A FREE NOVEL - An All White Saphed Flower Garden
Ephemera is an Elephant who lives in Balmain, Sydney, Australia. Her name means brief pleasures, like the silence between the beats of a drum.
These are her adventures inspired by the children of India in Balmain. There are various Indian words. Some are explained and for those that are not, a glossary is given at the end.
लाल pronounced Lal is the colour Red in Hindi
Exactly as promised, at 1 minute past midnight her phone made a whoosh sound. Jasmine would only see the message in the morning as she was fast asleep.
“You need to find a shop in Balmain. It has an Elephant called Ephemera who has the answer, with lots of love Santa.”
Jasmine’s mother looked at the message over and over again. Not believing it. Jasmine was insisting on coming to work with her so she could search for this shop. The message was from a number 05683 5683.
9-year-old Jasmine had woken up early and she was ready.
After Jasmine’s mother finished her shift at the Grocery store, they started searching.
They turned right and went down a hill. On the left was a lovely old building.
“This is the Balmain Watch House and the oldest Police Station in Australia. But sadly we have no Elephants. I have heard there is one near Dawn Fraser Baths,” said the lady there. “Are you from India?” she also asked.
Jasmine’s mother admired the red Bandhani scarf the woman was wearing.
Jasmine showed no interest in swimming in the beautiful harbour pool called Dawn Fraser Baths with quaint green wooden balconies and a small sandy beach. There was a little cafe where she also asked. “Sorry no Elephant here," replied the attendant. He also offered her an Anzac biscuit.
Normally Jasmine would have loved the pool but today was different. A day to find an Elephant in Balmain and find her answer. She had to hurry.
As if by magic, she saw it. This mosaic of an Elephant outside a shop in Darling Street. Near the bus stop. "Whoosh", went the phone confirming that this was the place.
Jasmine felt she had come home. The colourful block prints, Raj the large wood gatekeeper, the Bandhanis, the Kurtas, Bedspreads with Elephants on them. Handwoven Ribbons and the shiny Kansar Brass thalis, the Kutch bells, the Embroidery, all about India she had heard about.
"But where to look?"
Jasmine stood in front of the Ephemera mosaic with this question in her mind.
"Look in the bags," she heard a whisper. Who could this be?
She inspected the shop. There were many bags.
The red recycled bag she looked in. Empty.
The orange Lisa Hall bag with patchwork and mirrors. Nothing.
The yellow Kutch bag. Zero.
The little green, light blue, indigo-blue wallets from Kutch. Not a thing.
The block print toiletry bags.The navy blue, pink gold one nothing, the purple one empty, the gold white black paisley print one empty too.
And then she spotted a small red pouch attached to the Sanganer print cushions.
Jasmine nervously opened the bag. And yes there was a piece of paper with a message.
This is what it said,
Thank you for your note to Santa. I am Shanti which means peace. Ephemera is my good elephant friend. She will show you my picture if you like.
You are such a caring girl. And I know you seek a solution for your mother's insomnia. Lack of good sleep creates too much tension for everyone.
I suggest that your mother hold her thumb and index finger together whenever she can. One hand at a time or both.
This will work you will see. Also, ask her to wear the colour red when possible.
May you always have peace.
PS The message was hidden well to see if you will be clever enough to find it.
लाल Red Ephemera the Elephant rests
नारंगी pronounced Naarangee means the colour Orange
Aria stopped talking after Maya her Bunji lost all her hair.
Bunji: Means friend/mate in Aboriginal.
It was not Maya's fault - just an illness. Seven-year-old Aria was a quiet person anyway, but her teachers did not understand the silence.
Aria then started growing her hair, and every few months had it cut and sent to a wig factory so that someone like Maya could use it.
Aria was slim and quiet and Maya was plump and talkative. It could be that opposites attract and they had sat next to each other on the first day of school.
Aria's name was chosen by her mother and honoured an old song.
Maya's father was Indian so the name respected the ages-old Indian traditions.
Their parents had only said Hello to each other at school functions.
Maya's mother wore a sari even though she was Australian and liked cooking Indian sweets. Aria loved sweet Barfi. Maya's Indian grandfather lived with them and each day he was served his vegetarian meal on a large steel plate. The sadness of Maya's illness had cast a cloud of silence on the family. Maya remained talkative.
Aria had Irish ancestry and as you know singing is a great tradition of the culture.
The illness had surfaced suddenly and within a month all of Maya's hair had gone. Luckily at school, everyone was understanding and no one teased her. But you can imagine what a seven-year-old wearing a wig looks like.
The first time Maya had to wear a wig, the family and Aria stood in front of a statue of an Indian goddess, lit small lamps and burned incense sticks. Maya's grandfather had also made a small flower garland.
Maya's grandfather chanted softly, "I am beautiful, the world is beautiful". But somehow from that day Aria went quiet and stopped cutting her hair. Maya also liked going to church with Aria. They both sang hymns.
Maya hated Aria's silence and repeated the words " I am beautiful, the world is beautiful", whenever she could.
One night in her dreams Aria saw these words and a large Elephant smiling at her,
"रज़ाई का जादु
razai ka jaadu".
This happened over several nights and Aria always felt happy when the words appeared. What did they mean? What language were these?
Aria over the next few nights was able to write these down. Her sadness lifted whenever she looked at these words.
The librarian at Balmain Library thought the words were Indian. Maya's family translated these to "The Magic Doona". They advised that while Doona was the closest to the word Razai, these were made using a unique method. Razai is completely handstitched.
Aria typed in the words "Razai" and "Balmain" on her computer. A post by a shop called India in Balmain came up.
Aria visited the shop as soon as she could and asked about the Razai. There were many kinds - of flowers, elephants, palm trees, leaves, mangoes and feathers. All filled with just cotton wool.
Aria slowly saved up to buy the one with an Elephant on it.
The first time she used the Razai, she felt her hair growing at a much faster pace. The next day she cut it all off and sent it to the wig factory. Night after night her hair grew quickly to make at least five wigs per day. She was overjoyed by the results and spoke to Maya's grandfather for the first time in many months."I was quiet because my hair was growing so slowly. I felt helpless. Now I can help Maya even more. Thanks to the रज़ाई का जादु."
नारंगी Naarangee Orange Ephemera the Elephant likes hugging people
पीला pronounced Peela means Yellow
Coconut had to wait outside. He knew. He sat next to the water bowl. Whining unusually. But he knew the rules. He was obedient. It was a way to show love to those around him. Coconut peered through the glass hoping he would catch her eye. The eye of Ephemera, the Elephant.
It was not to be today. He knew his time will come.
This happened over several days. But no sign of Ephemera's eye.
What does a poodle do when waiting?
Coconut was blessed. He could remember the words his father had taught him as a pup,
"You are the strongest yellow,
the mightiest yellow poodle,
think of yellow when you feel alone,
yellow will settle all that anxiety in your stomach.
Your day full of naans will come my dear yellow coconut."
7 am one morning. There she was. Bella the Kelpie tied to the lamp post outside the shop.
A mandala or a rangoli was being made outside the shop on the footpath. There was music playing, laughter, sweets, dog biscuits and flowers. The Indian Goddess of wealth visits on this day. Coconut, however, just wanted to catch the eye of Ephemera.
Bella was very happy to see him. They both remembered each other from that previous life in Varanasi.
"I just can't catch Ephemera's eye," Coconut said to Bella.
"Ah, our lovely Ephemera, the mighty one, the beautiful one, the queen of Varanasi. I just saw her and she was wondering why she had not seen you. But as you know many all day want to catch her attention," replied Bella.
"I have been trying." "She won't look," cried Coconut.
"Did you make the offering though?" asked Bella. You know how she loves naans.
"But how do I do it now, I am a poodle."
"Offerings need not be physically made. You just have to offer in your mind and she will notice."
At last thought Coconut. I have found a way.
Next time when he was waiting outside India in Balmain, he imagined Ephemera, the Elephant smiling.
The Naans: He imagined himself fetching a bowl. Adding a cup of self-raising flour to it. And then enough milk to make it the consistency of clay. He then left the dough for an hour. The dough rises. He makes small balls and pulls them by hand to make these flatter. He places each in an oven tray with the heat in the oven at 200 degrees Celcius. Within 10 minutes the flatbread gets a few brown marks and it is ready. Sometimes when the brown marks do not appear he keeps the bread longer in the oven until these do. Moved to a plate then covered by butter, the naan offering is ready. Ready for the one and only Ephemera. Coconut can feel the Elephant sparkling.
Coconut looked up and there was Ephemera with her face to the window, smiling at him. He was happy. The most powerful Elephant in Balmain had smiled at him. This is all that he wanted. To please her.
The next time he saw Bella, she was excited to know that her idea had worked. She also said " I could see what delicious Naan you made in your imagination. In my imagination, I also cooked a curry to go with it."
Coconut knew that his life will now be full of magic and joy.
Bella's Curry ( even Children can cook this): Make a curry paste. I teaspoon Turmeric, 4 tablespoons Cumin-Coriander Powder, 3 Tablespoons Oil.
Smear these on 2 chopped and peeled potatoes and 1 large chopped Eggplant. Place in an oven tray.
In a separate metal container mix thoroughly 1 tin chopped tomatoes, I cup hot water, 1 tablespoon salt and 3 tablespoons sugar.
Bake the potatoes and eggplant in a 220-degree oven for 30 minutes. Also, place the metal container with the tomato mixture in the oven.
Make sure the potatoes are golden and cooked by piercing with a fork. Otherwise, leave baking for longer.
Add the tomato mixture to the potatoes and eggplant.
Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice before serving.
पीला Peela Yellow Ephemera the Elephant likes to breathe deeply
हरा भरा pronounced Hara Bhara means Green
The visiting children's voices were interesting."Ephemera loves me the most. She wears a Kutch waistcoat for me always."
"Nah, I know her favourite is the Chikan White embroidered Kurta and that she wears for me."
"Have you ever seen her wearing Madame Hall? Now that's especially for me."
"and Injiri...have you seen her in that...only for me."
F86 looked up from the grass. The name is to identify her breed. She had dewy eyes, long lashes and her coat was deep and dense. She was the unofficial head of the cattle here on this farm in Oberon in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney, And when F86 looked up the whole herd looked up and listened.
"I prefer her wearing the purple Nehru Jacket just for me." "The silk block print pyjamas look lovely on her." "The Ajkrakh scarf matched with the bandhani scarf is the best." She looks so royal when she wears the Ralli coat."
All the cows on this farm were gentle. They never jumped fences.
F86 looked at the children. The boys. Adi, Jonathan, Rupert, Orlando, Jimmy. The girls. Lucy, Charlotte and Violet.
F86 could see how they enjoyed each others company as they munched on oranges and Bombay mix.
When Adi was by himself, F86 approached him and told him of the dance near the big gum tree at midnight. She told him that his special Ephemera would be there. She also asked him to make a model of Lord Krishna.
F86 explained that Krishna is an Indian god. He was a cowherd and remembered for removing evil from the world.
She then went to all the boys individually and separately, advising them of the dance and said the following,
To Rupert, she introduced Hanuman, the monkey god. He helped God Rama rescue his wife and partner Sita. F86 requested a model too.
To Jonathan, she introduced God Rama. The peak of duty and sacrifice. His loyal brother was Laxman, who she talked to Jimmy about. F86 mentioned that Ephemera may like a model of both Laxman and Rama.
To Orlando, she mentioned Shiva- who lives on a mountain and is the Lord Of Dance.
हरा भरा Hara Bhara Green Ephemera the Elephant wears a Green garland
Violet can be described as angelic. Cherub faced with Pink cheeks. And smooth hair. When F86 approached her like she had the others, Violet immediately offered to make a model of both Laxmiji the goddess of wealth and Kaliji the goddess of destruction.
Lucy who is tall was charmed by the story of Radha, girlfriend to Lord Krishna. Radha is elegant, beautiful and loves pranks.
Saraswati is the Goddess of learning and Charlotte loves knowledge.
Midnight.
One by one the children arrived carrying their models.
F86 asked the children to form a circle after placing the models they had made in the middle. And she asked everyone to think of their Ephemera.
A red Ephemera emerged in the centre. It had the name Adi on it.
An orange Ephemera emerged with the name Jonathan.
A yellow Ephemera emerged with Rupert on it.
A green Ephemara emerged with the name Jimmy.
A light blue Ephemera with the name Lucy.
An indigo blue Ephemera with Charlotte on it.
A Navy Blue, Pink, Gold, Purple Gold white Ephemera with Violet.
The very dark black night in Oberon enjoyed the shining colours.
The children were amazed to see so many versions of Ephemera the Elephant and realised that she was special to everyone.
Each Ephermera wore the same crown.
हरा भरा Hara Bhara Green Ephemera the Elephant wears a Green crown
हल्का नीला pronounced Halka Neela is Light Blue
Singh lived in Mumbai and had heard of the Pillar of ancient Buddhist stone. How and why he did not know. Perhaps a memory from a previous life if you like that kind of explanation.
Singh was not sporty and loved music. However, his family loved sport.
He did not get good marks at school. And he was slow at many things so was often ridiculed.
But the idea of meeting the Pillar of ancient Buddhist stone drove him. And he knew she was in Sydney. How will he get from Mumbai to Sydney?
He also knows she was in an area called Balmain.
One Christmas, India was playing cricket against Australia in Sydney and Singh's father, an avid follower of Cricket decided to take the family there.
A man turned up at a party given by the hosts. He said he was from Balmain. Aha thought Singh.
He could already feel the colour surrounding the Pillar. Purple is dominant with traces of colours Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Light Blue, Indigo Blue, Navy Blue, Gold, Pink, Purple, Gold, White, Black.
How did Singh know so much? Perhaps he had been a wise man before.
Ah, you mean "India in Balmain?" when he mentioned his quest to the man from Balmain. Yes, there is an Elephant there who we refer to as the pillar of ancient Buddhist Stone.
Ephemera smiled when she saw Singh, "Why do you call me the pillar of ancient Buddhist Stone?", she asked.
Singh answered giving many reasons.
"You wear red shoes,
You smile an orange smile,
The colour yellow shines through you,
Green adores your courage and your compassion.
Your light blue voice is soothing,
you listen to every sound and word.
An invisible navy blue crown, with pink diamonds, gold leaf is your hallmark,
purple lavender is your scent.
Your halo is gold white black."
Ephemera was pleased with Singh. In his first English Literature test on his return, Singh stood top of the class. He now makes an annual pilgrimage to Sydney.
हल्का नीला Halka Neela Light Blue Ephemera the Elephant likes hymns
नील pronounced Neel is Indigo Blue
Indie and Bella are young Cattle Dogs who live in the Blue Mountains. Nika a kelpie lives in the Southern Highlands.
They like to jump at their visitors.
They are not keen to come to the city much as either they have to stay inside or be on a leash. In the bush, they are much freer. Nika also gets up at 6 am and likes to snuggle under her friend Dave's knees.
They love visiting Ephemera the Elephant in Balmain.
They don't jump at Ephemera. Loving Ephemera's humming instead which is like the morning dew of a fresh Australian light blue morning or the crisp burning murmur of wood in an evening fire stove.
Ephemera appreciates that Indie prefers the Indian morning raagas, Bella the evening ones and Nika the afternoon raagas.
They are at their loudest at those particular times.
It is difficult to explain these raagas by just writing about them. It's best to listen. And there are many options on the internet.
The words of the compositions in morning raaga Bhairav are to offer gratitude for the passing of the night and the coming of another dawn.
Does music have a day and night? While we know it is not bound by time or space, Indian classical music has come down through centuries of tradition that celebrates all hours of the day.
हल्का नीला Halka Neela Light Blue Ephemera the Elephant likes calm voices
गहरा नीला pronounced Gahara Neela is Navy Blue गुलाबी pronounced Gulaabee is Pink सोना pronounced
Sona is Gold
At one time a boy had a red ball, and he wanted all the red balls in Balmain,
He had an orange, which is all he could eat. Then why did he chase for all the oranges in Balmain?
All one needs is three good friends but he had to be the "Centre of Attraction"- a yellow beacon.
Did he show genuine love to anyone but himself? He got nervous at the simplest of things going wrong. But that's the way he was.
He did have a lovely calm light blue voice and listened earnestly.
But perhaps he had a mental weakness just to live in the now and not to think of the future. (You can hear navy blue crying as this approach if you are alone could be very unlucky). Pink paced up and down, Gold stopped glittering. But then not everyone is perfect.
Purple just stood still. So did White and Black.
Ephemera the Elephant slowly crept up to the boy. She lit a candle near the boy's face so he could feel its warmth and generosity.
गहरा नीला Gahara Neela Navy Blue, गुलाबी Gulaabee Pink सोना Sona Gold Ephemera the strong Elephant
Ephemera teaches that बैंगनी pronounced Baiganee, is the colour Purple, gold we know is Sona, सफेद pronounced
Saphed is the colour White, काला pronounced Kaala is the colour Black
Ephemera's favourite song is the one about Bells. It goes like this. Ring the red Kutch bell once, the orange Kutch bell twice for edginess, the yellow temple bell three times.
The green leaf bell four times.
Light blue bells in the sky will ring automatically,
followed by indigo blue heavenly bells.
She emphasises that Celestial bells come in many colours
Navy Blue
Pink
Gold
Purple
Gold
White
and Black.
Ephemera the Elephant has a short nap.
Milo the cat from the nearby Cat and Fiddle Hotel arrives and climbs onto Ephemeras lap. They both dream of an all-white saphed flower garden.
Glossary
Barfi
milk-based candy
Buddhist
derived from the Buddha
Chikan
traditional embroidery
Gujarat
state in India
Hanuman
Hindu God
Injiri
style of clothing
Jaadu
magic
Kali
Hindu Goddess
Kansar
Gujarati dessert
Krishna
Hindu God
Kurta
long shirt with slits
Kutch
state in India
Laxman
Rama's brother
Laxmi
Hindu Goddess
Mandala
Floor art
Mumbai
city in India
Naan
flat bread
Raaga
musical composition
Radha
Hindu Goddess
Ralli
snake design embroidery
Rama
Hindu God
Rangoli
Floor art
Razai
doona or a duvet
Sanganer
unique block printing
Saraswati
Hindu Goddess
Shiva
Hindu God of dance
Thali
large plate
Varanasi
Spiritual town in India
will appreciate a review here
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20904660.Bhupen_Thakker
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