The tale of the lone figure

As I listened to her tale, I felt that I should write her story for I found it facinating.

Abi Gyanden (her name) was born in a poverty ridden home where there was always shortage of food. Her parents toiled from dawn till dust to feed the nine children. When she was old enough to venture outside her village, she ran away from home to escape hunger. When she first arrived at Tashigang, some one took her in as a maid and gave her food and shelter. She was 9 years old and she served the family until they decided to send her away to their relative in the capital.

The relatives of her first saviour were very kind and treated her like the member of the family. She led a peaceful life until a man came to the house to ask her hand in marriage. After the consent of the family, she was taken as a bride to a very affluent family. She was just thirteen years at that time. The family treated her well since she worked very hard to please everyone in the family. Before she attained 20 years of age, she was the mother of four children. By then her husband had started having numerous affairs and there was always disagreement in the house. She tried to flee form her husband but her in-laws did not permit that since they feared that they might loose their grand children. Her in-laws were very supportive and she enrolled her children in the school. She narrated how her husband once disappeared for more than a year and came back to her when he had exhausted all the money that he had taken from his parents.

She said that she was married legally to a man who did not bear any responsibility towards his family. She also said that she was thankful for her in-laws who stayed with her through thick and thin.

Then she took out something from her tiny sooth ridden bag and showed m. It was a photograph. Looking at it, I assumed that it might have been taken some years back. The faded photograph contained the pictures of laughing faces. On a closer look, I realized that I was staring at the picture of one of my old friend. She pointed at the picture and said that the girl in the picture was her youngest daughter. I gasp, "Yeasel". She looked at me quizzically and asked "How do u know her?" I said we were in the school together once but how could I tell that I knew her story before I even met her. I have heard Yeasel tell her story many a times and now all her memories came flooding after all those years.

I asked her why she stayed here when all her children were settled abroad. She said that she had to come back to the land of her birth because she wanted to die here. I had no response for her words� Hope Yeasel will realize this and come back to her mother sooner�