Ju is a young girl who lives with her mother. Her father had been killed in a tragic accident a few years ago. Her mother is a domestic help and so many of the things that Ju uses- textbooks, school bags, lunch box and umbrellas- are second- hand. However, Ju looks after all her things well and is a cheerful and practical girl. Read on to find out more about her life.
Ju never thought of the gifts she received as being old. They were entering her life for the first time and therefore, they were brand new as far as he was concerned.She felt as if she were good at making new friends. That was why she did not cross out the names of the original owners of the books before writing her own name, which was PR Manju Ramu Poomarathil. Ramu was her father's name. Poomarathil was her family name meaning ' upon the flowering tree'. This year, Manju was moving up to Class VIII, Division B.
Everyone called her Ju because that's how her mother called her. Ju thought her mother rationed her name too, like she did rice, dal, salt, soap, oil and so on.
In any case, she loved being called Ju because most people remembered it easily. There were some people who asked her if it was a Hindu, Christian or Muslim and she replied, " It's just a name".
Of course, there were size problems with the old dresses. Skirts were too tight or too long and blouses were too large or too short. But Madhu, Ju's mother, would beg Ali with whom Ju's father had shared work, to alter them to suit Ju.
One day, Ju was surprised when an old lady she knew stopped her in the street, calling out to her,"Lisie!" The old lady had mistaken Ju for her grand-daughter.
When she found it was Ju, she embraced her and said happily, " Of course! Of course! My eyesight isn't what it used to be. You're Madhu's daughter l. You look so much like my grand-daughter Lisie in that dress!"
Ju told her," Grandmother, I'm wearing Lisie's dress."
"Oh! Oh!" the old lady said and gazed at Ju. Then she took Ju's hands in hers and said, "God bless you! You're a beautiful girl!"
Ju asked her, "Grandmother, should I walk with you to the church?"
"No, no. I'm alright," she replied and slowly continued on her way, taking a look at everything and occasionally peering at a passer-by. Ju stood there wondering why Lisie's grandmother had called her beautiful. Nobody had called her that before.
Ju always found little keepsakes of the previous owners sleeping in the pages of the books her mother bought.l
There were pictures of filmstars, of football and cricket players, of singers, and of gods and goddesses, dried flowers, peacock feathers, sometimes a little poem, and sometimes a prayer.
Once, Ju found a butterfly pressed between the pages of her geography textbook, dried-up, brittle and forlorn. Some dust of its wings' colors had rubbed off on the pages as if that was the last thing the butterfly had to give before folding them up forever.
Then there were postage stamps. Each stamp was like a mystery speaking silently to her. She had never received a letter in her life. She had watched the postman passing their home and dreamt about his stepping into their yard with a letter in his hand. Not had she or her mother written a letter. They had never bought a postal envelope, inland letter, postcard or stamp. Sometimes she found unused stamps. But Ju couldn't think of using them to write to anybody but her father. But she knew he had no address. Dead people have no address.
As usual, before school reopened, her mother had started bringing home books and dresses. And Madhu was so proud of Ju's moving up that when she took Ju and Ali to alter the old dresse, she couldn't wait till he began a conversation, and announced to him proudly, " Do you know, Ali? Ju is entering high school this year !"
Ali looked at Ju with kindly eyes, smiled and said, "Of course, we'll ake sure that Ju has the best dresses for high school."
When the other customers had gone and Madhu had opened the bundle of old clothes, Ali got his measuring tape, nodded his head vigorously and said,
"Study well, young lady".
Ju couldn't believe that someone had called her 'young lady' and a way of joy filled her. The Ali said, " Ju's mother, this is Ramu's daughter and Ramu has been taken from us. Let me give Ramu's daughter a small present."
Ju stood staring at Ali, her mother and the fabrics with disbelief. She was so surprised and happy she could dance.
Ali's gift of new dresses came the day before the reopening of the school. As Madhu held each dress against Ju's body, smiling and nodding her head, Ju breathed in the delicious scent of new clothes.
-Richard_Flaming543
