"Mama! My iPod is missing. I haven't been able to find it for a week now. I didn't want to tell you before because I knew you would get mad," she exclaimed.
"Maybe Buckaa ate it," I retorted, angered that she disturbed what little sleep I had in this God-forsaken country. She folded her arms across her chest and proceeded in her rant."Uh, we all know we ate them two nights ago! We found out the next morning!!" Damn, I had a feeling our aunt had spilled the beans. I got up and threw my pillow at her. She laughed and knew I was ready to help her look for her iPod as I swore under my breath looking for my glasses. I figured at this time in the morning, I wouldn't have to tell anyone or disturb them while looking for it.
Two hours elapsed and I was more angered by her neglect and carelessness. It was nowhere to be found. When all the kids woke up, I gathered them into the living room. They looked at me oddly. My hair was a big ball of fur and my eyes were wild with tiredness and anger. My daughter hid behind a door. "Whomever finds her iPod, I will award them with 1000 rupees!"
Great, I was jumping on the same rickshaw with the natives. When things don't go your way, just use a bribe. The children slapped each other on the backs and set off on a wild goose chase. My daughter slowly approached me like I was the plague. "Mama, are you ok?" she asked, knowing full well that this tactic was not in my nature. "Just find the damn iPod!" I stomped upstairs and lay down in the bed. The loadshedding had just begun at 9am.
I thought back. There was always a steady stream of people coming in and out of the house since we arrived but they comprised mostly of family. Only the tailor came from outside. I wondered if he was bopping his head, enjoying The Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift while sewing our clothes. Again, my imagination got the better of me.
One week later, my motherinlaw stepped into my room at 4am. For the love of God, NO ONE KNEW THE ART OF KNOCKING or ALLOWING ME TO SLEEP AN ENTIRE NIGHT! She announced that the iPod was found the night before, on the side of her bed (no one thought to look there). Ok, I asked, which kid found it? She smiled and said, RUBY.
That morning, as Ruby ironed my clothes, I told her about my reward for the iPod. She flatly refused the money and I sensed that because she was a servant, she did not feel worthy to receive it. I said nothing and walked away.
After breakfast, when everyone was gathered in the family room, I plucked Ruby off the floor and presented her with the 1000 rupees. At first, the girls were taken by surprise, perhaps disappointed that their efforts were wasted but then they smiled and gave her a congratulatory hug. To my utter disbelief, she refused to take credit for the find - apparently my motherinlaw saw a silver item lodged inbetween two beds and asked Ruby to dig it out.
In the dark cloud that loomed over me since my arrival in Pakistan, I saw a glimmer of sunlight. I had deliberately paint-brushed everyone with the same perception of the corruption, lawlessness and bribery in Pakistan, trying hard to bury the silver lining in the original picture, no matter how many buckets of colours I threw at that canvas. I had jumped, head first, into the same propoganda that I simultanously abhorred. My pangs of guilt were enormous.
I looked over at Ruby whose timidness illustrated her inability to handle all the attention. I contemplated resurrecting the "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" law but I knew the money, instead of the iPod, would go a long way.
And that day, so did my respect for Ruby.
No comments:
Post a Comment