Something quite out of the ordinary

Tashi Choezom, a teacher at Norbuling MSS, Gelephu, is my childhood friend. Last month, when I visited her place I was profoundly moved by what she is doing. At her place, my eyes feasted upon two little gorgeous kids stuffing themselves with delicious food. They looked identical: a boy and a girl. They’re chubby, neat hair cut and have dimpled face. I thought these kids are her students but just out of curiosity, I asked her. Tashi replied me, “I’ve a Mahabharata [long story] to tell you about them,” adding that these two kids are twins.

                                                               Pic: Tashi Choezom

Early this year, Tashi Choezom accompanied one of her school colleagues to Chuzargang, about two km away from her school, as she desperately needed a babysitter to look after her kid. The day has turned beastly hot. After applying sun block cream, they walked down the rice fields fighting against strong sun, leeches, insects, mud and sweating all along the rough road.

“People of Chuzargang are mostly poor,” said Tashi adding, “They solely depend on rice and maize which often being rampaged by wild jumbos and boars before each harvest.” She also discovered that shortage of drinking water is another major problem in the village. “I was shocked to find out that only elderly people live in the village. All young people have left for Thimphu and Phuentsholing,” she told me.

At the end of the day, they reached one bago, a hut roofed with banana leaves, walled with flattened bamboo which looks like crumbling down at any moment. A nervy-looking couple, seemingly drunk, marched out of the hut after they saw people outside. The world’s poverty was inscribed on their faces. There’s nothing inside the hut, just a frayed rug, a few kilos of kharang, a pair of mattresses, and a kerosene lamp.

When Tashi inquired about the babysitter, the couple (originally from Zhemgang who resettled in Chuzargang) instantly dragged out two kids from their hut. They’re twins, just seven-year olds. Apparently, Nima and Dawa looked unkempt, starkly hungry. Tashi and her colleague were stabbed at seeing this. They couldn’t imagine employing one kid of lesser fortune to babysit for another of greater fortune.

It’s even more shocking to Tashi on what this man had to plead them, “I don’t want any wages of my kids. Lopoen, jus take them away with you. Do whatever you want to do to them. I cannot raise them. We don’t have foods. We don’t have money. Look, we live in a wretched condition. I don’t want these two kids of mine suffer with me without food, without cloth, without education. Just take them away!”

To Tashi, it seemed like she had just stepped into a poverty-stricken state. She never knew that people in our country are so poor. She discovered that these people live unconnected and miserable in a perpetual expectation of external interventions/aids because their situation has become intolerable and out of their power. So, they came to this sad conclusion of surrendering their own children.

Tashi gave another curious look at the young twins, this time rather empathetically. She discerned that the twins were malnourished, without basic necessities of life and everything about their life was a struggle. And unhesitatingly, she took an audacious decision to adopt the twins. That evening, Tashi bathed them, and offered good foods. It’s perhaps the first time in their entire life they’re filled with good foods, clothes and sleep.

One weekend, Tashi took them to Gelephu town, bought them clothes, school uniforms and done nice haircut. Then, she talked to the school principal and enrolled both of them at Norbuling MSS in class PP.

Initially, she had difficult times as the twins have experienced behavioral and emotional problems and slight personality disorder due to lack of love and care from their biological parents. However, Tashi’s unwavering parental care and support enriched their life.  

                    Pic: A new family (From the left: Tashi, Phub Zangmo and the twins)  

Nima and Dawa’s arrival was boon in disguise for Tashi. The twins created a family in her house. Earlier, she was mostly alone, understandably reckless and lazy. Now her lifestyle is changed completely. She wakes up early to wash and cook for her kids and helps on their home works besides doing shopping for them. Above all, Tashi loves all this!  

Today, Nima and Dawa have grown up strong, beautiful, smart, and well-disciplined. Their favorite leisure time is watching TV besides reading. When asked whether they miss their parents, they replied me, “No!” Surprisingly, both wanted to become teacher because they think that teachers are happy, rich and kind-hearted people.However, the twins are in a dilemmatic situation. They’re not yet registered in the general census. But Tashi is trying all in her power to register their census as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Phub Zangmo, another teacher of Norbuling MSS is bearing the expenses of one of the twins.

Next week, Nima and Dawa will be sitting their life’s first exams. Let’s wish them a very best of luck!