I. RUMBLINGS OF
THE STORM
This was my first voyage with my wife and children. I
have often observed in the course of this narrative that,
on account of child marriages amongst middle class
Hindus, the husband will be literate whilst the wife
remains practically unlettered. A wide gulf thus
separates them, and the husband has to become his wife's
teacher. So I had to think out the details of the dress
to be adopted by my wife and children, the food they were
to eat, and the manners which would be suited to their
new surroundings. Some of the recollections of those days
are amusing to look back upon.
A Hindu wife regards implicit obedience to her husband
as the highest religion. A Hindu husband regards himself
as lord and master of his wife who must ever dance
attendance upon him.
I believed, at the time of which I am writing, that in
order to look civilized, our dress and manners had as far
as possible to approximate to the European standard.
Because I thought only thus could we have some influence,
and without influence it would not be possible to serve
the community.
I therefore determined the style of dress for my wife
and children. How could I like them to be known as
Kathiawad Banias? The Parsis used then to be regarded as
the most civilized people amongst Indians, and so, when
the complete European style seemed to be unsuited, we
adopted the Parsi style. Accordingly my wife wore the
Parsi sari, and the boys the Parsi coat and
trousers. Of course no one could be without shoes and
stockings. It was long before my wife and children could
get used to them. The shoes cramped their feet and the
stockings stank with perspiration. The toes often got
sore, I always had my answers ready to all these
objections. But I have an impression that it was not so
much the answers as the force of authority that carried
conviction. They agreed to the changes in dress as there
was no alternative. In the same spirit and with even more
reluctance they adopted the use of knives and forks. When
my infatuation for these signs of civilization wore away,
they gave up the knives and forks. After having become
long accustomed to the new style, it was perhaps no less
irksome for them to return to the original mode. But I
can see today that we feel all the freer and lighter for
having cast off the tinsel of 'civilization.'
On board the same steamer with us were some relatives
and acquaintances. These and other deck passengers I
frequently met, because, the boat belonging to my client
friends, I was free to move about anywhere and every
where I liked.
Since the steamer was making straight for Natal,
without calling at intermediate ports, our voyage was of
only eighteen days. But as though to warn us of the
coming real storm on land, a terrible gale overtook us,
whilst we were only four days from Natal. December is a
summer month of monsoon in the Southern hemisphere, and
gales, great and small, are, therefore, quite common in
the Southern sea at that season. The gale in which we
were caught was so violent and prolonged that the
passengers became alarmed. It was a solemn scene. All
became one in face of the common danger. They forgot
their differences and began to think of the one and only
God- Musalmans, Hindus, Christians and all. Some took
various vows. The captain also joined the passengers in
their prayers. He assured them that, though the storm was
not without danger, he had had experience of many worse
ones, and explained to them that a well-built ship could
stand almost any weather. But they were inconsolable.
Every minute were heard sounds and crashes which
foreboded breaches and leaks. The ship rocked and rolled
to such an extent that it seemed as though she would
capsize at any moment. It was out of the question for
anyone to remain on deck. 'His will be done' was the only
cry on every lip. So far as I can recollect, we must have
been in this plight for about twenty-four hours. At last
the sky cleared, the sun made his appearance, and the
captain said that the storm had blown over. People's
faces beamed with gladness, and with the disappearance of
danger disappeared also the name of God from their lips,
Eating and drinking, singing and merry- making again
became the order of the day. The fear of death was gone,
and the momentary mood of earnest prayer gave place to maya.
There were of course the usual namaz and he
prayers, yet they had none of the solemnity of that dread
hour.
But the storm had made me one with the passengers. I
had little fear of the storm, for I had had experience of
similar ones. I am a good sailor and do not get sea-sick.
So I could fearlessly move amongst the passengers,
bringing them comfort and good cheer, and conveying to
them hourly reports of the captain. The friendship I thus
formed stood me, as we shall see, in very good stead.
The ship cast anchor in the port of Durban on the 18th
or 19th of December. The Naderi also reached the
same day. But the real storm was still to come.
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