Thursday's Child (29 page)
Authors: Helen Forrester
At the top of the steps stood a tall, glittering woman and by her side an equally tall, handsome man. It was my first glimpse of Bimla, who was to give me an intimate friendship; the man by her side was her new husband. Behind her stood Ayah and Thakkur, whose affection I was to enjoy through many years; they were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the new daughter-in-law. Bimla had her arm round the shoulders of a slender, veiled woman â Nulini, I guessed correctly. Half-way down the steps was a big, shy-looking man, bending down to catch Shushila, who ran up to him. âBhim,' she cried. âBrother Bhim, we have brought sister.'
Finally, at the foot of the steps was the father, who, once having made up his mind to accept me into his family, was to enrich Ajit's and my life by his learning and wisdom, and a few steps further up was the mother, to whom I would turn in times of stress as automatically as if she was my own mother.
The moment came and went. The photograph remained.
The group broke into movement. Bhim rushed down the steps, Shushila tucked under one arm and protesting loudly.
âAjit!'
âBhim! â How well you look â and how happy, you old scoundrel.'
âI am happy,' he replied simply. He smiled at me, but I
was not introduced â I was a member of the family and needed no introduction. Nulini and Bimla started down the steps towards me, as Ajit, talking gaily to his mother and his brother, ascended towards Bimla's husband and a bevy of aunts, uncles and cousins, who came pouring out of the house. I prepared to follow Ajit, but Ram Singh stepped back until he was level with me. He viewed his house with approbation, and gesturing towards it, he asked: âDo you know why we light up our houses like this?'
âNo, Sir,' I said respectfully.
âWe believe that Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, will come to the house which is most brightly lit up.'
âMay she enter your house,' I said.
Ram Singh looked round at his family chattering on the steps; he saw the children of his brothers playing on his verandas; he heard the merry voices of his kinsmen enjoying his hospitality; and he looked up at his wife, who had turned round on the top step, to see why we were not following her in.
She smiled down at her husband and I saw him look up at her with the same sweet expression that Ajit had for me. He turned and looked at me, making a gay little gesture towards Mrs Singh. âI think Lakshmi has been in my house for many years,' he said roguishly, his moustaches twitching and his heavy eyebrows curving upwards over the eyes which were narrowed in merriment.
I laughed. âI feel sure she has,' I said.
Ajit ran down the steps again, and I put my hand into his. âCome and meet your family,' he said.
THURSDAY'S CHILD
Helen Forrester was born in Hoylake, Cheshire, the eldest of seven children. For many years, until she married, her home was Liverpool â a city that features prominently in her work. For the past forty years she has lived in Alberta, Canada.
Helen Forrester is the author of four bestselling volumes of autobiography and a number of equally successful novels, the latest of which is
Madame Barbara
. In 1988 she was awarded an honorary D. Litt by the University of Liverpool in recognition of her achievements as an author. The University of Alberta conferred on her the same honour in 1993.
By Helen Forrester
Fiction
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HURSDAY'S
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ASQUE
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ADAME
B
ARBARA
Non-fiction
T
WOPENCE TO
C
ROSS THE
M
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L
IVERPOOL
M
ISS
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This novel is entirely a work of fiction.
The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are
the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is
entirely coincidental.
HarperCollins
Publishers
77â85 Fulham Palace Road,
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
This paperback edition 1999
Previously published in paperback by
HarperCollins 1994
Fontana 1985
Reprinted six times
First published in Great Britain as
Alien There Is None
by
Hodder and Stoughton Ltd 1959
Copyright © J. Rana 1959
The Author asserts the moral right to
be identified as the author of this work
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