My Mother — Page 20
20 them altogether. She felt great relief and woke up refreshed. She gave expression to her deep gratitude to the Divine for His great mercy and promised herself never to slip again. She was soon put to the test. My father’s younger brother’s eldest son died, and she was not able to refrain altogether from partici pating in the mourning rites. Now she found that as soon as she went to sleep she saw two long-horned bulls pursuing her as if they would gore her. She ran about terrified seeking shelter, and some times they overtook her and inflicted injuries upon her. Thus, sleep was again denied her and she spent her nights in agonised suppli cations for mercy and forgiveness. This roused her husband’s deep pity, and he too supplicated earnestly on her behalf, but the condition continued unrelieved through an entire month. At last she saw her father-in-law again who reprimanded her severely and warned her that this was her last chance of repent- ance and that any backsliding would be unforgivable. He then held back the bulls and she was enabled to proceed unharmed. Her next trial came sometime later when the eldest son of my father’s eldest sister—a handsome youth—died, and she had to proceed on a condolence visit to her sister-in-law’s home. In the rural parts it was customary that when a condolence party composed of women related closely to the deceased person approached, the women of the village clustered at the flat rooftops of their houses to listen to the wailings of the advancing mourn- ers. On this occasion, was among a party of close rela- tives of my bereaved aunt, and when they dismounted near her village, she admonished her companions to proceed quietly to her house and to make no demonstration of grief. Their silent and dignified progress through the village dis appointed the expectant