Mom give me some money. "Take it from my purse. Don't take much". There's only hundred taka! . "what are you gonna do?" It's too hot outside mom. I am gonna take the rickshaw. "you be careful. come back home early". don't worry i will.
Lily is standing in the street. Waiting for a rickshaw. Every time she sees an empty rickshaw she is calling out. But they don't seem interested at this hour. Everyone is exhausted from the heat. Most of them will go into lunch break. Luckily she finds another empty one.
Mama curzon hall? she shouts at the rickshaw puller.
He asks more than the fare but she is lucky to have it now. She jumps on the rickshaw. He looks at least seventy years old, sweating all over his face. Using his napkin every few seconds. He is wearing a white shirt and lungi but it's not white anymore. It's dirty. She wonders If he has someone at home to wash it.
Mama where are you from? she asks the rickshaw puller.
He doesn't seem to hear it and keeps going. So she shouts.
"Old dhaka", he replies. No i mean where are you from originally she asks again.
I was born in barguna but we left our home long time ago. There was no home left. We lost everything to river.
I am sorry to hear that. Lily can hear the long sighs. Do you have anyone now?
i have sons but they live separately. I lost my wife several years ago. I live for myself now.
What about you? he asks. Lily was surprised to hear that. Normally they will just reply what they are asked. Some starts talking about politics and what they think this govt should do and their thoughts on some other issue. some even get irritated and doesn't talk at all.
I live with my parents. she replies. "are you from tangail?" he asks. Yes i am. How did you know that? He smiles and say anyone could. she knows she must have said some words in some accent that gave her away.
Lily give him the hundred taka note and says keep it. The old guy doesn't look surprised. His face has a unique expression. He is grateful. He is not smiling but she can see it in his eyes.
Class is almost empty. Because there's only one class in the afternoon today. She sits in the second row her usual place. She takes a look around. No he didn't come. She should have known. Lily feels she wasted her sleep for this.
It's been twenty minutes since class started. Lily couldn't hear a thing the teacher is teaching. She is looking at her face sometimes to let her know she is actually focusing. She is thinking about something else. Otherwise she would have fallen asleep already.
Rahi enters the room all sweating. His shirt is all wet and it's sticking to his chest. She looks at him for a fraction of a second. She always gets nervous. She starts fixing her hair. Moving them out of her face. Then again out of her ear. He is standing there for teacher's permission. She looks at him again. This is the only time she feels safe looking at him. She knows she doesn't have the courage to look at him when he is sitting. He will go and sit in the back. She can't turn around and look at him. She will get caught.
Teacher nods her head and he walks past her. As she starts feeling normal again out of her surprise he sits just behind her. She starts sweating. How could that be. He never did it before. Her heart is pounding so fast she is afraid he can hear it.
*Mama -- Uncle
