A lady got into the shared autorickshaw at Holi bazaar today. She heaved her bag in and then lifted each foot one by one to sit beside me.
A broad big-toothy smile.
“My knees ache” she said.
“I see.”
“I wake up at 3 a.m. every day.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and then I pray the rosary ten times. Being illiterate, I cannot read. But I know how to pray.”
I nodded.
“After prayers, I go to the Holi bazaar to sell vegetables. It’s good to be active, no? If I sit at home, I will lose my confidence. So, I drag these painful legs around and keep doing stuff.”
“That’s brave.”
A flash of a smile.
“My family is big with eight grandchildren. The eldest works in a hotel now. I am from the village of K and after marriage, I moved to the village of N. All is well in my family. I say a total of about twenty rosaries daily. That is the only thing I can do very well.”
I had to get off the autorickshaw at the post office.
“Ok, bye, I wish you well.”
“I will pray for you” she said and the autorickshaw whizzed past before her smile faded.
