Bhumika Velu Me.
Em prety gril. Everybody sayed to me. Me appy gril. I no. Only I gril no englis in dis vilge.
Andrew reached for his phone, saying he’d read it out to me. ‘It can screw your head,’ he added.
I’m a pretty girl. Everybody said to me. Me happy girl. I’m the only girl who knows English in this village.
I moved closer to Andrew as he read. I wanted to see what this Bhumika had written. I liked her name.
Lots of rain in barracks one day. Water is like river go, go, go down. Red mud all place, on road, it’s like mehendi design on my white leg. On my blue colour langa also came mud.
When I down, I walk in front of the Black Bridge and see the other side every time. Too much tree. I check to see if the bad board is there.‘Dogs and Indians not allowed beyond this point’. This board makes Bhumi very very angry.
Andrew’s free hand was on the backrest. I let his fragrance envelop me. It felt good.
My appa is a school master. I can’t go to school. Bhumi is a girl, so appa teach Bhumi in house.
Suddenly one day appa told me I’m getting married. I not have any amma, she dead. Bhumi 16 years, appa told me. My good father name Tilakanathan Velu Sir. He told me we have a proposal from white English Sir. White English Sir paying appa money. Englishman Sir not married. I was lot happy. I go to the other side of the bridge and break bad board.
The more Andrew read, the more I liked this woman. I looked at Andrew to ask how he had gotten hold of these pages.
‘I found them when I was looking for papers of the house back when I was in school,’ Andrew said, as if he had read my mind.
‘Did you ask Noelene?’
‘I asked her if Catherine was my great-grandmother,’ Andrew said. ‘She nodded and said it was all in the notes.’
On marriage day, the last one day of the weekend, me wearing langa white dresses, Bhumi never saw like this. Langa white dresses came in ship.
I met Englishman Sir husband one day before marriage day. He asked to Bhumi for marriage day to cut hair short. I likes long hair, but I cut it. I wear lots of many flowers on my hairs. Standing side to side with Englishman Sir husband on my wedding day, I smile big. No one else smiling. My appa no smile, my thangachi sisters, no one coming. Only I Bhumi in marriage and many other white peoples.
Catherine Brown wedding in garden in front of big house.
‘They must’ve been good friends,’ I said. This was giving me scary vibes. It was not making sense.
Before I come for marriage, my appa say, Bhumi Englishman Sir marry you, no one else. My friend having two kutti from another one Englishman Sir. He not her husband man Sir, no one her husband.
My appa say, my house. I say, Englishman Husband Sir house. The lawn I’m standing on is in front of the house, my favourite camanti pukkal flower on the side.
‘Marigold?’
Andrew nodded.
I wanted to hug Bhumi tight.
I am writing after many time afterwards. My English is little bit improved. My Sir teaching me English. He better than my appa father. Many many time since I saw appa father.
I took a deep breath. I felt Andrew’s eyes on me. He had stopped reading and was looking away.
‘Seems to me that he fell in love with her beauty.’
Not the first man to love with his eyes.
My Sir came here many many years go. He went to Coorg and then very far away to Kolikata and then to my Coonoor village. My Sir love this place quiet and nice place. Yesterday when we walking I asked him if I pour paint on board, if he would let it be. Ronald Brown Sir asked Why loudly. Me got scare. ‘You’re not one of them any more,’ he told, but he smile.
‘Here she’s talking about my great-grandfather,’ Andrew said. His face was sphinx-like.
I felt Bhumi’s victory and smiled, but I was also tearing up.
