Had it been any other ‘normal’ day, 36 year old Dilu Gurung would have been taking care of the household chores at her small apartment in Jhamsikhel. But ever since April 25, nothing has been normal and she spends her days waiting for them to pass hoping that each new day will ensure that she and her three young sons are safe and sound.
She shares her fears and doubts with other women who have come to live in the open grounds of St. Mary’s School. While Dilu had been there since April 25, her quarters deemed too unsafe with threatening cracks, her new neighbors settled there after the May 12 tremors. With more people, she feels safer. Her son, who had been a recluse before this, now runs around the huge ground with the other kids, shares snacks and noodles with them, and plays hide and seek.
Love thy neighbors
45 year old Bimala Gurung was out in Jawalakhel during the 7.3 Richter earthquake. After that, she decided not to go back to her home in Maharajgunj and instead stay with her relatives who were all panicked and had hurried to the school grounds. Even with the aftershocks, she hasn’t stopped going to the office, but after her work ends, she collects the people around the camp and then instigates someone from the group to share their stories.
Bipul and Laure in the Nepali rendition of Tuborg’s ‘Stay Open’
Maiya Bista, a 76 year old woman actively accepts her requests. “All I pray for these days is for the hard times to end. We are all together in this,” she says, and the others thank her for her blessing. The past few days, there have been more blessings said and given than ever. The new neighbors spend their time chatting up about all the trivial things, all the while sharing their pain and suffering. Those blessed with the gift of gab steer the talk sessions away from the tragedy, and its ultimate consequences. But no matter what, Bimala has found the new connections somewhat worthy. “I’d have never met these people had it not been for our shared plight,” she says adding that there is some sort of strength to be found in togetherness.
Kids’ session
Over at Madan Smarak School in Pulchowk, under the flimsy tents and makeshift bamboo cabins, the kids enjoy a movie marathon. With the schools closed and nothing else to do all day, they are busy watching animated movies. Normally, the parents wouldn’t have approved of so much movie time. But they didn’t dare scold or shut it down. It was the easiest and most reliable way of keeping the kids entertained and getting them to forget about the earthquake, albeit momentarily.
Photos: Bijay Rai
At other times, the kids play with whatever they can lay their hands on. As the walls around the school had been destroyed in the earthquakes, the children freely dragged them to their play station to make their fort. Milano, a 10 year old, uses the old benches and the bricks to make a unique game zone as the other kids watch curiously, and then join in whatever she is doing. An elder sister watches over. She enjoys playing with the other kids in the open space so much, that she says, “I don’t want to go to school. I don’t have friends there anyway. I have made many here!” Saying that, she runs and occupies herself with her newly made up game again.
However, as many parents were concerned about their children not going to school and playing all day, a school in Kumaripati has decided to start unofficial classes for the kids. But few kids are seen there, as many just seem to be enjoying the free time and doing what kids do best – playing.
Men at work
Sajan Shrestha used to run a popular handicraft store at a resort in Nagarkot. Understandably, he is home these days with his wife and kids. Not that he didn’t want to open his shop and get busy, but there seems to be no point in doing that, at least not right away. “There are absolutely no tourists. So it’s more of a family time now,” he says explaining that he wants to look at the bright side of things. Not thinking about what might happen, however, he keeps himself occupied in knowing what other people are up to. He tries his best to console his neighbors, who lost their homes and have nowhere to go, and in turn, gets soothed by them too. His own house has sustained noticeable cracks.
Other men, however, are busy playing cards and making merry, as much as the situation seems to allow them. Knowing each other’s trick and game plan to stay safe are what they are concerned about right about now, until things settle down and they can go home and eventually get back to work. “But it might take a while for the business to pick up again,” says Shrestha.
Going back
On May 12, people at Gabahal were forced to find open space once again. Some opted to stay at the community house, while others preferred the open spaces, under the tent. While everybody wanted to go home, issues and concerns over safety held them back. They discussed the pros and cons of going home and what could be done if they were caught inside if another big one struck anytime soon.
Nobody wants to lose the comfort of their home and stay in makeshift shelters, but they seem to have no other choice. With every aftershock, their resolve to go home the next day fades away. Many campers have decided to stay at the camps for at least another month but as the rumors strangle their hopes, some have even started arranging for
longer stays.
That is what Dilu and Bimala, and all those living in the camps elsewhere, talk about, too. While they engage themselves in various activities that distract them, time and again, the issue comes down to when they will be able to go home. “We’ve been forced to live out in the open and though we want to go home, something holds us back,” Dilu says. But there isn’t much she can do. Bimala offers her some peanuts, and they go back to talking about their struggles and the possibility of another quake, while saying silent prayers to prevent their worst nightmares from coming true.
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