Jayanthi's intermediate schooling is at Piler, 15 km away. She walks daily 4 km to the busstop and back. She leaves at 6am, and is back at 7pm. The SC hostel had such bad food that she dropped out and started travelling daily. Now she has to get up at three, do all the housework, fetch water, and then go, and coime back in the late evening, walking 5 km, and then cook and do other work.Her mother Pushpa just had a hysteractomy, and so Jayanthi gets up at 4am to do all the housework before she leaves, and does the remaining after she returns. Her father used to work as a labourer till a rock fell on his foot during the MNREGA works. The fracture healed, but unable to do heavy work after that, he moved to Tirupathi to work as a watchman.Recently he has needed an appendix operation. And is at home on bedrest after that surgery. Both parents, unable to labour,
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| Jayanthi learning English when she came to Chennai |
Hysterectomy has become a roaring business in rural India. It is advocated as the standard fare for all women. Most of the women in our village in their 30s and 40s do not have a uterus. The hospitals have some tumours ready which they show to the patient as removed from them.
My children. Summer vacation.
Jayanthi's father has sent her to us so that she can learn 'English' and 'computers'. Two skills I have least regard for, and yet I know that is a world where everything is ranged against them, every such small learning counts. Our village economy stays shaky, very shaky. The children understand that and study very hard, hoping they can find a foothold somewhere.
Kavya has no parents, and Eashwaranna her grandmother has brought her up against all odds. Jayanthi's parents have both needed major surgeries, and as she tells me there is no one to go for labour and no money for the weekly santa shopping.Both will need help from futher college studies as both are hardworking children and deserve to study.
Jayanthai and Kavya made the rice and groundnut chutney, our
I never give any weight to marks. Or medals. For adults or for children. The greatest things are far above medals and awards - those acts and attitudes we need to seek for ourselves or our children.
And yet today ... I have to share my pride in marks. Jayanthi. 485 on 500. Class 11.(Paalaguttapalle, Dalitwada)
Since morning she was nervous, didnt want to eat. Was worried about the results.
This year has been very hard on her - mother underwent a hysterectomy, father had moved to Tirupathi to work as a watchman, all the housework was on her. She would get up early, bring water from the street, cook, wash and leave for school by 7am, walking 4km to the bussteop. She would return at 7pm, and do the cooking and housework and then try to study. She was growing thinner and my hart would ache. All i could ensure was that she had milk and ashwagandha daily, even if she returned home at 8pm.
Then her father had a sudden appendectomy, and has also been out of work. Financial crisis.
She is with me now, as her parents hope that I will teach her English and Computers. I am. But also ensuring that she eats well, and has some nice times, before she gets down to her next ardous year.
And todas when this child gets 485 on 500, I feel proud. Inordinately proud.
Jayanthi called up yesterday. "Jayanthi, why didnt you call all these days ?", I asked. She needed money for her fees.
"Madam, only I and my thammudu (younger brother are at home. Before leaving for college (class 12) I have to cook and leave by 7am. I come back late. And then I cook and am very very tired after that. Amma has been in Tirupathi for a month. her stitches after the operation started giving way as she went for coolie work too early. So nana called her there. Nana has not got his salary for 6 months now. He has also not come for a month now. It is very very difficult."
Jayanthis father works as a watchman in the government hospital Tirupathi. He had a appendectomy, and was advised rest, but as he had to earn he left for work. In the drought times he moved to work in Tirupathi as many in our village did. The long hours of standing caused pains, but if he sat on the stool the passing doctors and staff would shout at him. He did has not got his pay as he is contractual labour, and there is currently no money for salaries, he was told. His wife started going to go for coolie work soon after her hysterectomy, bypassing the advised rest. Money was needed for rice for the three children. Her health has got further compromised. She is unable to even do house work.
Jayanthi is trying to study and pass her 12th. She wants to become a nurse.
...
Jayanthi is Annasamy’s granddaughter. She has a younger sister and a younger brother.
Some years ago, her father used to beat up her mother frequently. After one very bad beating, the mother left for her mother’s place and refused to return for months.
This child, in 5th class then, had to get up at four in the morning, cook the meals, sweep the cowshed and the house, heat water and bathe her younger brother and sister, take a bath and reach school by seven in the morning. She did it quietly.
She would spend her spare time playing with stones and pieces of pots under the trees with the other children. She would worry about her younger sister and brother.
Her father broke his thigh bone when at labour once. After that he has been unable to go for agricultural labour and earn. He took up some watchmad job in Tirupathi, and the children and their mother stay in the village.
Jayanthi told me and took the phone away to talk to her father. She has been worried as both her parents have undergone major surgeries, a hysteractormy and an appendectomy, and need rest. Also debts have piled up at home. But they have sent her to me both for a change for her, and in the hope that I will teach her 'English and Computers'.
Father and Daughter.
Jayanthi, "How are you Nana ?"
Devarajulu, "There is some pain. How are you ?"
Jayanthi, "I am OK Nana, what did you eat ?"
Devarajulu, "I had only two idlis. The stomach pains."
Jayanthi, "Nana, shall I come off ?"
Devarajulu, "No ma. Are you learning English ?"
Jayanthi "Yes nana"
Devarajulu, "Also learn typing with madam and saar, learn well. Where else can you learn. "
Jayanthi, "Yes nana"
Devarajulu, "We only want you to be well. Dont worry about us."
Jayanthi applied herself to the books with vigour after the conversation ...
Kavya and Jayanthi are here for their vacation. I feel happy that they are having a nice break, and once school starts it will be a hard life. Housework and school, in a village battling drought and poverty. I feel happy that here they are eating well. That there is milk there for them to have when they want. That there is enough dal and vegetables for them to cook what they wish, and that they add as much groundnut paste to the curry as their heart desires. Today they even baked a simple cake on the stove.
... and yet, what Jayanthi said is what plays in the background. With both her parents recovering from major surgeries, and neither able to go for coolie work, "Madam, there is no money for the weekly santa". And that is her life I know, and this merely a brief holiday with us.
Till times change for villages ...
Jayanthi's father Devarajulu was a hard working agricultural worker. Am accident rendered him unable to work, and after the fracture was handled with rods, he started working in Tirupathi as a watchman. And would support his family from his earnings
He recently underwent an appendectomy surgery, and is back home. Jayanthi grieves. She says her father used to eat irredgularly as he did overtime duties back to back to earn more. She says that he spent long hours at the gate standing in the sun. If his stomach ached, and he sat, someone passing would rebuke him. And he worsened.
Now both parents are at home. The mother had an hysterectomy. There is no earning member.
This is not an unusual tale.
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