The Index Toe

Once when my grandma came to visit us, I discovered a jewellery box beneath her pillow. It had the cutest hair clips. You know the ones with the butterflies. I thought they were hers. I was too young to understand that she was too old for these. But hey! Cute things don't follow an age frame.   

Every evening I would go to her room and sit next to her bed.  When we chatted, I would occasionally look at her pillow and wonder if the gift was still there. I was afraid she would give it to someone else. Though I was her only granddaughter, I imagined her giving all of it to my far-related cousins. This made me sad as a kid.

On the day she was leaving, she fit in a 100tk note in my fist before my parents could see. Then she brought out the jewellery box. "I have something for you". She opened it and showed me the best hair bands and clips that had ever crossed her eyes. I have grown up now and she still adores me, but that's the happiest she has ever made me.

***
"How many ma do I have?" Baba would bring up his everyday question after he had dinner.

As usual, I would answer "one" knowing my answer would be declared wrong.

"Two. I have two ma's: one who lives in the village and one who is my daughter. I don't call anyone else ma, ma"

I always wanted to ask him which ma he loved more, but I knew all the answers would make me equally happy. It never harmed me to think we were loved equally.

***
"Ah. Look at your index toe!" Baba exclaimed as if he had noticed it for the first time. "It's longer than your big toe"

"That means I am a witch, baba." I joked.

"Do you know what that means?" he looked for an answer.

"No" I said realizing I hadn't yet looked into the myths of having an index toe longer than the big one.

"Neither do I. Do you know who else has a longer index toe?" Baba's earnest eyes shone like usual whenever he asked this question.

"Grandma" I replied as I looked at his happy face.

"Y-e-e-e-e-e-e-s" Baba's long affirmation was an indication of an explanation he was going to give. "My span of life started with my mom. I know she is not going to be alive during my entire life. However, when she is not there and I am still alive, I can look at your index toe and know a part of one of my mas lives evidently in the other."

For the first time, I looked into the reiteration of his theory and made sense of it as we waited for grandma outside the x-ray room.

Myat Moe is an occasional philosopher whose favorite pastime is confusing people with her nationality. Reach her @ 145michelle@gmail.com