Page 17 - TEARS OF SUFFERING

TEARS OF SUFFERING

they waved at each other until they could see no more. It
was a poignant moment.

Wangmo recollected everything that had happened on
that parting time. After a long state of reminiscence,
Wangmo felt bitter and sympathized with her late sister
for the hard times she had endured all alone. She found
it hard to believe in fate.

A few minutes later, they arrived home. It was a small hut
with a few rugs hung behind the door of a smoke-filled
room. Ugyen was sitting beside the hearth. He looked at
Wangmo while poking the ashes with the tongs. There
was nothing except a tiny butter lamp that flickered in a
small altar near the window. Only the memory of her
sister lingered. She could hear the voice of her long-
separated sister echo in her heart. The more she
hallucinated, the more she felt emotional. She broke into
tears. Her mourning even moved the stone-hearted
husband, who also melted into tears. Neighbours
converged to help Wangmo mourn for her sister, but she
was not moved by their crocodile tears.

After the last funeral rite, Wangmo returned to Thimphu
with her nephew, Ugyen. Wangmo and her husband send
him to school. Ugyen had everything a boy of his age
needed. He was in Elysium. He went to school with his
two cousins. He had a new school dress, a brand new pair
of naughty-boy shoes and a gorgeous bag he never had
in the village school. The hospitality of his maternal

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