In Unity

Sitting at the back of my cousin’s bike I made my way back to my galli. As he stopped to turn the corner he saw some friends, who called him out prompting a stop for conversation. As they began to talk one recognized me and uttered disbelief that I was in the village for he was not aware. He informed me of how close he was with my extended family and he found this shocking that he did not know of my arrival. He invited me to his house (almost everyone a visitor meets in the village invited them for tea) and said it would be sad if I did not visit.

Upon reaching home I inquired as to what could have transpired. It seems that there had been a misunderstanding between the two families based on a secret that the other had kept. While the secret was known to my family, the fact that the other did not share it directly, became contentious. As I walked into my grandfathers room I realized that I had limited time in the village and though I have often been hurt in uniting, why not do a good deed. After pondering I walked out and convinced my family to visit the house as we were asked; after all they were family friends.

With persuasion we were soon on the way. Entering the house there was warmth for me as the visitor, but refrain from any real conversation as a result of the misunderstanding. During this uncomfortable meeting I took on a mirth-evoking turn attempting to strike a balance between fostering understanding and bring entertainment. The goal was to be unpretentious about my outside upbringing but being sincere enough not to pretend to understand the complexities of the village. Slowly but surely the conversation changed and there was an ease. With more conversation the misunderstanding was sorted out as the secrecy was due to a betrayal the family suffered at the hands of their neighbors, this resulting in secrecy. The secret concerned a child who was to go abroad but due to jealousy, a neighbour complained at the embassy that once abroad the boy would not come back but seek refuge there. As the foreign governments frown upon study visas that can be a cover for migration the visa was not allocated. This placed the family in a difficult situation and they did not inform many of the second attempt and did not directly tell my family of this attempt. Perhaps they saw something in my conversation and trust was gained again.

With tensions eased we spend time talking about various topics ranging from farming to living abroad. Overall it was a good evening and left me with a happy feeling as the families were united once again. Sadly I would not get to see their daily interactions for I would be gone soon, but their happiness I will carry in my heart.