A Lady By Birth

The rising sun -

On a warm, summer morning, the sun stretched lazily as a mother experienced her first contractions. The nearest medical care was miles away and there was very little time. The little person inside the mother’s womb was eager to enter the world. The bullock cart on the rugged road was not helping either. The mother cried out with pain with each bump on the road. The treacherous journey to the shack, equipped only with the bare essentials for childbirth came to an end. The mother, after a grueling three hours of labor, gave birth to a baby girl who was surprisingly chubby, considering she was born to a poverty stricken family of five.

Lady of the house -

Lakshmi was a shy but confident young girl. As the first girl child in the family, she was adored by her father and older brothers. Her mother, being frail and weak, was malnourished and burdened by multiple child births. As was typical for the times they lived in, she had no say in the number of babies she was willing to bear or in any important family matters. Lakshmi, never an accomplice to such injustices, always stood up for her mother in every possible way she could. She cooked, washed clothes, cleaned the house and took care of three younger siblings who came right after her. She was the lady of the house even as a young girl.

Elusive Happiness -

Life in the remote South Indian village was hard. One pair of tattered clothes, not enough food to eat and the nearest school five miles away. Shoes were for the rich, going barefoot was all they had ever known. Yet the children never once complained, because the situation was quite common among other families. Lakshmi was now a young girl of age nine. She had grown into a very mature child who took care of everyone’s needs. She sacrificed her needs to ensure the siblings were cared for. She was not only hardworking but a very intelligent girl. She tutored her rich but not-so-smart friends. That brought in some extra income to the family as the father struggled to make ends meet. Lakshmi was all too aware of the injustice in her life. Although she gave up a lot to make everyone’s life better in the name of service to others, the burden of service weighed down on her at every step. She was always content, but never truly happy. There was a lingering sadness in everything and followed her well into her adulthood. Her only solace was her bed of roses in her beautiful garden.

Match made on earth -

Marriage was not desired but inevitable. Lakshmi’s marriage was arranged not to the most eligible bachelor in town but to the first person who gave his consent to marry her. Bidding farewell to her beloved family was not the hardest part, the future in her in-laws’ cramped home was. She saw no hope as she moved from one needy family to another. As always, she rose to the occasion. Her husband was kind, but incompetent. It was just too easy for him to depend on a confident young woman who made it all happen. Yet, an unconditional love blossomed between them. It was not a perfect match made in heaven, but a planned companionship for life. Nature took course and gave them two beautiful children whom she adored. But life around the house was a whole other story. Poverty was still the status quo with many mouths to feed. Life wasn’t getting any easier on her.

The man of the house -

Lakshmi couldn't help but see how hopeless everything around her was. Nothing had changed between her childhood and her kids’. Their worn out clothes reminded her time and again that she hadn’t yet made it in life. She could hide in self pity and give into her feelings. But she did just the opposite. She woke up in the wee hours of the morning, cooked for her large family, got dressed and went to work - all before anyone else awoke. She became the man her husband could never be. Even in all of these, she didn’t stop serving others. She made time for her kids, her husband, her job and her household duties. She kept a clean, beautiful home and always placed a vase of fragrant flowers from her garden.

In the middle of nowhere -

Mid-life did not show her any mercy either. She now found herself in the middle of chaos, with her children still needing her while the health of the older members of the family deteriorated. She played the part of a homemaker, a breadwinner, and a caretaker. Life threw curve balls at her, but she kicked each one of them with equal force. Money was scarce but problems galore. She did it all without tiring. She kept everyone afloat. She held on.

The setting sun -

The kids were all grown up and out of her cocoon with their own families. Her husband and her settled into a monotonous relationship but an unspoken love still lingered. Life was never quiet for Lakshmi, but there was an unusual calmness around her now. She ignored the unsettling feeling aside and went on with her duties. Just as she thought, she finally was over the worst, her husband unexpectedly became ill from an undiagnosed condition. He was now weakened and bedridden as she did everything within her power to get the best help he needed. She spent most of her savings on his hospital bills. She cared for him at every moment until the day he took his last breath. His untimely death shook her to her very core but she did not shed a tear. Her last and her only companion had left her behind. Numb from the many hardships, her heart had now turned to stone. There were no more feelings left to feel. There were no more tears left to shed. She was alone in this lonely world. She stared at his lifeless body with an emptiness in her soul. With an emotionless face, Lakshmi stood up and went on to arrange her beautiful flowers in the vase.

After all, she was the lady of the house.