After lunch, we climbed gamely back onto our camels and headed out into the vast desert. We ambled along watching antelope lope by, counting different types of plants, but mostly trying to stay on our camels as they swerved time and again into shrubs and trees to knock the increasing number of flies off their bodies. Tanya, you might recall, was one with Raju, so the swerving did not seem to bother her. Badel and I, on the other hand, had a few disagreements about how much swerving was acceptable.
Some time in the late afternoon, a house, or more accurately a compound, appeared out of nowhere and we veered toward it. No explanation was offered, so we sort of assumed this would be our "hotel" for the night. It was actually a village farm that belonged to one of Durga's distant relatives. In India, everyone is a brother or an uncle or a cousin, or an auntie, so it is impossible to sort out true relationships. No matter. The place belonged to someone Durga knows.
We were given a tour of the complex: the orignal mud home built some time before the birth of Christ if I understood correctly; the cement home added some five years ago; the village water tank supplied and filled by the government; the goat pen etc etc.
In the midst of our tour, I heard an unholy shriek. It seemed to be coming from MS2. I looked at her and followed her eyes to a giant rat running around the courtyard. I turned back to our guide, pretending that I had heard no shriek. But then MS2 transported herself, Startrek fashion, to the otherside of the courtyard. A dance of sorts ensued. The rat ran toward MS2 and MS2 made a squeak and transported herself to another corner of the courtroom. Meanwhile, Durga is observing this behavior with a perplexed expression on his face. I tried to engage him in a conversation about Indian politics, but he can't take his eyes off MS2 and her strange antics. Oh, and every time MS2 passes by my ear, she hisses, "I am *NOT* staying here!"
Fortunately, the rat eventually ran out of the courtyard and even more fortunately, I guess, Durga ordered us back on our camels.
End of Part 2
MS1
Some time in the late afternoon, a house, or more accurately a compound, appeared out of nowhere and we veered toward it. No explanation was offered, so we sort of assumed this would be our "hotel" for the night. It was actually a village farm that belonged to one of Durga's distant relatives. In India, everyone is a brother or an uncle or a cousin, or an auntie, so it is impossible to sort out true relationships. No matter. The place belonged to someone Durga knows.
We were given a tour of the complex: the orignal mud home built some time before the birth of Christ if I understood correctly; the cement home added some five years ago; the village water tank supplied and filled by the government; the goat pen etc etc.
In the midst of our tour, I heard an unholy shriek. It seemed to be coming from MS2. I looked at her and followed her eyes to a giant rat running around the courtyard. I turned back to our guide, pretending that I had heard no shriek. But then MS2 transported herself, Startrek fashion, to the otherside of the courtyard. A dance of sorts ensued. The rat ran toward MS2 and MS2 made a squeak and transported herself to another corner of the courtroom. Meanwhile, Durga is observing this behavior with a perplexed expression on his face. I tried to engage him in a conversation about Indian politics, but he can't take his eyes off MS2 and her strange antics. Oh, and every time MS2 passes by my ear, she hisses, "I am *NOT* staying here!"
Fortunately, the rat eventually ran out of the courtyard and even more fortunately, I guess, Durga ordered us back on our camels.
End of Part 2
MS1
Boy, T3 hissing?????? Was it like the Exorcist's hissing? I know it wasn't snakelike hissing, but it easily could have been her Bene Gesserit "I command you to die" voice.
ReplyDeleteT3/aka M2 does NOT, repeat NOT, like rats (or spiders or cockroaches but mainly NO rats).
Hopefully the rats maintained their healthy fear of T3. Taya & Tolar guard our household against rats.
I'm betting that T3 wouldn't keep it if you gave her a pet white rat.
Didn't know that she let others see her teleport - I thought I was the special one who know.
Now I have to rethink her Xmess present. :p
ReplyDeleteRats are not good bedfellows, I think Tanya is right for teleporting.
ReplyDeletevery droll reportage, MS1. I can't wait for part 3. I assume you are out of Thar and are There, wherever that is.
ReplyDelete