A Box for a Suitcase

Last November I left US for a home visit. While there I changed my plan. Instead of coming back to Houston, I came to Charlottesville to live. I needed my clothes, shoes and other stuff lying at (my son) S’s home. Earlier he had sent two of my suitcases via post. That cost a hundred and six bucks. S had not checked the suitcases. One of them was empty except for a long coat. Thank God I got the coat. It was freezing, and I was thinking of rushing to a shop to buy one, and it came handy. Houston is a warm place, and I had left wearing summer clothes.

I still needed to get my things, and empty my locker at a bank. I flew to Houston on 11th April. S had brought my stuff to the hotel room. Obviously I couldn’t carry them all back with me. I sorted them into three piles. One were things I needed more. The second one was left for another trip, either S was coming for a visit, or I made another visit later in the year. The third one was a give away.

Back at Charlottesville airport at midnight the next day, we (fellow travelers) were waiting at baggage area for our luggage. An inquisitive lady couldn’t stop herself from asking me, “Why the boxes, and what’s in them?”

I explained, “I didn’t want to spend extra money on taking suitcases with me while I was going. I am using the boxes to bring my things back”.

She gave me a thumbs up sign, and said, “Good idea!”

 

DAILY PROMPT

Suitcase

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.

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Unfulfilled Dreams

Farida was an orphan, living with her brother, and his wife. From morning to night, she remained busy with the house chores, and the looking after her small nephew. She was the one who had to look after the baby while her sister-in-law had her un-interrupted sleep at night.

She was betrothed to her uncle’s son Hanif, who had migrated to the US, years before. How the chap was persuaded to come for marriage, that’s another story.

Finally the day of her marriage came. The few people who constituted her marriage party were her brother, sister-in-law, the groom, and his parents. After the Nikah ceremony the bride, and the groom spent their wedding night in a hotel.

After a ten days stay, the groom went back leaving his wife with his parents. Time passed slowly for Farida. Her mother-in-law made her work from morning till night. Her marriage had only changed her place of work. She was an unpaid servant in her uncle’s home.

Meanwhile her letters to her husband remained unanswered.

Farida decided to go, and be with her husband. There was the question of airfare. She sold her share of property for a meager sum to her brother.

There was no one waiting for her at JFK. Her fellow travelers (a husband, and wife) felt sorry for her predicament, and asked her to leave with them. She was torn in two — which step to take? Remain at the airport, or go with them. She decided to trust them, and left with them.

The couple located Hanif, and asked him to come, and get his wife. Once inside her husband’s apartment, Farida got brutal slaps, and kicks as her welcome. She was told that he hadn’t ask her to come, and she had to leave the next day. He was afraid if his American wife found out about his second marriage he would have hell to pay.

The next day she was put on the plane to go back the way she had come.

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Coming Here

This month I remained busy with tying up odds and ends at home. Actually I was coming to US to spend time with my son and grand children. My younger grandchild IB was very much excited and kept asking his father, as to when his Dado will come. He drove his father up the wall with his questioning. IB was there at the airport along with his father. Both had to wait one and a half hour for me to emerge out finally. I was exhausted with the long journey and the long wait in line for the immigration. There were few booths open and the Aliens were far too many.

Whenever I come to US I feel I have arrived home. The people are extremely nice and they are always smiling. You always feel welcome here. The trees and the greenery are another lovely sight to behold. I simply love it here, although I do get a lot of discreet stares which I try to ignore.

Reaching my son’s home my daughter in law in her own way to welcome me, had prepared a lot of dishes. There was quite a spread on the dining table. Later on I went up to the room which they had assigned to me. IB joined me after sometime. He brought out his wallet. It had three dollars in it. He took out one dollar from it and put it in my hand. “Here, Dado take this. You will need to buy something for yourself.” It brought tears to my eyes over his generosity to share what he had.