Transcript:
My parental home is in Paskura. We are two sisters. my father divorced my mother after we were born. Our grandmother brought up both of us. She had to struggle hard to bring us up because she was extremely poor. But somehow she managed to buy milk, barley, and sago to nurture us, get rice starch to feed us. My grandmother was pretty old by then, unable to work as hard as she used to in order to earn practically nothing.
She told me one day that she wasn’t able to feed me anymore and I had to work also. She put me to work as a main in the household. I had to wash dishes, clothes, sweep and broom and clean the cowshed there. I used to get my meals, some torn clothes to wear, as well as a little money. I used to stay there and help in the cooking also. I asked her if she had come to see me, and she told me she had arranged my marriage.
When I refused to marry at such a young age she told me that she was old and if she died no one would bother to arrange my marriage. She wanted to spend whatever little time she had on planning my wedding. I was unable to refuse her request. I have learned the songs from my husband. He would sing a little and I would pick it up from him. I am illiterate, so I would learn the songs by rote. Then I joined the training center and learned to paint and sing in the women’s committee. Now we manage somehow. Both of us sing and paint scrolls. At first, my husband didn’t want to go far. He objected to my going to paint or sing. I had a chance to sing in a good program once, on diseases and their prevention. But my husband didn’t allow me. He said, “How much do we earn from scrolls,? You needn’t participate in a medical program. I stayed at home.” Now, after you all started coming here, researched us, listened to our songs, filmed us, bought scrolls for good money, he has given us permission to sing and paint.
Now we manage somehow. Both of us sing and paint scrolls. At first, my husband didn’t want to go far. He objected to my going to paint or sing. I had a chance to sing in a good program once, on diseases and their prevention. But my husband didn’t allow me. He said, “How much do we earn from scrolls,? You needn’t participate in a medical program. I stayed at home.” Now, after you all started coming here, researched us, listened to our songs, filmed us, bought scrolls for good money, he has given us permission to sing and paint.