Her life has been spent in a village which was never on the map of progress. She's never known electricity, has always walked five kilometers to fetch water. The nearest school is a couple of miles away.
She'a borne six kids of which four survive. The two oldest daughters are married; the older is expecting her first child.
She's had a hard life. She's seen so much. She is tired. She seems so old.
She is a year younger than I am.
Till I met her, I never quite realised how lucky I am that I was allowed to bloom.
_____
A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.
12 comments:
Rayna - What a powerful story! Such a haunting look at how the circumstances of life affect one. We never really look at our own lives objectively until we look at others'.
What a sad story! Sometimes we complain about our lives but we need to experience the lives of those with nothing. What a humbling story.
CD
@ Margot- when I met the lady, I thought she was much older than I was. Till she told me how old she was and I realised I was older. But life has made her older than her years.
And the only difference between her and me is that I was encouraged to reach my full potential.
@ Clarissa - the last two weeks have been very humbling ones for me. Every project I visit teaches me how lucky I am in every way.
We are indeed the lucky ones.
"If not for the grace of God, there go I."
Makes you wonder what this world would be like if everyone had the opportunity.
Wow. Eye-opening. It's so important to realize others havne't had the opportunities we've had. We need to help.
God sure doesn't like her-- well, this is India so we should say the gods and goddesses don't like her. One person gets grace another gets none for no apparent reason. I have always felt that inequity very keenly.
You and I are both lucky Rayna. I had a second chance and you have had a chance in a land that doesn't give many women chances at all!
This was so powerful and inspiring. I'm hoping all the best for her...
true...i too see younger gals than me at the village working hard striving and immersed in their own world having no time for themselves ;neither to pamper their looks or thier interests.
@ Fiona - and if you get to do anything to make things better, you are even luckier than the rest.
@ Alex- exactly the quote I was thinking of. If I got one wish, that is what I would wish for - that everyone gets to reach their full potential.
@ Jemi- I guess we take it for granted. But things are so different for them.
@ Danette- and yet, they believe in God more passionately than I do. It is really sad, isn't it? And sadder still is how few people realise how lucky they are
@ Oddyoddyo13- thank you. Or at least, for her daughters.
@ raji- it is really sad isn't it? So much potential wasted.
what comes across in your miraculous 100 words is the counterpoint of sadness & joy. And I, too, am delighted you were 'allowed to bloom' - your drabbles are becoming addictive (to me) :)
@ Marian- had we not been allowed to bloom, we would never even have met.
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