𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙸: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚝 𝙷𝚘𝚖𝚎

“Azha lam and Gelong, good morning! Come inside”, my mom welcomed the spiritual head of our village along with few of young exciting monks. They were not really monks of who go to monastery to learn Buddhist text and scriptures. They were called lay monks. They follow a style of Gurukul of ancient India whereby several children of the village go to their master. By going to the master, they commit themselves to learn the tradition of Buddhist rituals in the village. They inherit the ancient tradition of the ritual and fulfill the need of rituals during sickness, death and auspicious Buddhist’s days like date ten and fifteen.

“Lhamo! Get ready with the tea to be served to them”, my mom called me from the living room while I was hiding in the kitchen.

“Why didn’t Lhamo go to the school? Everyone is in the school”, I heard Azha Lam asking my mom about why weren’t I at the school.

“She is not feeling well these days. In the school, teachers and friends are having hard time with her. So, I have decided to keep her home until she recovers her health”, my mother answered respectfully.

“What’s her class by the way? I think attendance is really important in the school. Some of the students are disqualified from appearing in the examinations. Ultimately, they are failed and have to remain in the same class”, Azha Lama was warning my mother about the importance of attendance. I was still in the kitchen feeling shy to show my face.

“Lhamo! Is tea ready for serving? If it is, bring the tea along with ten cups. The morning is getting colder”, my mother shouted again.

“It is ready ama. I am bringing. I need your help”. I answered from the kitchen.

“Okay daughter. I am on my way”, as soon as she answered from the living room, she was in the kitchen to help me pick those cups and tea.

I was blushing as I appeared infront of them. I helped my mom to pour tea into the cups and served one by one to Azha Lama and other monks.

“Lhamo, how often do you get sick in the school?” Azha Lama was questioning me while everyone was drinking tea.

“I get sick frequently in the school and it makes me difficult to concentrate on my lessons. I hope to join as soon as I recover”, I answered in the way I was taught in the school.

“I am thinking of taking her out of the school and let her help me at home, Azha Lam. There are many graduates who could not get job for themselves after going to schools and colleges for more than fifteen years. Parents are wasting their money”. My mother was surprisingly taking a different decision out of my own sickness.

In that moment, I was thinking about my father who passed away when I was in class five. It has been four years since my father left me and my mother alone at home. Life was becoming harder and harder for both of us without our father. Now, I am in class nine and my father would be proud of me watching from above.

For the whole day, I was feeling uncomfortable about that decision my mother was making. However, I believed in my mother that she would send me to the school until I complete all levels of higher education.

During that day mother kept me asking “What do you think?”

I just smiled at her without having a definite answer.

The ritual day ended well and all the neighbours gathered. I was becoming tired with lot of responsibilities. I had to serve tea to each and every person gathered. I was relieved when few elders, especially men, helped mom and me in serving dinner and tea.

After the dinner, my mother started discussing about me with Azha Lam since she trusted him so much. Few elder people joined the discussion, both men and women whose hairs were turning grey. Their hairs had turned grey with great experience and knowledge. Old people were respected and considered an invaluable treasure of the village. They advised young people who were struggling with their way of living.

“As I have discussed earlier, my daughter is becoming sicker as she attends the school. I have firmly decided to drop her out of the school to help me at home. Now, I have to discuss about her marriage too. Men and women are created by god to survive each other. I have also a boy who can be her perfect match”.

“Who is the boy then? Tell us!” All the people who were involved in discussion forced my mom to tell the name of the boy. Sadly, I was listening as things passed infront of me without any control.

“He is Gomchen Tashi!” My mother revealed the boy who is going to marry with me. Surprisingly, he was among those who came to perform rituals at home that day. I have known him and we grew up together in the village as childhood friends. 

When I looked at him, he was looking at me too but he was blushing. He was two years older to me and he lived as one of our closest neighbours. 

“What do you think about the decision I am making for you, Lhamo?” The final question was to for me answer since I was the last person to fulfil her decision.

What should I answer? Should I reject or accept my mother’s proposal?