26 March 2016

Mother's Sweet Revenge?

I saw an elderly woman completely drunk and making scene near Paro Dzong on the first day of Tshechu. Everybody was avoiding her. She was flat on the ground crying and cursing, occasionally begging to be taken to hospital or home. She was wearing a complete set of Tshechu clothing, except it’s all covered in dust. Like Cinderella she has left one of her shoes some distance away from her.

My son Jigme and I went close to her and asked if she really needed to go to hospital. A nearby shopkeeper cautioned us through her window, 
“Sir, stay away. Just let her be. She is drunk.”

I didn’t feel comfortable leaving a woman of my mother’s age in that condition even though she was wasted. I picked her shoe and like prince charming tried it on her foot. It was a perfect fit. Lol.
Tshechu is full of Show

“Ama, you must have come to watch Tshechu, why are you becoming the Tshechu yourself? People are watching you perform here.”
She tried to crawl but fell back heavily on her back. We brought some cardboard pieces and gave her a thin layer of mattress and pillow.
“You don’t seem to need hospital, you need to go home and sleep. Where do you live?”
She pointed in random directions. I knew she was totally disoriented. She stopped throwing tantrum and began paying attention to me. We bought her water knowing very well how it would feel.
“Ama, if you must drink you should wait till the evening, reach home and enjoy your drink. Here in Tshechu you have made a joker of yourself. And where are your friends? Even they have gone into hiding.”
She would laugh and cry at the same time and cursed her friends for leaving her. Not surprisingly she was in agreement with my suggestions, like all seasoned drinkers.

Then it struck me that she might own a mobile phone. So I asked if she had one, which I could use to get her people pick her up. She dug into her hemcho for the longest time and took out a cold drink and handed it over to me.
“Don’t drink this. It’s mine.”
“Give me your mobile phone.”
She went into her hemcho again and came out with her purse, then few changes but not her phone. So I helped her search for it. Bingo, it was just there.

I went into her call log and dialled the most recent number. It was someone in Punakha. Then the next, it didn’t answer. Then I checked her contact list and surprisingly there were names saved. So I read out each name and asked her whom to call. She suggested a lady.
“Sir, I’m in the town. I have to be here for a while.”
“Can you tell me whom I should call to get immediate help?”
“Try her son and nephew. They are both in the Tshechu.” The lady gave me their names. I checked back in her contact list and found the son’s number.
“Hello, you mother is here near a shop beside the Dzong. She seems too drunk. Can you come and take her home.”
“Sir, I will send her nephew immediately.”
I put back her phone, purse, changes and most importantly her cold drink into the safety of her hemcho. While waiting for her nephew I casually remarked,

“Ama, you have to understand how your children would feel seeing you like this and embarrassing them in the crowd…”

“Dasho, my children are not like you. They too must understand how I feel after all these years of raising them… they have done their share of embarrassing me!”

I didn’t have anything to say after that. It seems embarrassment was mutual. Her son and nephew came and took her home. They were thanking me but I told them to be more thankful to their mother.
I am hoping the shopkeeper lady who cautioned me to stay away must have learnt how to help. I am also hoping my son would have learned something because I have learned something.

On the last day I saw the woman again. Not drunk.

18 comments:

  1. Just felt pity for that mother... Great that you helped her... Not many do what you have done!

    Keep up your kindness friend.

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  2. You were like a heavenly guardian to comfort and got help to send her home. Many good returns will bless you always. Over here, the people would probably just stand motionless and watch besides snapping mobile photos to share in their Facebook. Lol

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  3. The story touched me very much and more than the story I got touched and inspired by the message passed on to the sons and daughters of that women.
    Keep us inspiring as always

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  4. The story touched me very much and more than the story I got touched and inspired by the message passed on to the sons and daughters of that women.
    Keep us inspiring as always

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  5. A job well done Passu Sir..... The story truly inspired me. I really appreciate your good heart. God bless u as always la.

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  6. Gr8 job buddy. ...I know you ll doing ...cheers

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  7. Inspirational .. Yeah as u said, it indeed must have been a good learning experience for ur son regading helping people in need apart from the help to the drunk lady..

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  8. Inspirational .. Yeah as u said, it indeed must have been a good learning experience for ur son regading helping people in need apart from the help to the drunk lady..

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  9. Simply a very good job which most of us deny doing it even though we feel that it should have been done. Cheers yo you.

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  10. Simply a very good job which most of us deny doing it even though we feel that it should have been done. Cheers yo you.

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  11. This is the real taste of Humanity. Job well done aue Pass u.

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  12. This is the real taste of Humanity. Job well done aue Pass u.

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  13. Good things done to others never go unrewarded. Rewards need not be in the form of kind, cash or any other materials. It's always the invisible devine above that keeps his eyes always on what action we perform. It's really heartening to know about what you did to that laday la.

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  14. Great job!I really appreciated your deed.Keep up the same spirit of kindness.

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  15. Cock and bull story. Don't believe in tell tale fairy tale unless seen one although it's full of kindness, humility and godliness.

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