Flower in the Mountains
Typical morning for a village girl in West Nepal
A star twinkles, as you look at the night sky. Across the globe, it is morning. It makes you wonder…feel…about lives…in far away places…where you have not been to…where you want to go…where life is different — very different.
So let me take you on a little journey to one of these places.
Her name is Puja, and she is one of the happiest people that I have ever met.
On the way to the field from her house, she lovingly pets the mother cat who is semi-domesticated and has given birth to her kittens in the neighbor’s house next door. Cats are not the most liked animals in this region of the world, but Puja really loves them and enjoys their company.
In the field, she helps her father. Despite her skinny look, she is quite strong. She can handle the plow herself when her father wants to rest. After their plowing is done, she throws the millet seeds onto the earth. It is quite a view to see the seeds do a circular dance in the air after they leave her hands and hit the ground.
After about an hour of working in the field, she comes back home, and washes up. She has to hike for about 10 minutes every morning from the field to her house, which she does with ease and a smile on her face. She is used to it, just as the other villagers here. They live on this mountain, in a village called Bhadgaon, located in an extremely remote part of far-western Nepal.
There is no electricity and proper infrastructure for water, but things are changing slowly. Villagers hope that they will have their basic amenities met soon, although the exact time line is uncertain due to the instability in the regional socio-political affairs.
The pure turquoise river called Seti flows at the base, and pine trees grow on top of their mountain. Further away you can see the snow mountains. One could only hope to find a place like this and relax while being mesmerized by its beauty.
Puja is now ready for her meal before she leaves for school. Her mother is waiting in the kitchen. The house is made from stones that were hand-cut and put together with wooden structures. The kitchen has two small windows, but the smoke from the firewood used for cooking quickly fills up the room. Her mother has a quiet smile on her face when she sees her daughter eat. They talk about what they will do today.
The meal is a simple millet roti and tea. They have to eat sparingly, because what they grow is barely enough to feed their family. During meal time, Puja’s mother thinks of her son who has moved to India to make a decent earning. She also thinks of her other son who died this year on a road accident while he was on his way back home. This always makes her sad.
Years of hard, physical work has brought deep wrinkles to her face. Her middle nose ring shines her beauty. You can easily feel the glow in her eyes, and the humility in her heart. This is the essence of Puja’s mother.
As Puja is eating, her father arrives and her mother prepares his meal. Her father — a gentle, hardworking farmer — is always punctual about work. Over the years he has understood the value of plowing, planting, and harvesting on time. All this must be done in harmony with the seasons, the weather and the time of the day. He starts his meal and asks Puja to get ready for school.
Puja dresses up in her school uniform and picks up her school bag. She checks on the cat and her babies one more time with a smile. Then she leaves for school which is a 30 minute walk to the top of the mountain. She slowly ascends as she enjoys looking at the flowers and plants along the way.
She has lived a full morning, and her day is just beginning as the sun casts her rays through the mountains into the valley.
And far away from Puja, across the globe…at night… a star twinkles.
