Sarasa
That is how Sarasa came into our lives. I think it was a turning point in Sarasa’s life. My first assignment was to make the girl presentable. She looked like an unkempt gypsy whose hair had not experienced a comb in many years.
I gave her soap , shampoo , comb, clothes and the extra wash room at home .Her first job every morning was to use the washroom , have a proper bath and see that she was clean and tidy. Within a week people were complimenting her on her appearance, which was a great motivator for her. All the praise, the fact that there were no battles with her step mom, and the Sunday English classes, changed Sarasa to an unbelievable extent. She was no longer the ruffian child she used to be, for one she looked good, even started speaking in more refined way, her whole disposition underwent a change. She was literally a different Sarasa. Gone was the defiant, uncouth, loud brat.
The girl had not seen the inside of a school but her native intelligence was amazing. She was curious about everything and learnt fast. She absorbed her Sunday English lessons with such speed that she could within months manage small sentences in spoken English. Though she could not read she would from the news paper leaflets put two and two together and be absolutely on the dot, on which shop in the neighborhood had a sale on which items. She was a raving fan of one of the local Tamil actor Vijay every photograph of his was cut from the papers and magazines and stored away very carefully.
She was a treat to watch, when I took her with me, to the local supermarket. Her excitement never abated even after a dozen trips. She would run counter to counter chattering loudly oblivious of the curious stares from other shoppers. If, I ever went to the store without Sarasa, I would have all the shop hands enquiring about her, they looked forward to her visits.
On one occasion, she stayed with me for a weekend when her family went to their village. She was quite upset they did not take her with them. To compensate, I took her that Sunday morning to the beach. The preparation for it started almost 48 hours ahead. It was like taking a 5 year old to the beach instead of a seventeen year old. I had my hands full, trying to get her not to go far into the water and get her to get out of the water, when it was time to return home. Passersby gave curious looks, they probably wondered whether she was underdeveloped, not knowing this was a seventeen year olds first outing to a beach.
By the time Sarasa was with me for couple of years she would insist on speaking English, if she could manage it. Some of the phrases she used surprised me, for I do not recall teaching her, but she had picked it up from somewhere, probably from the TV. Once my daughter was home for holidays and was upset over something and Sarasa comes out with “don’t worry, be happy” to my daughter’s amusement.
Soon it was time to part ways. Sarasa was getting married to one of Latlitha’s relative’s son who had fallen in love with the new, well behaved, well dressed Sarasa. Sarasa while she worked with me had put away a part of her salary with which she was able to buy herself a gold chain and two bangles and with the little money left over, she bought me a small porcelain doll, as a show piece which I treasure to this day. My last memory of Sarasa is when she was all decked up on her wedding ,when I last saw her in her new gold bangles and chain and the earring, I gave her for her wedding, bending down to take my blessings
That is how Sarasa came into our lives. I think it was a turning point in Sarasa’s life. My first assignment was to make the girl presentable. She looked like an unkempt gypsy whose hair had not experienced a comb in many years.
I gave her soap , shampoo , comb, clothes and the extra wash room at home .Her first job every morning was to use the washroom , have a proper bath and see that she was clean and tidy. Within a week people were complimenting her on her appearance, which was a great motivator for her. All the praise, the fact that there were no battles with her step mom, and the Sunday English classes, changed Sarasa to an unbelievable extent. She was no longer the ruffian child she used to be, for one she looked good, even started speaking in more refined way, her whole disposition underwent a change. She was literally a different Sarasa. Gone was the defiant, uncouth, loud brat.
The girl had not seen the inside of a school but her native intelligence was amazing. She was curious about everything and learnt fast. She absorbed her Sunday English lessons with such speed that she could within months manage small sentences in spoken English. Though she could not read she would from the news paper leaflets put two and two together and be absolutely on the dot, on which shop in the neighborhood had a sale on which items. She was a raving fan of one of the local Tamil actor Vijay every photograph of his was cut from the papers and magazines and stored away very carefully.
She was a treat to watch, when I took her with me, to the local supermarket. Her excitement never abated even after a dozen trips. She would run counter to counter chattering loudly oblivious of the curious stares from other shoppers. If, I ever went to the store without Sarasa, I would have all the shop hands enquiring about her, they looked forward to her visits.
On one occasion, she stayed with me for a weekend when her family went to their village. She was quite upset they did not take her with them. To compensate, I took her that Sunday morning to the beach. The preparation for it started almost 48 hours ahead. It was like taking a 5 year old to the beach instead of a seventeen year old. I had my hands full, trying to get her not to go far into the water and get her to get out of the water, when it was time to return home. Passersby gave curious looks, they probably wondered whether she was underdeveloped, not knowing this was a seventeen year olds first outing to a beach.
By the time Sarasa was with me for couple of years she would insist on speaking English, if she could manage it. Some of the phrases she used surprised me, for I do not recall teaching her, but she had picked it up from somewhere, probably from the TV. Once my daughter was home for holidays and was upset over something and Sarasa comes out with “don’t worry, be happy” to my daughter’s amusement.
Soon it was time to part ways. Sarasa was getting married to one of Latlitha’s relative’s son who had fallen in love with the new, well behaved, well dressed Sarasa. Sarasa while she worked with me had put away a part of her salary with which she was able to buy herself a gold chain and two bangles and with the little money left over, she bought me a small porcelain doll, as a show piece which I treasure to this day. My last memory of Sarasa is when she was all decked up on her wedding ,when I last saw her in her new gold bangles and chain and the earring, I gave her for her wedding, bending down to take my blessings
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