Chinae

Today, Chinae left my host family. I never learned her real name, but everyone called her Chinae or “child” in Tamil. She is only 14 years old and I don’t know where she will go or where she will end up. And neither does she. My host told me that she came from a village very far from Chennai. A year ago, her father passed away from cancer leaving her mother in debt from the unsuccessful treatment. Before this, her mother did not have a job nor traveled outside the house. But without any means to repay her debt to local moneylenders, the family had to leave the village. Chinae’s mother moved to Chennai to seek help from her brother, but he was poor and had children of his own so he could do little for her. Eventually, she found a live-in housekeeping job in Chennai, but that meant her children could not stay with her. The children’s education had been discontinued, and they were unable to attend school in Chennai where the dialect is completely foreign to them. Chinae’s brother, slightly older found an apprenticeship with a bakery. Chinae, somehow ended up under the care of my host family. They hired her to do some small work around the house. Every morning, I can tell where she is doing her chores by tracing the source of her singing. Her childlike happiness managed to survive her family’s trouble. But today is her last day working here and so she will again return to the torrent of uncertainty. Her best hope would be to find a tailoring apprenticeship.
I don’t have to look far to see a glimpse of Chinae’s future. My host family’s housekeeper, Vani, also lost her father when she was 9 years old. Her mother was lucky and found work with my host family. But Vani and her sister were split from her, sent to work in different provinces. At the age of 16, Vani was married off to her cousin, but after a few short years, the arrangement fell apart. She returned to her host family’s home to take her aging mother’s place as the live-in housekeeper. And she said, “no marry again, I am happy now.” This is as close as Vani will find of a “happily ever after” ending.
Sharing a common bond between their past and present fate, Vani had looked after Chinae like her own till today. Wherever Chinae ends up, I hope it’s a place where she can continue singing.