The Fairy Lights

-         Shabana Chowdhury Ahmed, Belgium

Fairy Lights are decorative string-style lights that feature tiny micro-led bulbs attached to a thin highly flexible wire (usually copper or silver). They are highly favoured for providing a subtle ambient glow rather than bright illuminations and are incredibly versatile for all types of indoor and outdoor decorations.

The story teller tells her tale. 

Sumathi was a neighbourhood tailor in Kolkata not the fancy boutique variety type but someone who would stitch sari falls, alter kurtas, hem the edges of dupattas, stitch an emergency blouse kind of tailor. It would be an understatement to say that life had not been kind to her. She had an alcoholic husband and three children in succession. However, the husband was a tailor and he gave her money to run their home. He was also the one who taught her tailoring. 

Things took a turn for the worse during Covid Epidemic! Her husband contracted the illness and died. Sumathi and her children barely made it alive. The only thing going for Sumathi was that they had a home of their own. It was dark and dingy but it was hers. Literally with no work available during Covid Epidemic she and her children lived on the charity of kind souls. In the post pandemic Era she tried her best to continue with her husband's tailoring business. Most of his regular clients had moved on to other tailors. 

A few  orders trickled in and Sumathi somehow had to make ends meet with those. She was completely at a loss as to how she could get more orders and to make matters worse a new tailor had set up his shop opposite hers! His store was brightly lit and he played popular movie songs to attracted customers. People walked into his shop and he offered them ice cold lassie drinks. His business was booming. 

A few customers of her late husband came to have their clothes stitched by Sumathi. The income was enough to keep her hopes alive.

One day a frail Anglo Indian lady walked into Sumathi's shop. She introduced herself as Agnes. She lived in a pretty house a few doors away. Agnes wanted Sumathi to stitch a few loose flowy gowns. Sumathi and Agnes soon became good friends. Agnes would come every morning with cup cakes and Sumathi would make tea. Agnes would stay for a hour and then return to her house. The friendship grew between them. A month later Agnes did not come to see Sumathi. Two days passed yet Agnes did not appear. Sumathi felt a sense of foreboding. So she went to the house of Agnes and rang the door bell. The door did not open. Sumathi kept on ringing. Still Agnes did not open the door. Sumathi called the police. The police came and broke down the door. They entered the house and found Agnes lying on the sofa. An Ambulance was called and the Medics declared her dead. Her body was taken to the morgue. Sumathi broke down and cried inconsolable. 

The two sons of Agnes, who lived in Australia were informed by the police of their mother's death. Her sons came to perform the final rites. Sumathi sat quietly at home unable to do anything. She was missing her friend dearly and wandering how she could go on without Agnes comforting presence. 

A week later a young man rang the doorbell of Sumathi's house. He introduced himself as David, Agnes' younger son. He looked very much like his mother. He said that his mother wrote letters to him telling him of her friendship with Sumathi. David got up to leave and he gave Sumathi a bag telling her that his mother would have wanted Sumathi to have this gift. After David left, Sumathi opened the bag and saw a string of Fairy Lights with a tiny effigy of an Angel hanging on it. Sumathi was touched by the gesture. She immediately set up the Fairy Lights around her workplace. She had something to remind her of Agnes. 

Next day a steady stream of customers walked into her shop. She was surprised but happy to have customers. Work poured in for Sumathi. The new customers stayed on. The Angel figurine looked upon her with a beautiful smile and the Fairy Lights shined upon Sumathi.