The Women
Although girls tend to go to school later than boys and all the cooking is done by women, most tasks are shared and there appears to be little discrimination between the sexes. The women are vocal, high spirited and confident. We fail to see evidence of the shyness Netra attributes to them.
Early on the day of the wedding, I help a knot of young
women in the courtyard to make dishes of various sizes for the feast. Peeple
leaves are cleverly shaped and pinned with toothpick-sized sticks. I’m
impressed by their dexterity not only in this task but in all that they
do, from draping an unlikely looking towels elegantly around their heads
to cooking on the open fire, sat comfortably crossed legged, stirring,
mixing, serving, without so much as a drop spilled. All are equally capable.
I wonder if they would be impressed watching me go about my chores. I think
not.