Belonging by Umi Sinha Read Free Book Online

taking me to church. I don’t know what Father said to him but he seemed very cross when he left. Afterwards Father asked me if I would like to go to church and I said no.But today, when Aunt Mina asked Father whether we would be attending Sunday service with her tomorrow, he said yes. Afterwards Kishan Lal told me this was the first sign. ‘First sign of what?’ I asked, but he just shook his head. Why will no one ever tell me anything?
26th December 1868
    I haven’t seen Mohan and Ali once since Aunt Mina arrived. She is always finding something to keep me occupied. She says prayers every morning and evening and we have been to church three times since she has been here – once on Sunday, to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and again yesterday morning. When she first came she wanted the whole household to be present for morning and evening prayers, as she says they are at Home, but Father said the servants are not Christians, and he has no intention of trying to convert them, and he forbade her to try do so. I could tell she didn’t like it but she didn’t say anything, so I asked him to speak to her about Mohan and Ali, but he just smiled and said, ‘Softly, softly, catchee monkey, Henry.’ I asked Mr. Mukherjee what it means but he doesn’t know.
    Church is not as I imagined it. I knew it would not be like the pujas that the sepoys do on feast days, but I did not know there would be so much talking and singing. It’s quite boring but Mr. Mukherjee says I should try to listen as it will help my Latin.
    Father is being very nice to Aunt Mina, so he must like her. He has called on all the important mems in the cantonment with her and even takes tea with them when they come here if he is not at the Lines. He has told Kishan Lal that Aunt Minais now the mem and must be obeyed. Kishan Lal calls her ‘the Great She-Elephant’ and mutters under his breath whenever she asks him to do something. She has changed our food to chops, pies and cutlets, like the other English families eat, and tea is now served with lemon, instead of with milk and sugar and spices as Father and I like it.
    For Christmas we had roast chicken and roast potatoes and red cabbage. Aunt Mina supervised the cooking and Allahyar sulked, but I thought it was nice to spend Christmas at home like other people and not at the Club. Afterwards we played cards and I wondered if this was how it would be if Mother were alive.
6th January 1869
    It’s very late now and I have lots to write before I forget. Something queer happened tonight. Father and Aunt Mina were invited to an Epiphany dinner at the chaplain’s house to celebrate the arrival of the three kings. I thought at first they meant three real kings till Father explained. Kishan Lal was very gloomy when he heard they were going together because Father never accepts invitations. He said that soon Father will be completely under her spell and that we need to keep an eye on them. And he was right, because when Father came in to say goodnight he brought Aunt Mina too. He was wearing his evening clothes and looked very smart and Aunt Mina was wearing a shiny mauve dress and jewellery. As they left I heard him warn her not to expect too much as it would be an indifferent dinner, followed by maudlin songs performed by members of the Fishing Fleet hoping to ensnare a husband.
    After they had gone I got dressed and followed them. I got past our chowkidar easily – I knew once the trap was outof sight he would go and collect his dinner from the kitchen and the gate would be unguarded. I wasn’t sure how I’d get past the chaplain’s chowkidar but when I arrived he was standing outside the gate talking to our syce, so I slipped past without them noticing. By the time I reached an open sitting room window the guests had already gone in to dinner so I hid in the flowerbed behind a raat-ki-rani bush and waited. They took ages to eat dinner and I was almost asleep when I heard the ladies coming back. Aunt Mina