The Pet, The Pest, and the Postcards

It was the shouting that attracted Minakshi. Walking home from school, she had to cross a big field. It was usually quiet when she crossed it. At 3 PM, most of the residents of the little village were having an afternoon nap.

But that afternoon, there seemed to be something happening there. At first she could hear only voices - then, as she hastened toward them, she could discern words.

"It's bad luck, it's bad luck!"

"Well, I don't care about bad luck later, I don't want to die now!"

"It won't kill you!"

Minakshi reached the huddle of villagers. Three pre-teen boys, one old lady and a five-year-old girl. All of them were brandishing big sticks - and they had surrounded -

"It's only a grass snake, it's harmless," Minakshi yelled, as soon as she caught sight of it.

"It'll bite," screamed one of the boys, aiming his stick at the snake.

"Don't kill it, it's bad luck," the old woman quavered.

"Listen. It's not going to kill anyone. Let me take it home."

"Take it home?"

Minakshi moved swiftly. Rather like a stage magician, she suddenly had the snake in her hands.

"Ahhhhh ..." gasped all the children, and the five year old waved her stick close to Minakshi's face. The old woman snatched the child's stick and threw it to the ground.

Minakshi didn't wait. She turned her back on the humans and marched home, her new pet in her hands.

Her parents weren't surprised. Minakshi was always bringing something or other home, and they were a family of animal lovers. Her strays were welcomed, and the snake was no exception.

Word spread in the village that the family had a snake. Some neighbours who earlier visited on a daily basis now began to avoid their house. Some villagers who hadn't much to do with them before now dropped by to see the new addition, and gossip about it.

"You're getting us to meet new people!" Minakshi laughed, as she fed her pet cottage cheese one day. Minakshi always found vegetarian substitutes for her pets' favourite foods, and somehow, they always ate them. "It has been years since Prema aunty came here, and she brought her sister-in-law, too, just to see you! Are you honoured?" The snake bit the cottage cheese and didn't deign to answer.

A press reporter from the next town heard of her snake, and Minakshi had her photo in The Maddur Daily. "See, you're famous. They've focused on you, not me."

The snake had been with them a month. Minakshi hadn't named it yet. "Is it a boy snake or a girl snake?" But she didn't know how to tell, and she didn't want her pet to be offended if she made a mistake. Anyway, the snake had been with them a month when another important visitor came to the house - the postman.

The family seldom received letters, and it was an event indeed. The postman was holding a postcard addressed to Minakshi's father. As was the custom, the postman read the contents of postcards aloud to the recipients. Minakshi and her family were all literate, but some of the villagers weren't, and now, Naidu simply read aloud everyone's postcards, without waiting to ask if they needed it or not.

"Coming to visit for three weeks," Naidu quoted from the card. "Need special diet of cabbages and potatoes. Love from Aunty Grishma."

"Cabbages and potatoes? We don't grow cabbages or potatoes. We'll have to buy them."

The family was in an uproar. Buy food? When they grew everything they needed? Spend their hard-earned money for a cranky old woman they didn't like? Some villagers, who had gathered around when they noticed the postman approaching, commiserated with the family. Some, who heard the gossip later, said that keeping a snake always brought some bad luck.

Minakshi's mother kept putting off going to the town to buy the required vegetables. She could NOT get herself to spend the money. And chances are, when she cooked them, her husband's aunt would criticise the preparation and grumble about how bad it was for her digestion.

Minakshi was perturbed, too. Aunty Grishma didn't believe in education for girls, and would tell her she ought to get married instead of doing sums. She didn't want to keep hearing that each time she got close to her grand-aunt.

And then ...

Naidu came again.

AGAIN? Twice in the same week? Now what?

"You didn't tell me you have a snake at home. Cancelling my visit. You won't have the honour of my presence in any house containing a reptile."

Minakshi allowed her snake to eat some little insects that evening. After all, a reward was called for. "Who rescued who?" she chuckled.