Juma of Cows and Pigs?

Wearied by the day's arduous work and chilled by the cold wind of the winter evening, I was walking along the high-way to my home, envying at the plying vehicles of the rich. Born poor, forget about all these luxurious commodities, I am deprived from a fortune for a sumptuous lunch.

I had gone to visit my friend in Motithang, who had been hospitalised a week ago and was discharged. I was walking back to my room in Norbuling (Semtokha) following the highway among the buzzing taxis and buses.

I could have boarded on bus, if not a taxi, but I had no money. And a well-dressed civil-servant-like man could not afford to beg the bus conductor or taxi driver for exemption from paying fare. Avoiding all these, the best solution left for me was to do left-right-left irrespective of how long the distance my home may be from the town.

I had reached Lungtenphu when I heard a woman screaming in altercation. Watching closely, the sound reverberated from a small shop below the highway. I was also in need of a rest and therefore, I thought it was the right time. I sat beside the road in spite of the dusk falling fast and listened their conversation.

A fat woman, with a flat voice in blue shirt stood outside the shop with her hands folded behind, perhaps in anger. I could not see vividly the woman inside the shop but hearing her voice I could make out that she was a thin sale girl.

“What do you sell?” the fat woman asked without opening her mouth.

“Maggie, Noodles, Shakam, Juma (intestines of cows or pigs filled with floor, dried and fried), chilli chops and so on...” replied the other obediently and respectfully. “What may I offer you, Ma'm?”

“What type of Juma do you sell?”

“Juma of cows and pigs.”

“Only cows and pigs? Hope not Humans,” the fat woman raised her voice.

“No Ma'm, thats illegal and I don't sell,” the sale girl who was into nursing her probably three-year-old child answered in defending.

“Yes thats illegal; So why do you send your husband to my daughter everyday?”

The sale girl lowered her head in shame and begged her stating she had no knowledge of such affair between her husband and her daughter. Dusk had already come and I was getting late. I stood up gently and walked off.

Next morning, I passed by the same shop walking and it was closed. I thought she probably had gone to the Court to spend a little amount she earned from the sale of Juma of cows and pigs.