautiful thing. Then he say 'Me I too ugly anyway. Any beautiful thing coming my way just make me laugh. Ha! You think that making me feel bad? I already too ugly.'
May 1991
How to write? What to tell? Sister I have bring shame on self. Hide this letter from your husband.
I tell you what happen. If you write to me even in spite you know what I have done it not because I trick you to think I am good person.
Thursday evening Mr Chowdhury come here. I not expecting he have come last week. I sleeping on my mat in underclothes and a knock coming on the door. I call out and he reply then bang with his stick. Just a minute I tell him I getting dressed. But he kick the door and break catch.
Light the bloody lamp. He yelling like hell. I get up from bed I still undress. 'Let me see her. Let me see the whore.' And I cannot light it my hand is frighten. He take the lamp and do it. Then I see how his face look.
He marching up and down room with the lamp. I moving out of way. I trying to climb inside the dark. His cane find me. My legs afraid. He shout again. 'What you have done to me? You screwing every motherfucker in the factory! Did they put roof over your head? Did they treat like daughter? What did they give you? What did I get?'
All I thinking that everyone can hear. He still going on. 'I am a fool.' He screaming it really. He put lamp down and he starting to take off shirt. He quiet and I glad for it. Then he take off trousers. I say nothing I do nothing and then it done and he sit in the chair. He ask me to rub feet and I do it. He tell me not to cry and I stop. He ask if it he who taking care of me and I say yes it him.
This is what happen and afterward I cry. All the time I thinking my life cursed. God have given me life but he has curse it. He put rocks in my path thorns under feet snakes over head. Which way I turn any way it is dark. He never light it. If I drink water it turn to mud eat food it poison me. I stretch out my hand it burn and by my side it wither. This is what He plan for me. This is how I thinking. I telling you everything so you know the sort of person I am.
Little and little I getting stronger. I pray God forgive me. I sick then inside my mind. Everything has happen is because of me. I take my own husband. I leave him. I go to the factory. I let Abdul walk with me. I the one living here without paying.
This is all I have to tell and I have tell everything.
August 1991
Where I can go sister? I run away for my husband. And I run away from him also. Now I afraid to run again.
You want to bring me to London. I like to come. But again this time your husband right and you must listen. Save money for new baby coming. Husband starting new business. He need money for that also. Tutoring is very good idea. Here no one can pass exam without tutoring.
Zainab in trouble. I talk to her and forget own trouble. One day her husband was cycling to District Court and he knocking into man on Suzuki scooter. You think it Zainabs husband get bashed up but that is not how it happen. Suzuki man fall on neck and now arms and legs not working. Police put Zainabs husband in police station and she take savings there for releasing husband. And now Suzuki man wife serving Notice on Zainabs husband. They want money but now Zainab do not have money. She done everything but it useless. She tell me 'I went to the house. Look. This is how I getting down on my knees and this is how I pulling my hair and this is how I tearing my clothes and screaming. Wife looking at me like dirty rag. Why she think this dirty rag got money?' Then she start wailing and beating on chest. 'Oh why my husband cant break
his
neck. Then
we
the ones serving Notice.'
The son have been taken out of school. He wear his uniform but it not looking so smart any more. He like to take a stick and tease the goats. I think he taking eggs but I waiting to catch him. The house quieter now. Zainabs family too sad for arguing.
He comes every week. Sometime he comes twice.
February 1992
God blesses me. Another niece! I think of her. I think of Shahana. Send photo of both.
He still come to me. Only quick visit. He did used to say 'Next week I take you to my house. I need another maid.' Now he say nothing. He come only once a week and sometime not at all. If he stop visit how long before he puts me out?
I go to every garment factory in Dhaka. Nobody have machining job. This is all training I have. I think of making some things at home and trying to sell. I make whistles out from bamboo and I take outside and sit with them. Nobody wanting to buy. Hussain see and he laugh. 'Put a little sunshine in bag and sell that too.' This is how he say. I go to bazaar for cloth scraps and I make dolls. Then I go to Motijheel and sit on pavement. Police kick the box and they make threat. Hussain tell me 'Dont you know the pavement for rent? The pavement it do not belong to you. Everything for rent.'
He give me some goat milk. And he make little cabinet for me. I keep soap and comb and pen in it. His arms so flab and flop. Little wind makes them swing. But he is kind. He make me laugh. He can turn eyelids inside out and he move his ears without disturb single muscle on face. 'God blesses each one' he say. 'How He love me to give such talents.' And he say 'To you He give the gift of beauty. How He show His love in you!' For long time then I cry. In night he come to my room. I do not send away.
October 1992
Zainab have gone. Whole family gone. No word to me just disappear like that.
Everything going on same way. Hussain give me sari some ribbons and pretty box with pearl lid. His friend Ali also giving presents.
You ask to write but I cannot think what to tell. Nothing much to tell. Only God see what is in my heart.
Pray for me, sister.
September 1993
I not mean to make you frighten. Few time this last year I take my pen and sit down. Once twice I begin the letter but words do not come. Even I do not write I think of you.
After long time I start to think of factory again. I go there and I wait outside across road. I think to speak to them my friends. I see Shahnaz she come out and I pull my headscarf around face. She expect a child. It make me feel my shame. God will not give child to me. I thinking I see Aleya but one burkha looking like another. No husband come for her. Renu I have not see.
Three time I go there and watch and all time I asking self if ever there love between us and what kind of love it so easily broken. Shahnaz wearing too much cosmetics. I never did see with so much cosmetics before.
I walk around factory gates around the walls. If it possible to hate bricks I hating them. This factory have ruin me. Many families living around there now. Before the security guards come and clear up like leaves but now is all sort of tent and cardboard shack. One family living in big pipe is mean for taking water. I walk around.
I thinking this one thing all day. They put me out from factory for untrue reason and due to they put me out the reason have come now as actual truth. This is how I was thinking.
Hussain still looking out for me. He the one making sure I get the money. If he not look out anyone take what they like and not pay. Landlord no longer come. I pay rent now.
Eight ten months past Hussain stop the jute mill job. He have other girl over near Borobazaar and two other who go around for work. These he call floating girl. Government office are good for floating girl. Big hotel also good but girl must be younger. Hussain not yellow now. Now he orange like marigolds. He tell me work hard only few year left to work. Best price for girls eleven twelve. He take good care. Someone not want to pay Hussain deal with them. Arms are flab and flop but they strong.
July 1994
I have the photo of girls and I put with others. I have frame. Three photos will fill up nice and I will buy glass and put on wall. Picture do pretty up the wall.
Your husband is very good in finding jobs. What is Leisure Centre? Is it Government job?
I give you word as you ask to send more letter. Even I have nothing to tell that is what I writing and sending to you. Only thing here is rain. Seems like wetter in my room than pond. Hussain building bed for me high up on legs. Easy for working with high bed. Sometime I feel bad I sit with him. All time he joking. He say 'You got to look for good side. Everything got good side. How about we throw some rice in there get selves paddy field?' Is another talent besides ear waggling and eyelid turning.
I wake up time to time and think I back home. But is only smell of goat come bleating outside door. City smell different smell of men and cars. I like to smell the village again.
Oh there only one goat now. Other got on railway track and we eat it up. Chickens also make a feast. They stop laying.
Renu come into mind. If she still suffering still waiting. Then I think of Mumtaz and of Amma. I not daring enough to think of Abba. One time I think of his second wife how quick she come after mourning. How quick she go again. If only Amma know how quick she go. That is way with men. Why she did not know it?
March 1995
Do not be angry I have not kept word but I writing now and you must forgive.
Something too strange has happen. You cannot guess it. I have receive proposal of marriage.
He come for first time only two weeks past. Next day he return. It not so strange. But third day he come and drink tea with me and we talking only. In spite this he paying in full.
Every day he have come and just for talk. His name is Ahmed. He is tall. At least five feet and eight nine inches. And he is Albino. Because of this his skin like lassi and end of nose is toast like seed. When sun touch him it like acid in the face. Even the evenings he wearing dark glasses. From me he go to shoe factory. He is supervisor for night shift.
He is quiet man. When we talking most time he keep mouth closed. Most time we are sitting. I try to draw out. I dont want him pay in full for nothing. He turn my hand over and over like as if he never seen another hand. Jute men slap on back and call out. Eh babu are you making eyes at our sister?
But Ahmed do not bother. He is serious man. His hair the colour of silt. He have supervisor job for six year. Fifth day he take off glasses and give me fright like anything. Look like cats eyes inside head. Blue and waxy. You never see eyes like that. But is only because of the Albino. Nothing in actual fact wrong with the eye.
He bring bakul for me and hibiscus. Pretty though only one day lasting. What pity it is I cannot marry.
Give kisses to my nieces and best wish for your husband. I hoping he get better quick quick. Dhoie and also ghole is good for stomach ulcer.
March 1995
I do not know what to do. Ahmed pressing for marriage. He do not listen to anything. Hussain come and he talk to me. He say 'This man is odd like five-leg-donkey. Nature reject these things. What chance he has? You are damaged past repair. What chance you has also?' This is how he explain. And he tell me 'My liver is gone I cannot last much longer. Who will protect you if not him? I let you go. This life is finish. Begin another.'