Memories of a Little Girl Called Dolly! (XXIV)

In continuation with the goat accident…

One hour before the accident, 4-5 dogs in our area began wailing. Everybody began talking that dogs can see a death before it happens. It is a myth that dogs can see Yam Dootas. Ladies were whispering about it. But everybody’s work was going on as usual.

However, a death did occur, that of a goat. All felt sad that though it is a goat, after all it is a living organism that died. Today, Mom said, “Youths do not follow traffic rules, neither as pedestrians nor as bike-riders. They drive rashly, drive without helmet, drive opposite the direction of the traffic and in between larger vehicles. How many accidents have happened when youth have flouted traffic rules? If by chance, any young people are reading this article, make sure that you follow all traffic rules. Flouting rules is not heroism. If you want to perform anything extra-ordinary, join the armed forces or the police and give your lifetime to the cause of our country. Be truthful to your work as well. Being a boy or girl is not important. How you make your parents feel proud of you is more important.”

The night when the goat died, everybody retired to their home, very sad. Children were in a shocked state. That night, midnight till 4 AM all the street dogs in our area were crying miserably. We all got up at 4.30 AM. Dad had to catch the 6 AM local train. We usually got up early. Both of us sisters would study and Mom would be busy with making coffee and other things connected to Dad. Dad was also studying at that time. Mom would get Dad ready like she would a small child.

When Dad would leave for work, both of us would either do our own work or go to the educational institutes where we were studying. Mom would go back to rest at 7 and get up again at 8-8.30. That day, our door bell rang at 6.45. Mom opened that door wondering, who it was. We thought, “Was it Dad? Had he left something in a hurry?”

Dolly’s mother had brought both her children to our place because they had not slept the whole night due to the wailing of the dogs. Both the kids were scared. All their faces were swollen. Dolly’s mother said, “Let both of them rest with you. I have to rest before my tuition kids come.”

My sister and I left home earlier than usual, the moment these kids came. Mom spread a carpet on the floor and lay down with the 2 kids. All the 3 had been asleep till 10. Dolly’s mother came at 10 to pick up the kids. Then she said, “In all the houses, nobody has slept. Ground floor has got affected too much because of this.”

Dolly’s mother came again in the evening at 7. The dogs were barking all through the day. She told us, something had to be done about the dogs. It was too much for them. Mom tried to get in touch with several people to solve the problem. For 4-5 days, the dogs were still barking and the whole building was in misery.

Mom even contacted political parties. They kept assuring that they had informed the BMC. But nothing happened. One week got over this way. Mom decided to contact someone in the newspapers. Then we contacted Roshni Olivera from Mid Day, through some friends. Within 4-5 hours, she came to our home. She interviewed us and Mom took her to the ground floor to meet Dolly’s mother, since the people in the ground floor were the ones most affected.

The next day, Mid Day had the story and a man from the BMC came to visit our home.

To be continued…