John, A translation of Lino B. Durado's Kam' Zalem, Voiz Melo. I will address some of the points in your email later.
Other than that let me add that Lino's writing has a peculiar depth that speaks of the Goan ethos and is very prescient although in an allegorical way—the title itself, leave alone the subject says a lot. vjp ____________________________________________ Job Accomplished, the Doctor is Dead Lino B. Durado Upon seeing the woman board the bus, a child around four years of age in tow, I was about to vacate my seat so as not to be in her way, when she said... No, no. Do not bother My baby girl will sit on my legs. And she, placing her daughter against her thighs, sat on the seat. I was then a nineteen year old teenager. I had travelled to Madgaon (Margao) to take care of a task. The woman besides me was a beauty, but more than her, was her child. She sat looking at me. I began feeling affectionate towards her. I took the child in my arms and asked. Child, what is your name? Uncle? "Shoosh, be quiet. He is not an uncle--Mister." Not letting her speak further, the mother scolded the child and told her to not address me as uncle, but Mister. "Mister, my name is Amanda," she responded directly to the question that was asked and the young one further babbled. "Mister, see. Look outside. The bulls are fighting in the fields." "Amanda! Do not disturb Mister too much," mother cautioned the child. "Let it be. She is a child." As I was saying, to the mother, "The child is not causing me any problem," the bus-conductor came by and she asked for a ticket to Utorda-Molar. Who must they be visiting in Utorda, I asked myself. But I could not get myself to ask her. Or in other words I was not curious. While I and the child were engrossed in play, unbeknownst to me the bus had reached Utorda-Molar. The bus, having arrived in Utorda-Molar--she took her child, alighted and began walking on the road that ran towards our church. Poor child, she turned around and without respite kept saying towards me, Mister, mister. Our encounter had been brief. To be away from the child, seemed to cause much pain. I became emotional. Upon alighting from the bus, I ran into my friend Wency. The following week, his folk play was to be recorded (for broadcast) at Akashvani (the voice from the sky) in Panjim. Since I had a (character) part in his folk play, I went to his house and we rehearsed until half-past in the afternoon. As I was climbing the stairs to our house, I saw seated in the veranda together with my (now) departed mother, the mother and daughter I had met on the bus. I understood the reason they were at our house. I was behind them, perhaps they had not seen me or they had not caught sight of me yet. My mother with her hands, opened Amanda's anus, examined it closely and then she said. This is such a huge pile (haemorrhoid)? What took you so long to get here? Once the illness gets serious, you berate the doctor. "Put your daughter against your shoulder and hold fast," commanded my mother--that Amanda's mother shoulder her, then taking the medicine which had been kneaded on the grinding stone, she inserted it anally at which point looking in my direction, the child began yelling and screaming. My mother, would administer herbal cures or medicine for haemorrhoid's to children. When little children had difficulty at toilet, it meant that they would repeatedly pass loose motions resulting in tears to the veins in the anus and the lower rectum and passing blood in the stools. When some doctors could not treat this illness, the last resort would be these people coming to my mother. Only upon making sure that her strict mandatory diet would be followed, likewise mothers who could take care of their children--only then would my mother consent to give her secret (proprietary) medicine. And within three days, the children would see relief / be cured and their blood-stained stools would cease. Having applied the salve / preparation to Amanda's rectum my mother tied a white cloth around her waist. Amanda was still looking at me, and said in a quiet voice. "Mummy! Mister, mister, mister" It will all be well. It will all be fine. Child be quite. Mister will be here. Her little child must be still be thinking of me, Amanda's mother must have thought. And just as she was slowly silencing the sobbing, by rubbing her child's back, my mother said to her. "Perhaps your daughter is addressing the one who is behind you as the mister. And she completely swirled around and haltingly asked. "You here?" He is my third son" my 'heavenly' mother replied. The child interjected with a cry "Mummy." What now (happened) child? "Does mister's anal sphincter have a cut too?" And to conclude: My dear departed mother treated many children with her efficacious remedy/ies, and cured them. A few returned to convey their thanks. But for some, "the job having been concluded, the doctor dead," was the path in life they had chosen to emulate. Lino B. Dourado (English translation effort by venantius j pinto) ____________________________ lino dourado <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Kam? Zalem, Voiz Melo Sumar 4 vorsanchea porak ghevn, bosint bhitor sorlele ostorek mhaka lagun tras zavnchem nhoi mhonn, hanv boslelea sita velo uttunk kori tednam, tinnem mhonnlem.. ?Naka, naka. Tras ghevum nakat Mhoje bayek mhagelea paymer bosoitam.? Ani tinnem, tigele dhuvek. apnnalea zangddar dovorun, ti sitar bosli. Tednam hanv 19 vorsancho tornatto. Mhagele eka kama khatir hanv Moddganv ghel?lom. Mhojea khuxik bosleli ostori sobit distali, punn tea von tigelem por. Mhaka pollet boslelem tem. Mhaka porachi apurbay zali. Porak mhagelea kakeant ghetlem ani vicharlem. ?Baye, tujem nanv kitem?? ?Uncle?..?, ?Xhu! Ogi rav. To uncle nhi. Mister.? porak fuddem ulovnk di nastanam mhaka ?uncle? nhoi, punn ?Mister? mhonnchem mhonn, dhengxo ghalun porache avoyn porak sanglem. ?Mister, mhojem nanv Amanda? vicharlelea prosnank soroll zap dili ani lhan por fuddem boddboddlem ?Mister poi, poi. Bhair poi. Xetant redde zogoddtat? ?Amanda! Mister-ak chodd sotai naka.? Avoin porak xiddkailem. ?Asum di. Bhurgem tem.? Mhaka porache tras zainant mhonn hanv tika sangtanam, bosicho kondaktor ailo ani tinnem Utorda-Molar ek tikett magoili. Utorda konnagher vhetat kai? Hanvem mhakach vichar kelo. Punn tika vicharunk mhaka puttlem nam. Vo dusre bhoxen, mhaka ?curiosidade? (curiosity) nasli. Hanv ani por khellachea umedir astanam, bos ken?na Utorda-Mollar pavli ti pasun mhaka zanniv na zali. Bos, Utorda-Mollar pavtoch porak ghevn ti ostori dhenvli ani amche Igorjiche dixen vetelea rostean, cholunk lagli. Babddem por, fattlean volun ani thambo nastanam mhaka ?mister, mister? mhunnit aslem. Toddea vellachi bhett amchi. Pora koddsun pois zanvchem, mhaka khub dukhlem. Hanv bhavnnik (emotional) zalom. Ani hanv bosivelo dhevntokoch mhagelo ixtt Wency gavlo. Dusre sumanant, tagelo ek lokam-khell, Ponnje Akaxvannicher mudravpache (recording) asle. Tagelea lokam-khellant mhagelo aspav aslelean tachea sangata tagelea ghora gelom ani ami tallim vo rehearsal donparche dhed meren choloilem. Hanv, amche ghorache sopnnam (stairs) choddtalom. Bolkavant mhagele sorgest avoychea sangata, mhaka bosint gavlelim avoy-dhuv dislim. Tim dog-aim, amgher pavchem kharan mhaka somzolem. Hanv tanchea pattlean ubo aslelean tannim mhaka pollevnk nam dista, vo tanchi nodor mhojer poddunk nam. Mhoje avoyn aplea hatanim, Amandachi bonkachi noddi (anus) ugti keli ani ti bore toren topaslea uprant tinnem mhonnlem. ?Kitlo vhodd mhonn khatro go ho? Hanga yevnk itle dis kiteak laile? Duens chodd zalem mhonntoch, tumi dotorank uloitat. Cheddvak khanddar mar ani ghott dhor? Amandak khanddar marpak mhoje avoyn tika hukom dilo ani fatrir dolloilelem zhadd-palleachem vokhod kaddun agpachea noddin lottlem tedna mhojea islean pollevn, poran bobo-hueli ghatleo. Mhoji sorgest avoi, bhurgeank zhadd-palleachem vo ?Khatreachem vokhod? ditali. Lhan bhurgeank, agpache tras zale mhonntoch, tankam portean-portean pattol agop zatalem ani bhonkachea purmutteak vo noddik khatro poddun rogot-bhairem suntalem. Kaim voizam kodden hem duens borem zainam zatotokoch, xevottak ho lok mhojea avoyxim yetalo. Koddok pothk-achi (mandatory diet) bhurgeank, toxech bhurgeanche avoyank samballunk zata zalear, tednach mhoji sorgest avoy aplem ghuttachem vokhod ditali. Ani tin disam modim, bhurgim sap bhorim zatalim vo tanchem rogot-bhairem bond zatalem. Amandache noddik vokhodd ghalun tagelea bendar dovo kuddko mhoje avoyn bandlo. Amanda, mhaka polloit aslem ani roddkulea avazan mhonnlem. ?Mummy! Mister????.mister???mister? ?Borem borem. Ogi rav baye. Mister yetolo? Dakhttem por azun mhoji yad korta oxem Amandachi avoy somzoli. Ani porachea pattir hat oddit taka fuslayun, roddpache ogem kortali tednam mhojea avoin tika mhonnlem. ?Ghoddie tujem cheddum, tujea pattlean asleleak ?mister? mhonntta astelem?. Ani ti soroll pattlean vovli ani tthotakun vicharlem ?Tum hanga?? ?To mhozo tisro put,? mhoje sorgest avoin vollok dili ?Mummy!? dhuven modench avoyk ulo marlo ?Kitem zalem bai?? ?Mister-achai bhonkachea purmutteak khatro poddla ghe?? Ani Nim?nnem: Mhojea sorgest avoin khub bhurgeank apnnalea ?Khatreachea vokhdan? borim keleant. Toddeanim porxin yevn upkar attoileat?..Punn toddeanim ?Kam? Zalo Voiz Melo??amchea jivitachi hi ek chal asa ti apnaili. Lino B. Dourado