A Confession

I have a confession to make. Not too shocking as such things go but a pretty good one nevertheless. But first I want to talk about myself. I am seventeen, a boy, living in an obscure village in a small mudhut with my old mother and young sister. I work for my family, have been working the last five years, and was working for my father before that; but he died suddenly. It is not difficult work actually but it takes time to get used to it; and I get good money, enough even to go and drink spirits from the local store once a week. But I do not go often. It is bad my mother says and she nags me all the next day if I do go. There is very little else to do and the whole village, atleast the entire menfolk, gathers there and it is a nice feeling drowning out many bad feelings.

Anyway to get to my confession. I was thirteen when it happened. There is a huge well in the south-east corner of the village - I dont know why it is there. There used to be very little water and nobody used it except on special festival days when they believe they absolutely have to take a bath and then it is a very painful process getting the water out and cleaning up the entire village with what is at best mucky water; but it is there, has always been there. And when I was a kid older boys used to frighten me with tales of ghosts and demons and whatnot. I still believe in ghosts but I dont think it matters if I meet one - I know my life is already predestined.

But of course my confession. I was thirteen and father had just died. People said it was because he drunk too much, others thought a demon had stolen his will to live. I dont remember much about those days but there was continuous wailing for a couple of days in our hut and mother started wearing only white. I was frightened a bit but I had to be bold for my sister's sake, they said. Then, they burnt his body with a lot of wood and performed many ceremonies so he wouldnt wander as a ghost on earth. After a few days, mother said I couldnt work in father's shop any more and I had to start to work with my cousins.

I am drifting off from my confession. So when I was thirteen, about the time when father had just died, near the well in the south-east corner of the village which was supposedly haunted but mostly was dry, one dark night, I was walking alone. I did not go walking alone in the night those days but that one time I was feeling really bad and did not know what to do. Our village is too small and I did not want to cross its boundaries - that usually brings bad luck they say. So when I had walked long enough, without really looking where I was going, I ended up near the well. I was a little scared but I just decided to be a man, as they said I was, now that father was dead. And I kept walking, and just to show the well I wasnt afraid, I went near it.

Just around that time I felt the need to relieve myself. I had been walking around for quite sometime and fear was working on me too. I saw around for some tree or ditch nearby and then it struck me - there was a huge well below my feet and if it lacked one thing it absolutely required, that was water. And I decided to relieve myself in the well. Well it isnt a very big thing when you are a child you know but you learn things only slowly in this world. And so after doing what I had done I was very happy and tripped my way back home and slept soundly. One of the last few nights I would ever get a moment's rest.

Nothing seemed wrong then. The next few days were exactly similar to the previous few days, only a little hotter; but we were used to such spells. But when the rainy season came but no rains, people started getting worried. And then the year passed and the next year came round and still there was no water. The priest was asked for his rain charms and a hundred gods were prayed to but not a drop. And every single year till this date it has gone on. Only the well has water all the time these days but the people find it strange that it should have a salty taste. Nobody is sure if it is a curse or a miracle. But I know I cannot sleep too much any more. I dont go near the south-east corner unless I really have to.

And that is my confession.