Milagrin Kazar zata kit ghô

 

The peace of the quiet morning is shattered by a piercing whistle; Milagrina already late for work looks around and sees JaqShimão on his bike, grinning widely...

‘O Milagrin, bor mhughô, kamam oita kitt ghô?’  

(Hello Milagrin, how are you? Going to work, are you?)

 

‘Arré JaqShimão, oi, kamam oit mhurê. Tughem khit rhê, dixti ponna murhê?’

(Yes, JaqShimão, yes I am going to work. And you not to be seen)

 

‘Oi, kamam oit mughô? Anv Santan Carpinterabhoglek ass mughô’

(Yes I too am going to work; I am working with Santan Carpenter)

 

‘Aikna tôr tum! Kadde hapri zato murhê oir rabrabonu!’

(You don’t say! Staying up on the roof you will be as black as a Black man)

 

‘Aghô, pixea, anv sokoll norré zattam mughô, anv oir osnam!’

(You mad girl, I stay down dusting the tiles, and I do not go on the roof)

 

‘Mak dissolem tum vhodló carpenter zal mhunonu’

(I thought you were a renowned carpenter by now)

 

‘Nam ghô!’ JaqShimão laughs loudly…’

(No way!)

 

‘Tuk Santan thó chamthó, kittu dit rhê?’

(That miser Santan, how much does he pay you?)

 

‘Aghô mak thó atxim ditta’

(He pays me eight hundred)

 

‘Anni Carpenter, kittu zoddtai rhê?’

(And the carpenters how much do they earn?)

 

‘Baharaíxim!’

(Twelve hundred)

 

‘Avois, kesso rhê thó, doddirhô, ordinar’

(What type of ordinary, dirty person is he?)

 

 

‘Zaun, assdhi, tughem Casa Portuguesa khex chollota? Bór chollota mughô?’

(That’s ok, how is your Casa Portuguesa? everything fine no?)

 

‘Chollota rhê, deva kurpen!’ ‘Choll, JaqShimão mak uggot zata’

(Going on, by God’s grace, Ok JaqShimão, I am getting late)

 

Milagrin, however makes no mention of Gabru’s intense dislike for her, always referring to her father, now dead, as ‘thô Peddó - the grave digger’.

Actually her Father had been a respected coconut plucker, a well-regarded job in a village, but an accident had left his leg incapacitated… Of course he could work at other jobs but his coconut plucking days were over.

Oh! How he missed those days…Landowners pleading with him,

‘Arrê Rosar, amghem keddom khot rhê…?’ (Hey Rosar, when are you going to pluck our coconuts?)

 And he with bravado, ‘Choia rhê…’ Kam chodd pollam’ (…’Let’s see, too much work’)

 

His swagger, his strong well tanned body sliding up and down the coconut trunks and his wife bragging about how handsome he was… And he was very handsome!

His songs, more of a ditty, up amongst the palm fronds, criticizing the landowners, singing bawdy songs about his fellow padekars…What would he not give to be back high up on a palm tree, sometimes he had such vivid dreams of his life up there amongst the palm leaves…

Slowly and out of deep frustration he started drinking at Joãoaghelli gaddi João’s tavern)…Just before being paralysed and bed ridden he had begun digging graves, the lowest of the lowest job in a village.

Gabru was malicious, terribly snide, the only thing he remembered were Rosar’s grave digging days…never once did he remember his days as a padekar… Although, Rosar had been Gabru’s padekar for a long time.

That hurt the family, but times were terrible and the job at Gabru’s house was good because of Margarid bai who treated Milagrin with love and affection.

‘Aghô, Milagrin, picturak ieai mughô…’ ‘Arré, ieai murhê, borem Saturday ieai, tuk anv Kopllakore meddtam!

(Milagrin, let us go to a picture, Let’s! On Saturday? Meet me near the Chapel)

 

‘Done’

Milagrina, hurries to the house of Gabriel Sá de Miranda where she works…Gabru has already seen her when she is at the Chapel…

‘Maldita mulher, não sabe respeitar as pessoas…Quem é que ela julga que é?’

O pai dela, ..,.um bêbado a beber o seu salário no gaddi de Juanv, escavava covas no cemitério, a mãe, ganha a vida a trabalhando nas casas dos outros…

Gente pobre deve ser humilde, más não!!…Esta mulher sempre com o seu, Gabru Bab…Gabru Bab, e aquele Good Morning!

Mas certo é que a Mãe, Isabel e o bêbado pai sabiam respeitar , nunca lhe chamavam Baba, sempre Barkara.

(Stupid woman, does not know how to respect people…Who does she think she is? Her Father, a drunkard, drinking away his wages in Juanv’s tavern, used to dig graves in the cemetery, the Mother who earns a living working at other people’s houses…Poor people should be humble, but no!!...This woman always with her, Gabru Bab…Gabru Bab, and that darned Good Morning!Truth is, her Mother, Isabel and the drunkard Father knew how to respect, they never called him Baba, always Barkara)

Sabiam como respeitar, pessoas duma casta superior.

(They knew how to respect people of a superior caste)

 

‘Gabru Baba, Gabru Baba Good Morning!’

 ‘Aghô, Milagrin, mak tum Baba kiteak mhunt ghô?’

(Milagrin, why do you call me Baba?)

 

Milagrina is totally taken aback, what’s this old coot talking about? So totally bewildered…‘Tum Gabru Bab nim?’(Are you not Gabru Bab?)

‘Oi ghô, matt anv Gabriel Barkar, tuk tughê main kaim xikoilo nam ghô!’

(Yes, yes I am, but I am Gabru Barkar, your Mother never taught you anything?)

 

‘Borem, borem…’ (Okay, okay)

Sick and tired of this cantankerous old man. Never happy always whining about the good old days when life seems to have been a Paradise of ‘no theft, windows and doors could be left open, wide open and no one would have dared rob anything, because there was fear of the Portuguese police and there was honesty…’

That cantankerous old wretch could go on and on, ‘about the good old days’ and sing those interminable Portuguese songs, ‘Encosta tua cabecinha…’, truth be told Margarid bai was also of the opinion that the good old days were paradise…

Treating her with utter disdain, so what if she was poor and did not belong to his caste, did she not merit any respect.

If it had not been for Margarid bai, she would have left this house a long time ago. Margaridbai, was fun, teasing her, advising her about her clothes, they discussed their lives when they had tea together.

Milagrin knew that the old codger hated when she and Margaridbai had tea together, he said a lot of things, respect was one of them, and she understood that. But MargaridBai stood her ground and the tea sessions continued with much laughter…Whilst in the balcão the old wretch was ‘rangendo os dentes’ (gritting his yellowing teeth)

Come Saturday and Milagrina stood at the Koppel waiting for JaqShimão, wearing her pink salwar over brown tights, she did look nice.

JaqShimão arrives on his rattfatti motor bike. Milagrin hops on it and away they go…

‘Kessom picture rhê JaqShimão, kesso mar poddla rhê thé choraku’

(What a film JaqShimão, what a beating, the thief got)

 

‘Choram marru podpacho, teghê tennem poixe chollonaim ghô?

(Thieves should get a good beating, didn’t he rob his money?’)

 

‘Oi rhê, matt kesso mar, rogot vanvtalem? Mak murhê tegelle churchurhê dissolem…’

(I agree, but what a beating, blood was flowing, do you know I felt sorry for him)

 

‘Tum kit gho, pix zallam, chora churchurhê?’

(Are you mad? Pitying the thief?)

 

‘Tej padd poddum, att sang ghô, tuk haupa kit zaiem?’

(Go to hell with him; now tell me, what do you want to eat?’

 

‘Bombay Café borem…’

(Bombay Café is good?)

 

‘Kit kathollem?’

(What do you want to eat?)

 

‘Arrê cutlet panv, tej barbor salad ditai murhê ani ek chav.’

(Cutlet bread, they give some salad with it too and a tea’)

 

‘Waiter don plate cutlet panv lau rhê, aur don chau!’ JaqShimão says with great panache.

(Waiter get two plates of cutlet bread and two teas)

 

‘Muj maim, tum Hindi uloit murhê…Avois!’

(Holy Mother, you speak Hindi JaqShimão? Holy Mother!)

 

‘Matxi, matxi anv Bombay asta mughô!’

(A little bit, here and there, I was in Bombay for a while)

 

 

A shrill whistle rents the air…

‘Arré JaqShimão, tum murhê…’

(Hi, JaqShimão it is you…)

 

‘Aghô Milagrin , ek sang ghô maka, tuk konnem choilam mughô… Tum Lesteraghelle baikacher zum, zum konn ghellolem?’

(Milagrin, tell me something, somebody saw you…You went off on Lester’s mobike, zum, zum)

 

‘Arré JaqShimão, thó atam eila botir sonn, sang rhé tum nenno thé tollea bandhar kesso ott hatta…Ten muddlem…’coming Milagrin’

(Oh JaqShimão, he has just come down from his ship, tell me now, don’t you know how very hot it is on the Tollem Bandh…He said, ‘coming Milagrin’?)

 

Anvem soddsorit muddlem , ‘yes, yes coming’…Anni, teghelli bike, foreign murhê, zum, zum konn oita! Kittu fast rhê!

(I immediately said, yes, yes, coming’ and his bike is a foreign one it just goes zum, zum so very fast)

 

Jaqshimão could hear no more…

Slowly more and more rumours started flowing past JaqShimão’s ears.

‘Aghô Milagrin, tum Modgovam Lesterabarbor dishti pollolem…’

(Milagrin you were seen in Margão with Lester!)

 

‘Arré JaqShimão, Lester mhunpa lagolo, Milagrin coming for picture?’

(Lester said, Milagrin coming for a picture?)

 

‘Anvem oi mhunlem, kesso picture rhê JaqShimão’ a love story…’

(I agreed, what a picture JaqShimão, a love story)

 

Lesteran mak mhunllem ‘want to have a bite Milagrin?’

(Lester said, want to have a bite Milagrin?)

 

‘Bite? Bite kit rhê Lester,…Kesso smile uddoilo rhê tennem, Milagrina do you want to eat something?’

(Bite?, bite? What’s a bite Lester?...What a smile he gave me, Milagrina do you want to eat something?)

 

‘Thô kit ghô inglishu ulloita?’

(So does he speak only English then…?)

 

‘Tek murhê JaqShimão botir suoim zallea, guestamkore inglish uloipachi’

(You know JaqShimão, he has gotten used to speaking English to the passengers on the ship”)

 

Anvem muddle yes ‘cutlet pav’

(‘Then I said, cutlet pav’)

 

‘Kutlet pav? No, no we will eat something better…’

 

‘Maghir murhê JaqShimão ammi Kolvea rosteacher chicken khailem…Kesso lagota…’

(Then you know JaqShimão, we went to the road leading to Colva and ate chicken, how delicious it was…’)

 

Over the days, rumours floated, carpenters told JaqShimão about Milagrin being seen with Lester frequently…

JaqShimão tried his best to corner her on her way to Gabru Bakar’s house, he went early, he went late…

There was no Milagrin, he would have asked Margaridbai, but that cantankerous old Gabru was always sitting in his balcão, looked like the old crackpot lived in that balcão, snoozing in that armchair, his coffee, his soup being served there.

Hateful, rude man…Bakar…Living in times when everyone had been poor…

 

And then one day, Xavier who always was kind said… ‘JaqShimão tum oss naka tek sodpak, ten Lesterabarbor sokkanimchem Gabru Babaguer oita. Lester soddam tek paoita’

(JaqShimão do not go in search of her, she goes to Gabru Bab’s house early in the morning, Lester drops her everyday)

 

JaqShimão’s heart broke… He was a zombie at work… 

That evening JaqShimão returned home in a sad and pensive mood.

‘Kit zall  rhê JaqShimão, dhukest lagott murhê…’

(What’s happened JaqShimão, you look sad…)

 

‘Khaim nhi ghê…’

(Nothing Mother…’)

 

After the Rosary and during dinner which seemed to be very silent because usually JaqShimão regaled his mother with happenings of his day. How the miser Santan treated everybody, the long hours at work…The eight hundred rupees given to him whilst Santan pocketed the remaining four hundred! All this was absent…

 

‘Kitt zalam rhê baba?’ Asked the Mother

(What’s happened, my son?)

 

‘Maim tukkhole anv ek favor magotam, Milagrinager voss anni teghe maink sang anv tecko cazar zaupa sodditam nhunnon.’

(Mother I am going to ask you a favour, go to Milagrin’s house and tell her Mother that I want to marry her’)

 

Now, JaqShimão’s Mother Isabel knew about her son’s deep affection for Milagrin and she too liked her a lot. But she realized that they were all poor and Lester had shown Milagrin, so many good things, fed her wonderful things…

‘Oh gharan, oh gharan, konn nhaim ghô?’

(Hello, hello, anybody there)

 

‘Konnu ghô? Aghô tum ghô? Isabel?’

(Who is there? Oh it is you Isabel)

 

‘Bormughô Esmerald?’

(You are fine no Esmerald?)

 

‘Oi ghô…’

(‘Yes I am…)

 

Isabel talks for a while and then dives in straight to the issue…

‘Aghô mughe cheddo JaqShimão tughe chedvakore kazar zaupap soddita mughô’

(My son JaqShimão, wants to marry your daughter’)

Esmerald, Milagrin’s Mother keeps quiet for a long time…

‘JaqShimão bhoro burgho, bangar cheddo pun…’

(JaqShimão is a very good boy, heart of gold, but…)

 

‘Oi anv zan ghô tekkodhe chodd poixé nai munnon…’

(Yes I know he does not have much money…)

 

‘Mak zahalollem tennem Milagrinakoddé kazar zaupachem…Mat teghê mon boldolam… Tek thô Lester mell mughô…’

(I wanted, continues Milagrin’s Mother that Milagrin should marry him, but her mind has changed…She has met that Lester now…)

 

‘Oi ani Lesterakodde borrhe poixe hai ...’

(And yes, Lester has a great deal of money…)

 

‘Texkhonn nighô Isabel…Amkodde khaim na mugho, ani thó Lester tekha ingha thingha borborem dakoita ani borborem khaoitha’

(It is isn’t that way…we do not have much, and Lester takes her here and there, shows her so many good things and feeds her so many things too’)

 

Isabel sighs deeply, she understands Milagrina perfectly, a chance to see things and most of all to eat foods she has never eaten before…stekbread., cutlish pav, fallooda, cold coffee, harabara chicken, things she can never afford to eat…

With a heavy heart she returns home…

 

 

Comments

  1. Another excellent one Sonia, love the way you negotiate the languages, your konkani ofcourse is delightful..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you very much. Really kind of you and I am very glad you enjoy my Konkani. Xasti Konkani!!

    ReplyDelete

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