February 1, 2000
11.20 p.m.
I was looking very beautiful today. I had shaven after so many days and had shampooed my hair. My face looks thinner than before giving an illusion of youth. The black-cream jersey made my complexion look fairer and a few people complimented me. It was a nice feeling to see that I still caught a few people’s attention on the road. It was an exceptional day. Some of the old glory flashed for some time. Many images of the past came floating by and I could not help smiling at them. In thought, there are no barriers of time and age and circumstance.
*
Dhanvi insisted for a story and tonight was the cap-seller’s turn……
In a small town in the foothills of the Shivaliks, there lives a man with his small child. He earns his livelihood by making caps – small caps, big caps, woolen caps, cotton caps, sun caps, monkey caps….and many more caps.
During the night, his daughter cuts and stitches the caps and the cap-seller goes to the town during the day, to sell them. The town is a long way off from their small and beautiful home and to cover the distance as soon as possible, the cap-seller usually takes a short-cut through the forest. He wades his way through the bushes and shrubs with a bag of multi-colored caps on one shoulder and a bag containing his Tiffin and water-bottle on the other….
Yesterday, the weather was slightly hot. The cap-seller had been trudging along for a fairly long time. When he felt tired due to heat, he decided to rest under a shady tree. After catching his breath and drying the perspiration, he opened his bag and drank some water from his water-bottle. In the cool shade, he started feeling hungry. So, he opened his Tiffin to see what his daughter had packed for him. His eyes lit up when he saw Maggi noodles (fast to cook – good to eat) and he ate them happily. His belly was full now and soon he fell asleep.
Many monkeys used to live on the big, green tree under which the cap-seller was sleeping – small monkeys, big monkeys, fat monkeys, lean monkeys, young monkeys, old monkeys….many monkeys indeed. They had been watching the cap-seller from various branches. As soon as the cap-seller started snoring, all of them came jumping down, tumbling over one another. Since the Tiffin was finished, they opened the other bag and took away all the caps. Some of them put on pink caps, others wore green caps and yet others wore other colors – yellow, blue, orange, purple, red….They all were happy and climbed up the tree.
When the cap-seller woke up, he was very sad to see all his caps stolen. All the monkeys teased and danced in front of him, making funny faces. The cap-seller began to weep but the monkeys did not relent.
Then it so happened that the ‘wise lady’ of the jungle came passing by. She saw the cap-seller crying and on hearing the whole story, she said, “Monkeys imitate everyone. So, I will tell you a trick. You throw down the cap you are wearing and see what happens”. The cap-seller did likewise and the monkeys followed suit. The cap-seller and the wise lady quickly collected all caps and put them back in the bag. The naughty monkeys had to cut a sorry figure.
The cap-seller thanked the wise lady and went to the town where he sold the caps and bought many gifts for his lovely, little daughter.
On his way back, he saw the wise lady again. She told him that all the miscreant monkeys had been sent to the zoo and he and his daughter could visit the zoo and enjoy their show. She wished the cap-seller good luck and he walked back home.
His daughter was very happy to see all the gifts. They ate a delicious dinner. The next day was Sunday and the cap-seller and his daughter stayed awake for long. The cap-seller told her the complete story of the day and they both fell asleep in the small hours of the morning, dreaming about monkeys and the kind wise lady.
*
It was little after the story time and I had begun to fall into the oblivion of sleep. I was brought back to consciousness by a slap to realize that Dhanvi was perhaps seeing an action-
packed monkey dream and it seemed that she had just slapped a miscreant one. Now, her tiny hand is in my left hand and her small, cold feet are hidden between my legs. Her face is calm and beautiful…and envious.
The whole day, this girl is after me….Why are the trees green, where does the moon go in the day, from where does the breeze come, where do the kittens go to read.....
Today, she must have seen a wedding scene in the TV and wanted to get married. I asked her, “Where is the groom?” She said, “I will marry you, papa” and blushed. She knows that one is supposed to be shy while talking of marriage!!! She wanted to have all the shining clothes and make-up and lip-stick. I asked her, “Why do you want to marry me?” She said, she will wash my handkerchiefs and press my forehead when it aches. Yes, she loves the only man in her small, little life so far – me.
I wonder if she will love me when she grows up and really has a new family. Or will I be too old and out-of-date by that time……See, the mind has jumped ahead. It…is the biggest monkey of all. Maybe I need the wise lady of the jungle. I think of Cliff Richard, the Butterfly Kisses and settle into a smiling sleep once more.
11.20 p.m.
I was looking very beautiful today. I had shaven after so many days and had shampooed my hair. My face looks thinner than before giving an illusion of youth. The black-cream jersey made my complexion look fairer and a few people complimented me. It was a nice feeling to see that I still caught a few people’s attention on the road. It was an exceptional day. Some of the old glory flashed for some time. Many images of the past came floating by and I could not help smiling at them. In thought, there are no barriers of time and age and circumstance.
*
Dhanvi insisted for a story and tonight was the cap-seller’s turn……
In a small town in the foothills of the Shivaliks, there lives a man with his small child. He earns his livelihood by making caps – small caps, big caps, woolen caps, cotton caps, sun caps, monkey caps….and many more caps.
During the night, his daughter cuts and stitches the caps and the cap-seller goes to the town during the day, to sell them. The town is a long way off from their small and beautiful home and to cover the distance as soon as possible, the cap-seller usually takes a short-cut through the forest. He wades his way through the bushes and shrubs with a bag of multi-colored caps on one shoulder and a bag containing his Tiffin and water-bottle on the other….
Yesterday, the weather was slightly hot. The cap-seller had been trudging along for a fairly long time. When he felt tired due to heat, he decided to rest under a shady tree. After catching his breath and drying the perspiration, he opened his bag and drank some water from his water-bottle. In the cool shade, he started feeling hungry. So, he opened his Tiffin to see what his daughter had packed for him. His eyes lit up when he saw Maggi noodles (fast to cook – good to eat) and he ate them happily. His belly was full now and soon he fell asleep.
Many monkeys used to live on the big, green tree under which the cap-seller was sleeping – small monkeys, big monkeys, fat monkeys, lean monkeys, young monkeys, old monkeys….many monkeys indeed. They had been watching the cap-seller from various branches. As soon as the cap-seller started snoring, all of them came jumping down, tumbling over one another. Since the Tiffin was finished, they opened the other bag and took away all the caps. Some of them put on pink caps, others wore green caps and yet others wore other colors – yellow, blue, orange, purple, red….They all were happy and climbed up the tree.
When the cap-seller woke up, he was very sad to see all his caps stolen. All the monkeys teased and danced in front of him, making funny faces. The cap-seller began to weep but the monkeys did not relent.
Then it so happened that the ‘wise lady’ of the jungle came passing by. She saw the cap-seller crying and on hearing the whole story, she said, “Monkeys imitate everyone. So, I will tell you a trick. You throw down the cap you are wearing and see what happens”. The cap-seller did likewise and the monkeys followed suit. The cap-seller and the wise lady quickly collected all caps and put them back in the bag. The naughty monkeys had to cut a sorry figure.
The cap-seller thanked the wise lady and went to the town where he sold the caps and bought many gifts for his lovely, little daughter.
On his way back, he saw the wise lady again. She told him that all the miscreant monkeys had been sent to the zoo and he and his daughter could visit the zoo and enjoy their show. She wished the cap-seller good luck and he walked back home.
His daughter was very happy to see all the gifts. They ate a delicious dinner. The next day was Sunday and the cap-seller and his daughter stayed awake for long. The cap-seller told her the complete story of the day and they both fell asleep in the small hours of the morning, dreaming about monkeys and the kind wise lady.
*
It was little after the story time and I had begun to fall into the oblivion of sleep. I was brought back to consciousness by a slap to realize that Dhanvi was perhaps seeing an action-
packed monkey dream and it seemed that she had just slapped a miscreant one. Now, her tiny hand is in my left hand and her small, cold feet are hidden between my legs. Her face is calm and beautiful…and envious.The whole day, this girl is after me….Why are the trees green, where does the moon go in the day, from where does the breeze come, where do the kittens go to read.....
Today, she must have seen a wedding scene in the TV and wanted to get married. I asked her, “Where is the groom?” She said, “I will marry you, papa” and blushed. She knows that one is supposed to be shy while talking of marriage!!! She wanted to have all the shining clothes and make-up and lip-stick. I asked her, “Why do you want to marry me?” She said, she will wash my handkerchiefs and press my forehead when it aches. Yes, she loves the only man in her small, little life so far – me.
I wonder if she will love me when she grows up and really has a new family. Or will I be too old and out-of-date by that time……See, the mind has jumped ahead. It…is the biggest monkey of all. Maybe I need the wise lady of the jungle. I think of Cliff Richard, the Butterfly Kisses and settle into a smiling sleep once more.
1 comments:
What a strange monkey marriage story.
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