Tales from the Island of Serendip 4 4

[Flex Mentallo]

 

I just naturally regard them as family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Flex Mentallo]

In January 2013 at the tender age of 17, Lija's father decided to marry her off.

 

The way Lucina tells it, the husband is a notorious womaniser who lost no time in getting her pregnant. What else he did, Lucina did not go into detail, but certainly she was emotionally abused while the husband went on with his extra marital amours.

 

Lija ran back to her parents house with her new born baby.

 

At about which point her father conveniently decides to take a second wife, as Muslim men are lawfully allowed to do, and promptly moves out of the family home. Apparently he's hardly seen anymore, and his long-suffering first wife, Asma, is now the sole breadwinner for her four daughters, as well as Lija's baby.

 

Lucina is doing what she can to help, but it sounds as if Asma cant find regular work, and they are probably pretty destitute.

 

 

So I'm waiting on Lucina's further report.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2014 by Flex Mentallo

[Flex Mentallo]

In order to prepare for any eventuality, including - however unlikely - going to India if need be, I concluded that rebalancing my finances by selling one big book was the most straightforward response.

 

But in similar circumstances, anyone would do the same wouldn't they? Initially I had no thought of sharing this with more than a handful of friends. It's just that on the boards we are generally showing books we've acquired, rather than let go.

 

Love in reverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Flex Mentallo]

[font:Century Gothic]For Lija[/font]

 

[font:Century Gothic]Beauty, midnight, vision dies:

Let the winds of dawn that blow

Softly round your dreaming head

Such a day of welcome show

Eye and knocking heart may bless,

Find our mortal world enough;

Noons of dryness find you fed

By the involuntary powers,

Nights of insult let you pass

Watched by every human love.

[/font]

from Lullaby, by WH Audin

 

 

Edited January 10, 2014 by Flex Mentallo

[Flex Mentallo]

So why post that? A bid for sainthood perhaps?

 

Not really - not at all in fact. I do fear that it seems like using another person's situation to enhance my own.

 

But that's not it. If I looked at myself and saw that - well, you wouldnt see me anymore.

 

So it's a carefully considered risk.

 

All the way through Serendip, I suppose there has been this intertwining of events and motifs.

 

Life is not a comic book. True heroes/heroines are scarce. We have a few round these boards, we'd all agree. And I am definitely not one of them.

 

But I'd like to think we all want to be bringers of fire.

 

And sometimes, if we are very lucky, we find ourselves in a position to do just that.

 

Lucina, Mridula, Lija, Nirmal, Mohan (who was murdered before I ever met him) - and all the rest in this small village - they were the gift -

 

- they brought fire to me.

 

And what do you do when someone brings you the gift of fire?

 

You run through the streets with a torch, to light a beacon.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Flex Mentallo

[Cat-Man_America]

That story is gut wrenching in ways that are difficult to put into words. The one word which does come to mind in reading her story and your ultimate decision is sacrifice. Lija's sacrifice was pressed upon her by cultural forces that she was ill-prepared to combat, your's by choice and your own humanity. I'm sure the sacrifice you've made seems small by comparison, but it's the kind of sacrifice to which everyone here can directly empathize.

 

When I read stories like this it feeds my own dystopian view of the kind of world we're creating and how little influence we have over it. The ultimate tragedy is that for every Lija there are undoubtably a million more just like her who share similar fates, abused in the most inhuman manner due to tribal custom, caste, economic disparity or just plain meanness. It's easy pointing to poverty, religion, politics, etc. as contributors to centuries old cultural abuses, but there are many factors and those who are benefactors to maintaining the status quo.

 

If history is an indicator, winning any battles in the war against ignorance must be measured in small scale, through compassionate folks like yourself who reach out and help individuals you know and care deeply about. I was certainly touched by Lija's story and the fact that you sold a long sought after book to have ready cash available to help her if needed. I'm sure that everyone here can appreciate why you've made that sacrifice as well as the dichotomy of it being both important and insignificant in the overall scheme of things.

 

Here's to you Michael,

...and best hopes for Lija's family.

[Flex Mentallo]

That story is gut wrenching in ways that are difficult to put into words. The one word which does come to mind in reading her story and your ultimate decision is sacrifice. Lija's sacrifice was pressed upon her by cultural forces that she was ill-prepared to combat, your' by choice and your own humanity. I'm sure the sacrifice you've made seems small by comparison, but it's the kind of sacrifice to which everyone here can directly empathize.

 

 

Exactly what I was trying to say, but you put it so much better, thank you. What would feel like a significant loss in other circumstances instead feels like a - how can I express it? - yes, a blessing.

 

 

Edited January 10, 2014 by Flex Mentallo

[Flex Mentallo]

Her name is Zoa.

 

 

[Flex Mentallo]

Serendipity is the abiding theme of this thread. My challenge is to make a connection between my relationship with the village of Bonhooghly and the emergent themes around mythology, history, the archetypes and their relationship to the human condition. In so doing I will try to retrace the lost steps of the journey, all the way back to the beginning.

 

It is said that India has the longest unchanged culture on earth, stretching back at least 4500 years.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohenjo-daro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2014 by Flex Mentallo

[Flex Mentallo]

When I first visited Bonhooghly in February 1982 I knew nothing about it, had never heard of it, had no experience of village life even though I had by that time lived in India for almost two years.

 

 

 

 

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[Flex Mentallo]

The experiences I had there were transformative, for me and for others.