Little Maria - Part 1

It's summer holidays again. And little Maria has fallen sick again. Being a five year old can be oh so bothersome. It was nearly 8 months ago, when nana Theresa had come to see her and had given her a nice dab of an emollient cream with esoteric spices for the little girl's frequent episodes of infections. She had screamed that time, for it burnt her throat and neck. She had earnestly wished at that time for a better treatment. She had also wished on several of those parties, for the ice cold sparkly fruit drinks that were neatly arranged on the drinks table. As expected, she was consistently denied and shooed to her bed room to take rest by her mother. So the four year old wished for a day when she be allowed to eat ice creams and drink whatever cold sparkly water she wished for, to her heart's content.

She stayed in the car staring at the leaves of the tamarind tree that offered shade underneath its green canopy. The light breeze swaying the green leaves offered a small respite to the summer heat. Uncle Paulose sat on the low concrete base wall that bordered the tree, smoking his favorite tobacco. Little Maria got out of the car, after all she could not be made to sit on the same spot for more than ten minutes, when it seems there's no one to watch over her.

"Where do you go, li'l girl?" asked Uncle Paulose.

"Oh, no where," she said as she walked around the car to the other side of the tree away from Uncle Paulose' tobacco smoke.

She picked up a twig, and poked and prodded around the dirt and leaves and grass. She followed some of the fire ants and even picked one of them and made it walk through her twig. After she got a bite, she put away her twig, and walked around the tree restlessly staring at the long concrete stairs that led to the nearby church. She wistfully looked at the church stepping on to the tree base and craned her neck trying to catch sight of the huge ornate church doors.

"Uncle Bernard will be back soon to take you to the town," said Uncle Paulose.

"Did you see Brother Johny's bride? Is she pretty?" the little girl asked with insatiable curiosity.

"No, I haven't seen her. May be we will see her when they come out after the service," said Uncle Paulose pointing at the giant teak doors.

After a few more minutes their wait was over. The wedding party exited the church through the front door to the nearby parish hall for the wedding reception. The girl strained her neck to catch sight of the bride, but all she could see was a blur of white. Little Maria sighed resignedly. Her cousins had wanted to come this wedding. But they couldn't go, as she was sick her uncle decided that it would be unfair for her to wait and feel miserable. Her cousins and her brother would play around the church yard and enjoy the wedding feast while she morosely sat in the car waiting for their return. And all these, because uncle Bernard had offered little Maria's father to take her to the hospital for the doctor's visit after the wedding.

The summer breeze played its whimsical tricks on the little girl as it brought with it a waft of scintillating aroma of the delicacies served at the feast. Little Maria was hungry. She looked forlornly at the parish hall where the dinner was being served. Her shoulders drooped as she resigned to the fact that she is not going to get any nourishments any time soon. Uncle Paulose pitied the little girl. He soon caught sight of her uncle walking towards them. "Look who all are coming!" he exclaimed.

Little Maria smiled with delight as she saw brother Johny walking towards them along side her uncle. She was well pleased to see the groom. Brother Johny is always very kind, she thought. "How do you fare, li'l girl?" he asked as soon as he saw her.

"I am alright, although a bit hungry," the child replied in all honesty.

"You need not worry, we'll soon be at the hospital and you can get your favorite sweets from the canteen there," her uncle lied through the teeth.

Brother Johny patted her head and said,"Get well soon dear."

She smiled like a cherub, "That I will."

Within a couple of minutes uncle Bernard said his farewell and the company of three were soon on their way to town. Little Maria pulled down her window glass and waved at Brother Johny. She was very happy at her little fortune of meeting the groom on his wedding day.

Her uncle soon insisted that she close the windows putting a damper on her spirits and the matter that he drank water from his pet bottle without offering her even a little didn't help at all. It only made her feel like an unwelcome little body of responsibility. She stared at the bottle for a little while wishing that her uncle would offer her some. She wanted to ask, but her uncle seemed to be ignoring her, staring out through windows. She did not know how to throw a temper tantrum, so she too stared out through the window and was soon distracted by the sights of the town.

When the car arrived at the hospital parking area, little Maria was in better spirits in the hopes of food and water and meeting her father.