I forgot to mention (can't blame me after the mosquito net episode) that last night, before we slept or tried to sleep, Sumanda (Sumon Goswamy), a serious social worker with in depth knowledge of the Tea Gardens, came to meet us. He encouraged us a lot & put refinements to our program after consultation with Chanchalda. (Incidentally we didn't get to meet Chanchalda again-he was busy with other works-nevertheless he kept in touch over phone).
We all got up in time- got ready- packed everything- & waited.
The car with the driver Jayanta had already come.
we waited.
Q1.What were we waiting for?( 5 marks)
A1. We were waiting for Arghada to come down & open the Collapsible gate.
Q2.Why didn't we call arghada?(5 marks)
A2. Because the Doggy was waiting just outside the door to say good morning.
Q3. When did Arghada get up?(5 marks)
A3. Usually he gets up at about 9, but as we managed to rang bells a few times, he got up at 8.
Q4. Where did we get breakfast?(1mark)
A4. At Gammas.(you see, at 8 am. only Gamma & Neelkamal are open at Alipurduar)
Q5.What did we have? (5 marks)
A5. Last night's Puri & fresh(garden fresh) sabji. & last month's sweets.
(well done, u have scored 18 out of 21)
As per the program we started for Srinathpur- a T.E now converted to T.G.
The garden belonged to Mr. Paritosh De Sarkar-(Later I learned the great P.K.De Sarkar- whose English Grammer haunted us in our school days- had also a tea garden & in all probability this Paritosh babu should be in some way related to him.
Chanchalda didn't come but he send two of his assistants with us.
The local Govt health person had prior information. He arranged to get the garden dispensary
open. Local people helped a lot in making arrangements & getting us hot water etc.
Camp started.
People started coming.
I had to give them the Drugs (no, not Cocain or Hasish but paracetamol, albandazole etc.) & Instruct them to use/take, to keep a copy of prescription for future auditing & to write in a seperate sheet of paper the name/sex/age & medicines given.
Not a very tough duty considering there were only 3 doctors sending patients after prescribing them & taking into account that I am proficient in Sadri/oroan/ nepali languages . My task was made even more easier by the doctors who often forgot about our stocks- like they prescribed cifrafloxacin when we had only Amoxicilline or cloxicilline.
I became proficient in the conversion of ciprofloxacine to cloxicilline or other derivatives. Easier than converting FPS to CGS.
The camp was closed at 4pm when we remembered we had not even a cup of tea since the gigantic breakfast.
Jayanta could get us a few loaves of Bun & 8 Samosa. And a few Bananas that would have been eatable after at least 48 hours.
So after a nice lunch we planned for family survey-- But somewhere in our memory & everywhere at our spine & back, last night's bare mosaic floor was ringing.
As Chanchalda's assistants left, we tried to get accomodation in the abandoned manager's bungalow - which looked very romantic in the middle of a garden.
But help came from unexpected quarter. A local union leader of the garden called some Amalbabu & almost arranged the Inspection Bungalow for us. He said abandoned bunglow had no bed/water but IB had everything including the second best invention of the last century(which perhaps can be considered best at Dooars where Malaria rules supreme).
So I went to IB to convince Amalbabu- who was in charge of the IB.
I also took Priyanka with me -because mere persuation may not be enough; seduction may also be required. This is a Life & Plasmodium question for us.
A drive of about 2 Kms.
What a Bungalow!! Worthy of a Garden owner.
Neither persuation nor seduction was required. He phoned up some Mr. Haque & agreed to let us stay. But storngly objected in going out for family survey on a Friday night- Friday being a holiday, everybody gets drunk at labour lines- there was no electrcity- & nearest line was 1 km. away.
I already left bungalow to pick up others & our medicines. Bishan & Priyanka stayed there to freshen up.
When we came back it was dark.
I miscalculated about Priyanka. She could not made Amalbabu agree to arrange dinner. We had to drive some 5 kms. for dinner.
She was too occupied with her family survey scheme & could convince our other members to go along with her. What a misuse of conviction power!
At last she abandoned her project when Gopal Babu, the new asst. manager of the garden rudely dictated that he won't allow us to go out of the compound today.
She was so dismayed that she sat by the kerosene light in the room & started auditing the prescription with Bishan & Jonaki .
I can't even think in my wildest of dreams that such younglings exists - whol could ignore such a romantic night in a romantic IB in such a romantic background that he/she is unlikely to experience in his/her life again.
Since Priyanka did nothing to arrange dinner here ( In such a situation- I faced it a few times before- ladies have the capacity & duty to make unwilling caretakers agreee to cook/arrange food)- I tried to cajoled the chowkiders.
Success came.
Not only that- even the cook did agree.
Not only that- even Amalbabu ordered a nereby houseowner to sell us a cock & a hen for Rs. 110/-
The cook took another Rs. 90/- to bring rice,oil, onions etc.
I sat down in a long cain-chair on the Varandah enjoying what I never experienced before.
Kaushik & parikshit sat there also trying to find out a way from the predicament kaushik suddenly encountered a few minutes ago.( Apparently, fearing that his parents won't let him come, he didn't inform them. & now after 2 days they smelled rat & asking him to report to his house that night itself.-- long heated phone calls put everybody in off mood). But apparently Bishan & Priyanka & Jonaki were unruffled. They continued auditing prescription. Hats off to them.
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