Our Mindset Episode 19
In the morning, my husband left with a bottle of milk. Before leaving, he said, “Cut enough grass to last the whole day. Once I return, we need to soak the sugarcane. After watering it once, we won’t be able to cut grass for another five or six days.”
I finished my chores and cut a good amount of grass. Just as I was wrapping up, he returned. After lunch, I thought, Since he’ll be working at Mami’s farm tomorrow, we should gather firewood today. He headed toward the river to start the water pump.
Just then, a woman arrived. She carried a rope and a towel. She was around Mami’s age but darker-skinned and shorter. She asked, “Where’s Dada?”
I replied, “He just left to turn on the pump by the well.”
Curious, I asked, “Who are you?”
She smiled and said, “You don’t know me, but Dada will tell you when he gets back. Meanwhile, get me some water and make me some tea.”
Assuming she was an acquaintance of my husband, I brought her water. Looking at my children, she remarked, “Oh dear! I forgot to bring a packet of biscuits for them. When they grow up, they’ll look just like their father. Never mind, I’ll bring something next time.”
From a distance, my husband saw her and laughed loudly. “What brings you to the farm today? Did you lose your way?”
The woman seemed equally delighted to see him. “I heard you were staying here, so I came to see you.”
I turned to my husband and asked, “Who is she?”
He casually replied, “She’s our other Mami.”
Up until then, I only knew of five Mamies—both real and distant relatives. I had met them all. So where did this sixth one come from?
He explained, “She’s Mangu’s father’s second wife.”
She belonged to a different caste and had been living with her husband and children in the same village. I asked, “Did our Mami know about this?”
He shrugged. “It was no secret. The whole village, all the relatives, and everyone in our house knew. I used to have meals at her house with my uncle regularly. I was the one who used to bring her here on my bike. There was even a major fight between two brothers over her, and Mangu’s father sent his own brother to jail over it. Their love story was quite infamous.”
Even her husband knew about their past.
Uncle had passed away before our wedding, so I had never met him. But when we visited after our marriage, I saw his photograph during a ritual where we bowed in respect. He was more handsome than both of these women.
What surprised me most was that our Mami was much more beautiful than this woman. So why had Uncle fallen for her?
They sat reminiscing about the past. I got up to make tea. As I busied myself, she glanced at me and said to my husband, “Haven’t you been to the bus stand yet? Everyone there knows you’re staying here.”
He looked at me before responding, “I’ve been too busy with work since I arrived.”
I found her question odd. Who was at the bus stand?
Sensing something off, I focused on making tea while keeping my ears on their conversation.
She continued, “She still hasn’t had a child, has she? How many years has it been since her wedding? She got married before you, right? Her husband is away for four days at a time, and when he does come home, they just argue.”
From their hushed conversation, I realized they were discussing another woman—someone who had some connection to my husband. That’s why they both kept looking at me and whispering.
It took me two months to piece everything together. She hadn’t just come to visit—she had come to deliver a message.
Uncle had already passed away before our marriage, yet my husband had been staying here for four days at a time. Now, I finally understood why.