Kala Derma (plate)

Childhood is a an adventurious journey for children. I had my share of adventures in Deothang Primary School. I loved playing and fooling around with friends at school. I would rush out of the classroom door at the first strike of the bell for want of playful fun. I just loved breaks. We had loads of fun with friends but at the same time we used to be in conflict quite frequently. Often, we fought over trivial reasons. For instance, over a marble game. Yes this is about one of those kid fights of those diddo days. And this fight was a big fight indeed for me because my opponent was a bit taller and older than me. He was known by the name Pamo (or Pawo). I don’t remember the exact reason of our conflict but I do remember the fight scene vividly. It happened during one of the lunch breaks at the school. Our friends stood in circle and witnessed the dual combat. We wrestled and tussled, throwing each other down on the ground. One moment I would be under him and next moment on top – rolling and tossing. Up sprang on our feet again and pounced likes little monkeys at each other. Our tongues were shrieking with ego. The callous words rebuked each other amidst fast thumping breaths. Furious and aggressive as we were, the battle went on until our shivering legs were barely rigging our whacked bodies. After a vigorous judo-like wrestling we came to a halt, but still holding firmly onto our odd positions. Funnily though, we decided to pause for a moment to regain our breaths. We were dog-tired although our ego would not calm down. No more words except heavy heart throbs and hot fuming breaths. Sweat was dripping into our eyes; tears welling inside our eye sockets; our faces blushing red-hot; the crowd was dead silent! Our fiery eyes met – uncertain and not as confident as before! We were evenly matched.

Suddenly, I made a move having regained a bit of energy. Pushing and swinging sideways and tripping his legs I threw him down on the ground with a big ‘thud’. I pressed him down with all my strength. He struggled and wriggled trying to overthrow me but in vain. He was soon tired. I got him pressed under for once with firm certainty and I was determined to maintain that status. I was dead sure of my triumph. But surprisingly, amidst the calming wheeze he said to me, “Could you excuse me for a while”? I asked him, ‘why?’ He answered, “I am not comfortable because my kayra (belt) has stripped loose and I need to tie it again”. I said, “Very well, there you go” and let him loose and see him on his feet. Next moment he caught me by surprise. To my utter astonishment he pounced on me like a vicious tiger. He grabbed me by my neck and swung me head down. I fell on the ground with his body weight over me and then he had me under his control. I struggled to free myself but to no avail. I knew he cheated on me and I did try to tell him but he was deaf to my words. Rather his sudden and brief victory made him wildly boastful and rebuked me with all his egoistic vocabularies. He was sworn to defeat me and to prove his superiority to our friends and above all to me. He proclaimed, “Don’t you dare me, kid! You can’t! You can’t challenge me, I told you!” (In Sharchop: Kham tsong may nan, naie sho ja marba yek pa mai. Shuet)! Just then, ‘tring, tring’ went the bell and our friends took off. I just happened to repulse strongly at once and was freed from his grip. We let go of ourselves and rushed after our friends at full speed.

After school and later in the evening I reported to Aum Barma back home. She was not happy seeing me with my dress gone haywire and soiled with dust and dirt. She grumbled, “Why is your dress dragging and sweeping filthy? What have you been up to at school? How did this happen? Have you had a fight?” ('Otha Bulenpa' was her famous scolding). She went on with her threatening questions and remarks. I silently stood there like a statue, and simply letting her words bypass me. As usual she helped me empty my big drape pockets. She took out the few ragged books, probably pencil and eraser, and then she put her hand for the plate. To her utter shock she pulled out an oddly flattened piece of grey aluminium instead of the plate (kala derma/kala kholom). As she grabbed and took it out of my big pocket, she exclaimed, “What the hell is this?” I was dead silent. She gazed at it closely and turned her eyes at me as she raised the crumbled plate close to my face, and furiously blurted at me, “Isn’t this your plate? Oh my God, what have you done to your plate! I gave you this brand new plate earlier this morning and look what have you done now! I just bought it yesterday and you crushed it today. How can we survive if you destroy one plate every single day? I don’t have money to buy another. Oh God, what shall I do with this notorious kid.” I was staring right over my nose at the plate that that almost turned into a pulp. I realized this had happened during the fight at school. But I did not have a single word of excuse. I got the hint of damage that I had done given the thin economy of the family. Indeed, money was as scarce as winter willows. We lived barely on three square meals a day. The stock used to be sent by mother from back home. Father hardly visited us and even if he did, little did he give. Aum Barma was a nun and she was only taking care of us on sheer goodwill. We were living in one of the cheapest single rooms that were ravaged by rats and bedbugs. Luckily, the proprietor was a kind lady by the name ‘Kapchi Ama’ who was good to us.  

      

That day, I think I gave her the saddest shock of her life. She was indeed unlike herself that day. She was thoroughly infuriated and there was nothing I could do but stand there, almost frozen. My elder sister silently observed the scene from the corner of the room. Apparently she was scared too and probably she knew about the fight and communicated to Aum Barma. Aum Barma was so mad that she almost hit me or perhaps she hit me. I cannot recall it but even if she had I think it was worth it. I did not understand then or perhaps I did but I do now definitely. I deserved all her scolding (or beating) because I broke her heart. To be precise, it was not the aluminium plate that I crushed that day but her heart. It would have cost her a few bugs but those few bugs were utterly rare and precious. And yes, she threatened me that I should go to bed without eating as a punishment. But when it was dinner time she put the food on my plate and coaxed me to eat and wipe my tears because I was crying. She also threatened that I go to school thereafter without a plate. Yet again the next morning she shoved in another kala derma (aluminium plate) inside my khanang (dress pocket) with a light warning remark, “if you crush it again…” Most happily, I took to my two little light feet knowing that all is well again. But I did not know one thing for sure and that was the fate of my new kala derma. Poor kala dermas!