FLAG ON THE SUMMIT
by
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Palmina looked at the giant cotton tree as she often did wondering all the time calculating at the same about its age and always ended shaking her head with failure. It was indeed huge, unimaginably so. Nobody knew its age. Somebody roughly guessed it must be few hundred years old. Another calculated its age thousand years old. Palmina innocently asked her father the age of the tree and got the answer ‘as old as Adam himself’ and she believed it missing the twinkle in his eyes. But nonetheless her life revolved round it. She grew around here with Jentilla and other children from Bolchugri—Milche and Chinche. She knew the season it gave both the red flowers and white cotton and waited for both. Now, stood below its huge bottom she looked up at the top and leafless branches with the red flower burst opened and the white cotton came out matured, ready for use. Some lay at its massive feet, motionless, waited for a pick yet with none interested except children who picked it and played with its pure white flower and let the thin shreds fly in the air and spread their film of whiteness; some on the sloppy roof of the L-shaped house, below the tree on the left side of the road. The tree had the curse, the curse as the leafless tree no one missed out but an open display for anyone looking. Yet it stood proudly erect for the fruit it bore and the cotton. Bolchugri, the name was apt for the place, named after the tree “Bolchu” in a local dialect. It stood majestic in the middle, only for the power it lacked otherwise he looked like a king with queen sadly missing but the locality in the town corner had its own. She reigned like a queen, with the mouth like a loudspeaker, that exuded power over her husband, neighbors, children and grown up alike, judging rightly and wrongly with no complain but always wrongly and no one righted the wrong. Not that they knew not of but terrified of the mouthful of abuse she sure was to bestow on anyone dared to invite. Her words crossed boundaries; her voice untamed; her temper volcanic no one missed of and ran in miles if given a chance. Both Palmina and Jentilla hated her. Chinche squirmed at her sight. Milche liked her, not much but more lot than them. She had a reason too; she was sweet to her.
"I know who did it. Jealous woman."
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About the Book
The novel “Flag On the Summit’ is about the dreams of two young girls Jentilla and Palmina who belonged to two humble families of Bolchugri, a non descript place in a non descript town. They lived in the environment where even dreaming big is impossible. They grew together since childhood along with their other friends Chinche, Hilla and Milche. While Palmina wanted to become a doctor, Jentilla wanted to become magistrate. With those two aims like two flags waving at them they began their journey towards it. But halfway, Jentilla’s father and the sole bread earner of the family died and Jentilla went into depression. The people of the Bolchugri was ignorant of depression and was no help to her but rather ridiculed her and taunted her. Even her own mother was no help to her depression as to what it caused it and how to bring her into normalcy. With no help from the society her condition grew worse. But against all odds, Palmina went onto become a doctor with the relentless support of her parents and became a Psychiatrist. She stuck steadfastly into her decision and never give up her dream. Chinche was the only daughter of the drunkard father, neighbour and childhood friend of Palmina with two young brothers’ in her care. Right from the early childhood after her mother’s death she became a mother to them as well as a sister while at the same time looking for care and love which she found in her relationships but only short time. Nobody understood her search for love and care but branded her as a scarlet girl. With that tag she lived but found that in the end. While Hilla, another childhood friend of Palmina and Jentilla was the only daughter of well off doctor parents and never lacked for anything in life but was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Milche was the only daughter of rich Widow’s daughter and never knew the hard time. But all the five friends, even if different in their ages grew together and shared lots of childhood adventures.
About the Author
Miss Aprilish. Ch. Sangma had done her schooling from Christian Girls' School, Tura, Meghalaya. After completion of tenth standard and coming out with flying colours, she moved to Shillong, capital of Meghalaya and both her pre-university and three years' bachelor's degree with History as her major in Lady Keane College, Shillong. After completion of her bachelor's degree, she had done her master's degree in History in North Eastern HillUniversity, Shillong. Presently she is working as Deputy Superintendent Of Police, Infiltration with Meghalaya Police. She had one collection of short stories waiting to be published by Raider Publishing House. Her father is the retired police officer and mother, a house wife. With five brothers and one sister, she is the second daughter in the family. She originally belonged to Tura, capital of West Garo Hills, in Meghalaya state of India where she began her early education and spent most of her childhood but presently working in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya state in India. Her idea to write this novel spring from her early childhood spiced with adventure she enjoyed with friends.