grew louder. Maybe he was six years old
Amma, Amma.
She was awake.
Ahli, what is the matter, where is Papa?
The snot was on his upper lip and his shoulders were heaving. He stretched out both hands in Eliot’s face towards his mother.
Please Amma can I come and sit with you? Papa is sleeping and I am tired. I want you to read me a book before I go to sleep.
Oh, Ahli you can see that I can’t, I have Rifka in my arms.
Ahli began to cry and when nothing came of that he sat down in the aisle and continued wailing so that he attracted the attention of the cabin staff. The steward came and she had an awkward look on her face and when she tried to calm him, he pushed her away so that the she looked mortified and retreated a couple of steps.
Ahli, you must not do that.
Immediately, Eliot knew what to do, it was probably in his own best interests but he liked this woman, though they had barely exchanged words and he didn’t even know her name. She was, he felt sure the kind of woman, the kind of person, who deserved to be helped.
Excuse me, do you think that Ahli would let me read him a book?
That is very kind of you sir. I will see……. Ahli this kind gentleman has said that he will read you a book. You could sit on his knee and be next to me, is that ok sir? Ahli. Sit on his knee next to Amma. But we don’t want to wake up Rifka do we Ahli? ……There is a book for Ahli in my bag under the seat in front of me. Would you be able to get it out sir?
Yes I can do that. Please call me Eliot.
He unfastened his seat belt and reached down for the book. She had red toenail polish and toe rings on both feet. WARREN THE WORRY WART. He stretched his arms out to little Ahli.
Come on, come up here and sit on my knee and I will tell you all about Warren the Worry Wart.
Ahli snuffled his snot and looked at his mother. She nodded her head and after a moment’s hesitation Ahli allowed himself to be lifted up under his arms and up onto Eliot’s knees and Eliot looked at Ahli’s nose and it made him feel like he might be sick and his mother withdrew a tissue from the sleeve of her blouse and passed it to Eliot.
My name is Ragini.
Thank you Ragini, that is a very nice name. Here give me that snotty nose Ahli. Then we will be able to read your book won’t we?
Pass me the tissue Eliot.
What a face he thought! It came to him when he looked at her face later that somehow it spoke of grace or perhaps in difficult times of forgiveness and her eyes were kind and he wondered where his feelings were coming from. Of all the passengers on the plane he had been lucky enough to be seated beside her. He couldn’t help but be excited about India. Imagine a world without women. Not worth thinking about. Twice in one day! So maybe it wasn’t too late and it was no disrespect to Marion he told himself. He had done the grief and come through to the other end of the tunnel where possibly life was still worth living without her and her letter said go ahead.
Thank you Ragini. Now Ahli...... Warren the Worry Wart.
WARREN WAS A BIT OF A WORRIER, HE COULD WORRY ABOUT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
HE WORRIED ABOUT CLOUDS AND HE WORRIED ABOUT DOGS AND HE WORRIED ABOUT THE DARK.
HE WORRIED ABOUT TREES AND HE WORRIED ABOUT AEROPLANES
Hey Ahli these are pretty silly things to be worried about aren’t they?
Ahli wriggled a little bit but kept his eyes on the page and said nothing.
HE WORRIED ABOUT SICKNESS AND HE WORRIED ABOUT SNAKES
HE WORRIED ABOUT CARS AND HE WORRIED ABOUT WIND
WARREN’S FATHER SAID, DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS WARREN, THE WORRIES ARE JUST THINGS IN YOUR IMAGINATION.
Eliot was aware that Ahli had grown heavier.
WARREN’S MOTHER SAID, DO YOU KNOW THAT MOST THINGS THAT YOU WORRY ABOUT NEVER HAPPEN?
BUT WARREN JUST COULD NOT HELP HIMSELF.
HE WORRIED ABOUT GERMS AND TIGERS IN THE ZOO
HE WORRIED ABOUT THE STARS AND.....
Ahli is asleep.......thank you so much. Will he be too heavy for you?
No it’s fine, he can stay there, we will be in Kolkata very soon, so I think that I can cope with him. You are very lucky to have a daughter who sleeps so well............so you live in Kolkata?
No, we live in Kuala Lumpur. My husband has a very good job in IT. So I can go and see my parents in Kolkata whenever I choose……….
She smiled over her shoulder.
He booked four seats at the back of the plane with Ahli so that he can lie down and sleep because his work makes him so tired.
So you like living in Kuala Lumpur?
I miss it, Kolkata, and I hope that one day we can return to live there. My mother and father are quite old now and I think they would like me to be around. Sometimes my husband comes with me sometimes it is just me and the children. Ahli goes to an International Schools in Kuala Lumpur and he is learning to speak English very well so there are advantages. So what brings you to Kolkata?
I have come to work in a school in a village called Madho Patti, in Uttar Pradesh. Do you know this village?
No Eliot I have never heard of it.
It is near Jaunpur. Tomorrow I will fly to Varanasi and from then to Jaunpur and Madho Patti. I will be helping the English teachers to make the teaching of English more interesting.
That is a very good thing to do. I am sure you are very good at this teaching. The students at Madho Patti will be very lucky.
Thank you very much Ragini and I think Ahli and your daughter are very lucky to have you as their mother.
He thought maybe this was too much to say but he was sure that it was true. They seemed at ease with each other and as the two children slept, Ragini and Eliot talked about the things that people like talking about. Where they grew up and about meeting their partners and Ragini wondered how Eliot was coping with the loss of his wife and Eliot wondered whether Ragini was happy as a housewife. They talked about their children growing up in the modern world and how the world was changing so rapidly and for some people it was a world fraught with so many dangers. Then there were their hopes and their fears and for a moment their eyes met and they knew that for everyone, what lay ahead was unknown and that you needed luck to get through life without the big problems, that you needed luck to meet some people, they both knew that and the next time she smiled he said it.
I am very glad that I sat next to you Ragini, it has been very pleasant.
Thank you Eliot and thank you for being so kind to Ahli. I must wake him up now and send him back to sit with his father.
The
