Memoir
Unwanted gifts
Too girlie for me
I was a tomboy! Before I became ill, I was far too adventurous, hated my hair being in plaits, and did not play with dolls! Cycling down steep hills and nearly ending in a well, running off with my older brother’s friends into large parks, playing marbles, climbing trees, and collecting toy cars were my favourite things to do.
We lived in what was then Czechoslovakia under a Communist dictatorship. So not many people got to travel to the West. However, my dad was a scholar, a professor of Tamil and South Indian languages at a time when there were not many non-Indian people who spoke these languages. So, he got an invite after invite to go to India and give lectures and be part of research into, as yet unidentified Indian languages. Eventually, the Czechoslovak government allowed him to go (though after some mental torture in prison as they wanted him to be a spy as well — he never was!).
When my dad went to India — and at that time it involved a number of flights, including stopovers in Germany and Egypt — he stayed away for a number of months. So it was with great anticipation that we all looked forward to his return. He would also, always, return with gifts for his wife and children. Gifts from India! Wow. I expected a tiger or an elephant!!
The evening he returned we all gathered round and listened to some of his more exciting stories. Then came the gifts, full of excitement we took our gift. Mine was a rather small box. So, no elephant, and not even a tiger.
I opened the box, full of anticipation. When I saw what was in it my heart dropped. For a moment disappointment had to be visible on my face. Then I remembered that one must be happy with whatever one gets and smiled and thanked my father.
“It’s real 16 karat gold with beautiful pink semi-precious stones” he explained “ to wear around your neck on special occasions”.
Pink! I hate pink I thought while nodding that I understood and put the gift back in the box. I wanted to cry. Where was my elephant or a tiger — even a stuffed one would have been better.
I still have the lovely piece of jewellery, I have worn it a number of times, and now when I look at it I think of my wonderful father and how much I miss him.
