Yesterday, Alphonse, the auto rickshaw driver who takes me to and from school, took me to his home for lunch. His wife, brother-in- law, a son and his younger daughter, Grace, awaited. Elder daughter Joy, a school teacher, was out and about. Little brother Emmanuel was at church.
We zigzagged through the city to a street filled with people, goats and a cow, and then a labyrinthine apartment building before coming to Alphonse's place.Two rooms, both open to the elements as well asthe balcony/thoroughfares that wind around the perimeter of each floor. Women hang laundry on the roof. The toilet is a basic WC down the hall.
We sat on the floor and had spicy fish, sambar, a green bean/coconut concoction and a particular kind of short grain rice that costs 150 rupees per kilo, Alphonse said. I brought dessert - brownies.
Alphonse and his family
Grace with her roses on the balcony.
The family is Christian and belong to the nearby Rose of Sharon church, which offers services in Tamil, Telegu and English.
At my request, Alphonse sang a Tamil hymn with a bittersweet melody that sounded a bit like an old British or Scottish ballad. It was about all the animals in the forest coming together through the grace of God, Alphonse said.
Grace and her mother, who knows no English, and I chatted through the afternoon, while Alphonse and his son napped on the concrete floor. Then, I hopped into the auto rickshaw and Alphonse took me home.
Grace and her guest.
We zigzagged through the city to a street filled with people, goats and a cow, and then a labyrinthine apartment building before coming to Alphonse's place.Two rooms, both open to the elements as well asthe balcony/thoroughfares that wind around the perimeter of each floor. Women hang laundry on the roof. The toilet is a basic WC down the hall.
We sat on the floor and had spicy fish, sambar, a green bean/coconut concoction and a particular kind of short grain rice that costs 150 rupees per kilo, Alphonse said. I brought dessert - brownies.
Alphonse and his family
Grace is enchanting and speaks a tad of English. She greeted me with a big hug and later, after helping to serve lunch and clean up, she asked lots of questions, showed me family photographs, and the keepsakes in her diary, which was punctuated with English phrases and brimmed with photos of her classmates, friends, cousins, and favorite movie star.
Grace with her roses on the balcony.
The family is Christian and belong to the nearby Rose of Sharon church, which offers services in Tamil, Telegu and English.
At my request, Alphonse sang a Tamil hymn with a bittersweet melody that sounded a bit like an old British or Scottish ballad. It was about all the animals in the forest coming together through the grace of God, Alphonse said.
Grace and her mother, who knows no English, and I chatted through the afternoon, while Alphonse and his son napped on the concrete floor. Then, I hopped into the auto rickshaw and Alphonse took me home.
Grace and her guest.
You look absolutely beautiful in this photo, Stephanie. Spicy fish and brownies does you well!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was telling Tom that you must look so exotic and strange to all those brown, dark-haired people. Strange and lovely.
P.S. Grace is adorable! I love her dress.
What a remarkable day! I love these Alphonse and Stephanie stories!
ReplyDeleteMore tales of Alphonse to come!
ReplyDelete