Soothing the Heart of the Sea

Chapter Six

Yamuna went to the kitchen where her Papa was chopping vegetables and her Mama was correcting some books- she was a teacher at one of the college boats.

" Hey Una !",said her mother, looking up from her books as Yamuna put her bag on one of the kitchen chairs. Yamuna's parents were the only people who called her Una. When she was younger, she couldn't have pronounce her name properly.Every time she tried to say "Yamuna" only "Una" would come out and so ,it stuck.    

" Hi"

"What happened in school. today?",asked her father.

She closed her eyes as though trying to remember and said,

"Usual stuff, farming, Quile history, some science, oh and we had some lady come and talk to us about the sea".

"Oh...what did she say?",Papa inquired.

"Some mad stuff about the sea having feelings...I thought she was a total nut case."

Yamuna's parents looked at each other.

"Did you catch her name?"  asked Yamuna's mother.

"Er... she said it was Chameli", replied Yamuna," Why? Do you know her?"

Yamuna's parents did not reply.

"Papa?"

"I knew it",cursed her father.

"They are actually doing it...",said her mother, taking off her glasses and wiping them.

"Can somebody tell me what's going on?"

"What do we do?",asked Mama

"No idea", replied Papa,"We don't even know what they are going do next. I mean...Chameli might be just overexcited."

" I don't think so, I think they're serious", said Mama anxiously.

" Them? Who? What ? Why?", Yamuna was confused, why were her parents making such a big deal out of Miss Chameli? She could feel the questions burning holes on her mind but she knew she would have to wait until her parents stopped discussing.
She watched them quietly.

"Yamuna, can you please go to your room for a while?",said her mother suddenly, "Papa and I need to talk about something"

Yamuna gave Mama a strange look and quietly went out of the kitchen, leaving her bag on the chair.

She went into her cabin and lay down on her bed.To pass the time she decided to give a shot a reading a book, something she didn't normally do but since she didn't feel like jumping around she thought it was worth a try .She had borrowed a book from the C.A.S.T.A library some time ago. Yikes, she thought to herself, the return date was two weeks ago. The book was about a cat called Sandy. Sandy was a happy cat. She loved fish. Clearly this book was for little kids who were just learning to read. Wait , what? Sandy was experimented on by mad scientists who mutated her to grow gills and become a catfish? Not so much for little children. Yamuna shut the book and put it away. She looked around her room and decided to draw for a while. She took out a pencil and a drawing book and began sketching.

Halfway into drawing a cat fish, her tummy rumbled. She realized that she was hungry. She went back to the kitchen where her parents were still talking

"I can't believe --"

" Can we eat now?", Yamuna interrupted Mama.

Her parents blinked.

"Oh...Una! Gosh you must be hungry! We're so sorry", said Mama, putting her books aside, "Come, help set the table.

She took out three plates and bowls along with spoons .

After the table was set and the family began to eat, Yamuna took her chance.

" How do you guys know Miss Chameli?"

"Uh...Can you pass the potatoes please?", Papa asked.

" Please don't change the topic Papa, I'm serious", Yamuna pleaded.

Though Yamuna had not been interested in Miss Chameli's speech, she was still curious about how her parents knew about her and even more curious about what she was doing and why her parents were had such a heated discussion about it.

"It's really something we don't want to tall about Una",said Mama,"Please understand, its not something we want you to worry about."

Yamuna crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"We dont understand the situation completely either.We can't tell anyone until we're sure Una", said Papa

"Not even your own daughter?"

"I'm afraid not"

"Fine",said Yamuna angrily, forcefully poking her vegetables with her fork.

"Thank you for understanding",said Mama quietly.

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence. After helping clean up, Yamuna went to her cabin and flopped onto the bed.

It wasn't fair, she thought.

As she lay in her soft mattress, her anger deflated. There was no use being upset and wasting the rest of the evening. She got up and went to her parents cabin and knocked on the closed door before entering. "Can I go -"

" Yamuna, did Sundaram come to the school boat today?", Papa interrupted her.

Yamuna frowned." No, he didn't, why? What happened?"

Her parents looked at each other.

" Not this again! You have to tell me, he's my friend!"

Yamuna's parents and Sundaram's parents were close friends and Yamuna had known Sundaram for the longest of times.
Mama sighed," We just got as letter from his mother, Sundaram lost his memory. He woke up in the morning not remembe thing a thing, his name, his parents, nothing."
Yamuna gasped. What could have happened? Poor Sundaram! Then she frowned, " But why wouldn't Chitu tell us that?"
"He probably didn't know, his parents were quite shaken in the morning and I don't think they wanted to tell anybody at that time, except of course, their doctor."
They sat sadly in silent thought for a moment. Empathizing with the pain of Sundaram's family.
Then, breaking the silence, Yamuna announced that she was going to bed early, accepted the hug from her mother and left the cabin with her head feeling heavy.
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To bring your attention now, just for a while, to another story, my story. Though do not worry, this is still the tale of Yamuna. My story just intertwines with hers and to understand hers, you must also know mine.
I been in and out of this story so I'm not going to waste any time on introductions . Because time and tide, waits for none. I should know that better than anyone else.
At that time ,I was being tortured. Poked and prodded. Laughed at and insulted , by a community who I had helped, spent time taking care of. They knew I was more powerful and that they owed their lives to me. Owed everything to me! And yet they were ill treating me. They had dared to awaken me. How could they? They knew I had an uncontrollable anger. I had reminded them once before.
I could take it no longer, I burst in rage and tore away from them,  crushed their boats. I began crying. Crying in anger. I roared in pain, unrecognizable from my usual calm and quiet self.
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