This is a Indo-Jamaican story that I am sure most people can relate to because it pertains to family life and the bethrothal of young ladies within the family unit.

My Granny Gheeta was a woman of discerning taste, she knew a lot of people, however she only called a selected few her true friends. Madame Bhangrasang was one of them. Her and Granny Gheeta shared a lot in common. They both were estranged from their husbands and were confronted with the challenge of raising female children by themselves.

Although some people would attest that it is easier raising boys than girls. Granny Gheeta always felt, girls were so much more interesting, filled with all sorts of drama.

When Madame Bhangrasang announced that her youngest daughter had finally found a suitable match through a notable Astrologer, she could not contain herself with joy. It was so long in the making that she declared the following week her family's week of engagement celebration.

Madame Bhangrasang had lived a life filled with pomp and circumstances due to her estranged husband's Diplomatic core. It was very rare that Madame Bhangrasang referred to her previous life. However, she kept in touch with the dignitaries' wives whom she had become acquainted with over the years. So, when her youngest daughter declared that she had finally found a suitable match, she felt it was time to dust off her old phone book and ring all the phones throughout the world.

Granny Gheeta was assigned to be her right hand person in all the engagement celebration. Ashir was Madame Bhangrasang's most tedious daughter. She shunned tradition and preferred to be a tom-boy instead of dressing up in jewels and frocks. She could always be found playing cricket with the boys her age in the park or drag racing cars through Vernon Field. Her mother constantly gnawed at her, that time was running out and she had to decide on  a proper choice for a husband. Every boy that her mother presented to her, she managed to find something wrong with them.

It became a task in futility. Madame Bhangrasang was resigned to the fact that her youngest daughter would end up being an old maid, living with a house full of cats and a barn filled with animals. Ashir showed no signs of wanting to be bothered with the opposite sex. She would date for a few months but her mother knew that after she became bored the guy was sure to get his pink slip handed to him at the front door.

After a few years it was no longer a family joke, Madame Bhangrasang feared that there was something seriously wrong with her daughter. She was not like the other girls, they all got married by the time they were 21. Ashir was rapidly drifting into her thirties and exhibited little signs of interest in a male counterpart unless it involved sports.

Her mother feared that her competitive spirit and outspoken manner would scare away the most well-meaning of souls. Therefore, Madame Bhangrasang decided to take drastic measures and enlist the help of a successfull Astrologer to find a mate for her precious Ashir. From the first meeting the Astrologer told Ashir's mother that it was going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He told her bluntly that her daughter possessed a personality that only 1 percent of the world had.

In true astrological fashion, he also convinced her that all the planets had to be in alignment on the day that she meets her beloved, that would be the only way that a match for her would be successful. According to many older people, this was a once in a lifetime ocurrence.

Well, the Universe must have been looking out for her, because what was supposed to be a non-event, suddenly turned into "the event" of the season.

Granny Gheeta and Madame Bhangrasang planned a two-day engagement ceremony. The gown and saris were flown in from India. Granny Gheeta spent her days running all over Jamaica planning the elaborate menu and floral arrangements for the occasion.

The ceremony was set to be held on Madame Bhangrasang's brother's, farm.  Her brother Harold, had a farm on the outskirts of Kingston. The occasion was set to be a two-day feast. Goats were being prepared to make curry goat and manish water. Every bakery in town was put on notice to provide the best in sweet delicacies for the occasion.

With all the planning in effect, everyone forgot to check the mood-o-meter of Ashir. It seemed that she was slowly becoming nervous about making the occasion official. The elaborate affair made every thing seem so real, leaving her little wiggle room. It meant that she had to go through with the nuptials. In her mind, it was a fate worst than going to the guillotine.

She felt that her sporting days would be over and that her independence would become non-existent. Panic began to set in.

A big tent was set up outside the house to hold the event. There were a few tables and chairs, and the place was mostly adorned with silk cushions in jewel tones. It seemed as if every Politician and member of Parliament was present at the event.

Ashir's intended Taj arrived early, eager to announce to the world that he had finally captured the heart of elusive Ashir. But, Ashir was nowhere to be found. Granny Gheeta and I set out to look for Ashir, but she was not in the house, she wasn't in the garden, we finally found her talking to the horses in the barn.

She asked them to give her a bray if she should go forward with the engagement or say nothing and she would not go through with it. The horses were braying frantically, Granny Gheeta urged her, "Come on Ashir, you look so pretty and everyone is waiting on you, besides, the horses have spoken. There's no turning back!"

She replied, "Ms. Gheeta, this is the end of life as I know it......."

Granny smiled, "Don't think of it that way, perhaps you will have found someone who is just as wild at heart like yourself. The stars never lie."

Reluctantly, Ashir picked up the bottom of her seafoam gown and followed Granny and myself back to the tent.

We all thought that it could have only been smooth sailing from then on. However, when the Pundit was about to do the blessing of the rings, Ashir excused herself to the ladies' room. Several minutes passed and Madame Bhangrasang feared that she had absconded out of town to escape the formality of everything. She went looking for Ashir, and found her hyperventilating in the bathroom.

Ashir asked her mother, "Is this normal, Mum?"

Madame Bhangrasang responded, "This is you in typical fashion, you were always impetuous as a child. Remember your first day of Kindergarten? You held on to the car door so tight, it took us hours to pry your hand from the door. You finally mustered the nerve to go in the class. After that, we couldn't get you to leave. I had never seen anyone so enthusiastic about Kindergarten after that day. Once you got the "hang" of it, you left us all in a cloud of smoke."

Ashir laughed through her tears and resigned herself to the fact that she was going forward with her decision and embarking on a new adventure. The rest of the two-day event went off without a hitch. All the guests were convinced that Ashir had found a suitable life partner. But like most Jamaican parents, Madame Bhangrasang wanted to make sure that Ashir's intended did not have any misconceptions of how he should treat her daughter.

She told Taj, "I beg of you to treat her properly, because if you don't, only God will be able to help you. She is the battle of Waterloo and Armageddon all in one."

Taj commented, "I know".

Madame Bhangrasang sealed their conversation with a hug, remarking, "There is nothing like knowing what you have....As long as you know, everything will be alright."

Tags: Granny and I talk about New Beginnings