cigarette eyes
Her eyes were like thorn leaves, she would look at me when I used to be there.
I was like any visitor to her place… but she knew that I was an intruder.
She wanted a man, to look at her, to caress her hair replacing her red sweater.
But never would I look her.
I was there to see her mother, and what she could me.
One day I saw her mother thrashing her. “This girl don’t know how to behave with guests sir”, the mother told me.
I gave a sad smile, said nothing, because I went there to see the mother and not the daughter.
Today I went there to see the mother again,
I saw her lying on the floor, there was a beer bottle beside her. She was spewing, unconsciously. The daughter saw me and whispered. “uncle mummy is sick” and she took a cigarette from her pocket. She handled the packet like she would with a Barbie.
“Where is the matches” I asked her. “its in mummy’s pocket” she replied without looking at me and started searching her.
The daughter is three year old sonam, and I am in a city where cigarettes are banned. Sonam’s mother live by selling cigarettes.
When I left, sonam’s eyes were burning like a cigarette, she wanted the matches, she wanted milk before falling asleep.
I was like any visitor to her place… but she knew that I was an intruder.
She wanted a man, to look at her, to caress her hair replacing her red sweater.
But never would I look her.
I was there to see her mother, and what she could me.
One day I saw her mother thrashing her. “This girl don’t know how to behave with guests sir”, the mother told me.
I gave a sad smile, said nothing, because I went there to see the mother and not the daughter.
Today I went there to see the mother again,
I saw her lying on the floor, there was a beer bottle beside her. She was spewing, unconsciously. The daughter saw me and whispered. “uncle mummy is sick” and she took a cigarette from her pocket. She handled the packet like she would with a Barbie.
“Where is the matches” I asked her. “its in mummy’s pocket” she replied without looking at me and started searching her.
The daughter is three year old sonam, and I am in a city where cigarettes are banned. Sonam’s mother live by selling cigarettes.
When I left, sonam’s eyes were burning like a cigarette, she wanted the matches, she wanted milk before falling asleep.