Like thousands of earthquake victims, Suphala misses cozy home as the winter is getting hard on her. Her father in law, who feels heart - broken to see insurmountable tragedy in the family's life, demands that no less. "Home, a proper shelter, comes first," said Bhimdatta, 79.
He added that that he however has no hope of getting a new home, neither he thinks he can ever see Suphala standing in her own feet again. "Poor girl! Now neither her legs would recover, nor will there be any house in our name," he lamented. "I wish the earthquake had taken me and spared my son. Thing would be have better, if he was alive to take care of his family."
Bhimdatta used to live retired life prior to the earthquake. After the earthquake, he has no choice, but to force his old and feeble body do household chores. "With their father dead and mother handicapped, someone has to take care of these kids. And I am the only one to whom they now look at to have their needs fulfilled.
Bhimdatta's wife Madhumaya, 70, has hardly smiled after the death of her son. She says the disaster changed her life into a nightmare. The couple's grandchildren are equally affected. Bhimdutta said they are not able to see the troubles the family is going through.
Suphala was a teacher. Post earthquake she received treatment in the Teaching Hospital of Kathamndu for seven months. As she sustained severe injury in head, other body parts and mainly legs, she was given lighter responsibility back at work.
"My husband was also a teacher. We were both taking part in a teachers training at the Chaturmala Higher Secondary School's resource center on that ill fated day. Though I survived, he could not make it. And now with these condition, I don't know how am I going to care of the kids," she said. It takes her seven year old son just 15 minutes to reach school. But Suphala cannot make it even in an hour. "I need others' help all the time. To move around, to go to toilet and so on," she lamented. "But I had to continue job, after all, I have kids to raise."
The family is managing in a makeshift shelter. Rainy season was very tough to pass, they said. 'But the winter is getting even tougher', Suphala stated putting forward the question "Why doesn't government care about us? We need a house to live in."
Saphala's injured body aches badly due to the cold. Swelling and aching of body keeps her restless all the time, and it has been very hard for keeping the children warm, the elderly members of the family shared.
"Happiness in my family is gone forever. The government cannot bring it back. But our life would be easier and the kids would have better future if it cared little for us," said Bhimdutta who had lost his grandson from his elder to the disaster. "The kid was in 10th grade. Remembering the death of my beloved at such happening ages, is unbearable," he said adding, "I just try to forget all of it. But what I cannot avoid is the troubles that the living ones are going through."
The earthquake killed four people and injured 12 in Bhimdutta's village (Muchchowk) alone. Families of the deceased have no different story than that of Adhikari family. The affected have urged the government to help them build house. "Resettlement is most important," Suphala stated.
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