Hema's sister Divya was doing her homework when Hema entered her room. The girls shared the room with their ten-year-old brother Deva.
'You are late today also,' said Divya.
Hema sighed and did not answer.
'Amma is not fair. She does not allow me to play football after 6'o clock and lets you come so late,' complained Deva.
Hema didn't pay heed to them. She wanted to sleep. Divya has again carelessly placed her polio shoe on her bed.
'Do I have to tell you every day not to keep your shoe on my bed.' said Hema.
'Oh, sorry.' said Divya in an unapologetic manner.
Hema was too tired to argue. She was always a loser when it came to her sister.
Hema was good to her siblings. She took care of them when her mother went to work. She was very careful while dealing with Divya.
Deva was boisterous. His life's aim is to become a famous football player. He spent hours watching boys play in the football ground at the foot of the hillock. He knew they wouldn't include him now. He wanted to grow up quickly and join them.
Hema changed into her night clothes, sat on the bed and read a verse from the Bible. She then sank into her bed.
________________
Next day morning Sabnir was busy in the kitchen. Hema helped her with household work.
'If not for Hema, I would never go to office in time,' thought Sabnir as she packed lunch boxes for her children and herself. Her husband Onadj was a police constable. He was still sleeping after having come late last night.
Working days went on well. But when schools declare holidays, it would get difficult for Sabnir.
The following three months were hectic for the entire household. By the end of March, Hema completed her Board exams. She was free of academics for the next two months. She was an average student. Sabnir wanted all her children to complete their graduation. Being a Toda, they had special privilege of quota system that provided government jobs allotted for near extinct tribes. Toda is a small tribal community living in the hills of Nilgris in the southern part of India.
The dwindling Toda population is a concern to anthropologist around the world, However, there is little impact of the tribal tradition in the present generation of Todas. Many have moved out of the mund, the Toda village and have adopted the mainstream lifestyle. Economic independence provided by the special quota system and conversion to Christianity has made many detach themselves from the tribal lifestyle.
Sabnir's sister Teitnir married Albert Muthu, a Tamil missionary priest against the injunctions of their village. She was the first to move out of the mund. Sabnir kept in touch with her sister all through. Sabnir was deeply attracted to the Gospel. The Dairy Temple and beliefs connected to it seemed hollow to her after she attending the Sunday mass conducted by Albert Muthu.
Onadj, on the other hand, was a Toda in the real sense. He had served as a 'diary man', the high priest in the dairy temple in the mund before he married Sabnir. He believed Takesh, his Toda God would protect him.
_________________________
The toil of exam preparation was hard on Hema. She felt free like a high flying bird after completing her exams. It will take some more time before she starts worrying about the exam results. For now, she didn't want to think of anything else.
Hema enjoyed doing household work. She swept and mopped the floor every day after her mother left to work. She washed the dishes and tried to cook evening snacks. Divya and Deva would fight the whole day over a misplaced pen. Hema ignored them most of the times but would interfere if they went overboard.
A smile on her mother's face, when she saw the house well managed was Hema's reward. She would do anything to please her mother.
'Divya, you have been watching TV the whole day. Why don't you go out for a walk?' Hema said.
'I cannot. I am lame,' Divya replied without batting an eyelid.
'It is no use talking sense to you,' Hema said going to the veranda to check on her brother.
Deva had, as usual, gone to the football ground to watch the older boys play.
She stood on the wooden deck overlooking the ground. Hema was a tall girl. Typical of a Toda woman, Hema's features were well pronounced. Her long nose, thin lips, deep and sharp eyes make her attractive. She was not a traditional beauty, however, her strong bone structure and long legs made her stand out in a crowd. She was fair complexioned with a freckled nose that accentuated the tenderness of her skin. She was dressed in a simple knee-length skirt and a plain blue top with her hair tied into a tight ponytail.
She noticed her brother watching the game standing at the edge of the ground. Her heart melted looking at him watching with such craving for the game. She wished the boys would include him in their game but he was too young to play with them.
At that moment, Deva looked at his sister from the foot of the hillock. He sprinted up the stairs.
'Hema, will you do me a favor,' Deva asked panting for breath.
'Sure, what is it?' Hema replied.
'I want you to come with me to the football field, talk to them to include me in the game.' Deva said desperately.
'Are you crazy? You cannot play with them. They are college boys. You are in still in 6th grade.' Hema said.
'Please Hema, please. If you do this for me, I promise, I will behave myself at home this entire vacation. I will help in doing chores. I promise. Pleeese...!' Deva begged with folded hands .
Hema didn't know what to do. She wanted to help her brother but he was asking for something she could not do. She never spoke to boys. She was glad to study in a girl's convent. She was not even interested in the usual girl's talk about boys. Her classmates thought she was boring. That didn't bother her.
Even before Hema could say no, Deva pulled her down the stairs. In no time, she was in front of a group of boys on recess from the game.
'Anna, my sister wants to talk to you,' Deva announced.
The boys were surprised. One of them moved forward and nodded.
Hema skipped a heartbeat. Deva nudged her with his elbow.
'My... my brother...wants to play football. Can you please include him...in ...the game?' muttered Hema. Her hands were shivering. She tried to control the twitching in her cheeks.
The boy looked at her, nodded and said nothing.
She turned and walked back as fast as she could.
Divya, watching TV, saw Hema rush into the house.
'What's wrong? Why are you so flushed?' Divya asked.
'Nothing,' said Hema pacing into the bathroom.
Withing the four walls of the bathroom she calmed herself. She was irritated with herself.
'Why am I so agitated? I just had to speak a few words,' Hema thought. She thought of the boy she spoke to. She has seen him before. He has crossed her way back from school a few times. 'His eyes are different,'she remembered.
___________________
Rajesh could not believe what he saw. A year ago, he set eyes on her for the first time. One of his teammates had suggested they use the ground below the hillock for practice. It was quite far from their locality where they usually played in a carrot field. But during the planting season, they were left with no ground to play as every inch of the ground turned into carrot beds. One of his friends spotted this ground on his way to Mudhumalai, the elephant reserve.
Rajesh liked the ground but it got slushy when it rained. Slush made it unsuitable for cultivation.So they kind of had this for their practice all throughout he year. On the first day of practice, he saw her from far wearing a blue pinafore on a white shirt protected by a red sweater. He didn't think she was pretty but the calmness that surrounded her was inviting. One of his teammates said her father was a police constable; that was enough threat to keep any boy off her limits. Rajesh didn't want any trouble in his life. He already had enough.
Rajesh looked forward to his practice sessions at the ground. She never noticed him. She never noticed any boy. He liked that. Sometimes she would come with her sister. Her sister would be all eyes for the players on the field. Her brother would sometimes try to join them. Rajesh kept a safe distance from the boy fearing he may not be able to stop himself from asking about his sister.
Sometimes he would look at her climb up the steps until she reached home. He could hear her voice when she walked past him. Her voice was not soft; it was a voice of an elder sister, caring and protective. She would make a good mother, he thought. He guessed she must be in her twelfth grade but later someone told him she was in tenth grade. She was too young but seems to shoulder more responsibilities out of her own accord.
______x______