faith in an act of desperation, hoping that changing to a Muslim name would do him more good than earlier re-namings, for example when untouchables were renamed "children of God". As a child of God in Chatnapatna he had not been permitted to draw water from the town well, because the touch of an outcaste would have polluted the drinking water. . Landless and, like Ayesha, an orphan, Osman earned his living as a clown. His bullock wore bright red paper cones over its horns and much tinselly drapery over its nose and back. He went from village to village performing an act, at and other celebrations, in which the bullock was his essential partner and foil, nodding in answer to his questions, one nod for no, twice for yes.
"Isn't this a nice village we've come to?" Osman would ask.
Boom, the bullock disagreed.
"It isn't? Oh yes it is. Look: aren't the people good?"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment