Nomaan Sarker
(Translate by Rabab Alam)
`Tul?’
Tuly startled a bit. Mother is calling. Mother calls her ‘Tul’ when she’s angry. She noticed that she had been sitting like that with the book for a long time. But she wasn’t reading.
As Tuly entered her mother’s room, her mother said, “Dear there was 12 pieces of fish on the table. 2 pieces are missing. Check if they have jumped and fallen on the ground.’ And mother gestured under the table. Tuly stood there in silence with her eyes shut . And started to revise times table. She thought if she stood there in silence with eyes closed, her mother won’t say anything else. And if she revised times table, she couldn’t listen what mother was saying.
Mother said, “I’ve decided that I’ll get rid of Mini . Do you have any objection to it?”
Though Tuly was revising times table loudly in mind, she heard what mother had said.Mini is her pet cat.
Mother can do anything. Mother can really get rid of Mini . For the crime of giving 2 pieces of fish to Mini would result in mother to throw Mini out of the house, that never came to her mind.
Tuly opened her eyes and stared at her mother with wide eyes then said, “Mother Mini will never eat your fish from onwards. I’ll tell her not to.”
Mother said, “Hmm Mini cat has learned to eat fish by getting on the table, we can’t let her stay.”
Tuly said in a crying tone, “Mothergave Mini the fish. Mini didn’t ate climbing up the table. It won’t happen again.”
Mother soften a bit. Mother said, “Your father will arrive now, guest will come alongside. Now I think we’ll have shortage of fish. Already I felt there was less in amount. Now what?”
Tuly didn’t let extend the word and trudged out of the room and sprint to her own room. She looked under her bed, Mini has finished eating. Tuly sighed in relief.
Mini meowed in pleasure seeing Tuly. With that Tuly thought, Mini is saying, I want another.
Tuly said in an angry tone, “No. Ugh… no. No more. Not another one.”
She chased Mini and said, “Mini you have to get out right now. Mother is angry. If she sees you today no one knows what will happen. You run.” Tuly opened the door of the balcony and said, “No more fish Mini. No more fish. Get out now.”
