I met you for the first time at your son’s party
I stood in a corner with my arms folded,
While I watched you slurring in your alcohol-induced stupor
I cringed as you used derogatory words for your wife’s ethnicity as she walked by
And everyone in your clique bellowed
They laughed at your vulgar jokes,
They laughed at you smirking at others
Everyone found you amusing -You were their cool uncle
They continued laughing while an inebriated man – your friend- smothered a young girl with a hug on a table nearby
I watched this scene with a straight face, while I disintegrated with fury inside- still with my arms folded
Until-
You caught my eye
And summoned me from across the room
I hesitated wearily toward you, all the while my heart sinking
You laughed at how thin I was while scrutinizing me
You made assertions about my body as if you had the right to
As I stood almost like an inanimate object next to you
You kept laughing an evil laugh
I felt my face growing hot while I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists
Then without warning, you ran your filthy fingers along my arm
While my body repulsed
I winced on the inside as well as on the outside
But nobody noticed
Time and I both froze
Again, you ran your hand all around my shoulders and kept going down
Everyone kept laughing
I stood there with my arms still folded
As if my arms were a moat between my body and your filthy hands
I stood there with my arms still folded
With your dirt on me
While I heard you say, to no one in particular, “All of you are like children to me”
~ Nupur Hukmani
Pune, India
Hard facts…wonderful articulation.
Thanks Ekta!