Rasuwa Reminders: The Faces

A face can tell so many things about a person. A face is like the symbolic reflection of a story. Not a tale of entire life, but a little story at the moment. And for this, I feel, the eyes and the mind play the catalyst in the reaction between the beholder and the subject.

I, obviously, came across many different people during my job in Rasuwa and I do remember almost all the people I worked with. The first name to come is Mr. Kang, a Korean construction manager, because of the man that he was and the hard times he gave us. I was annoyed and angry with him but it was just the way he used to work.

It was mostly kids, whom I was more interested to interact with. Whether it was the children of workers or the local kids of the village, I found them more intriguing. There was a school but that was not functioning well; the local kids were busier in household chores anyway. The situation of children of workers was even sadder as they had to stay up in the camps with very limited basics, schooling was far off the sight. And there were some, who were increasing their real age to be okay enough to work on the site. The poverty thing! :(

From the colleagues turned friends in my office to the bosses, I know the faces, from the Koreans to the locals. Some told their tales of struggles and some boasted their love stories. Some expressed the joy of their dreams and some the sorrows of their lives. Some never spoke and some just smiled. I saw many, talked to some and captured few.

These two beautiful kids.. :')

Work, first!
Are you really taking my photo? (I'll smile a bit)

A smile never goes wrong with a photo.

Dipak and his story

"These are my mother's slippers, I have none.
I wore them because she is at work, in her work shoes."

He was the one, who opened to me the most. Dipak Nepali, 11 years old. I first noticed him in the same mood as in the photo above and talked to him after capturing him in a frame. Listening to his talks, he was a smarty one.

His entire family had come there for work from Kathmandu but they belong from Rolpa. His grandparents didn't like to look after them, so their parents took them along in that tough site. While his parents and elder brother (15) worked all day on a daily wage basis, he and his two siblings stayed at the camp. His siblings were to fetch the woods from forests and he was to collect the mushroom or ningro for dinner. He himself was the one to prepare dinner for his whole family.

"I get bored all day. I really want to go to school but I can't go here.
Kathmandu was better. Even though I had to work hard in a brick factory, I could go to school, at least and get a free food."

He wanted to study real bad. He had heard of a school in the nearby village, which would take him almost two hours walk to reach. But he was not allowed because he had to go through the construction site, where the blasting was regular, and that would be dangerous. I promised him to give a copy and pencil so that he could study on his own, whatever he had learned in the school in Kathmandu. He was proud that he knew all A to Z, Ka to Gya and the numbers.

I couldn't find him the day I brought the copies and pencils, but I got to meet his little brother and sister. I handed it to them and told them to study together and ask for more after finishing. Next thing I heard after few days was that they kept it to only them and didn't share with Dipak. Kids!

What pinched me more was their barefoot. They were walking with their bare foot on that place full of pointy pieces of stones on the newly excavated road. I felt bad for not being able to help them. I could have made more effort, but it just couldn't happen. And there were more kids like them.

We will now try to write A,B,C,D...

They had a dispute regarding their wages, with their petty contractor, who had brought them there. The contractor gave them less than they actually earned. They decided to leave, just after a month of work. I met them again on the day they were leaving. It was a day half off at the site. His father was drunk, his mother was trying to control him. He along with his siblings was carrying little bags. I talked to him and his elder brother and got to know about the whole scene.

They were deciding to walk about 13 km on foot to get a bus. Barefoot! A mother took off her slippers and gave it to the youngest son. Ouch! It was a real sad thing to see. I gave Dipak a little money I had in my pocket. He said that he would buy noodles and share with his brothers and sister, and if his father got money, he would spend it on alcohol.

Luckily, army's jeep gave them a ride up to the nearby town.

When I had asked Dipak how would he remember me, he had answered - "thulo chasma lagaune sir". I don't think he remembers. Maybe he would if he had my photo with him. I have his and I remember him and his family. I just wish all the best things for him and his family.

These people in work...

One thing I remember about him is Namaste; he used to greet all the seniors with 'namaste' daily. 
No other workers did the same.
He was previously in an army. Maybe discipline came from that.

15 years old in real
But, claims to be 18 years old so as to work there and earn
Because no workers under 18 were legally allowed to work at the site.

Their little squad and their pose, of course

Helper for a day
Off from the blasting site as his petty contractor sends him to be helper for excavator-operator for a day

One of the Mishtri, i.e. skilled labor

The cutest of all

Engineer - Junior Version

This is it for Rasuwa Reminders. Those times in Rasuwa have been quite an experience for me, which I thought I wanted not to remember but in reality, I have not forgotten at all and I never will.

Thank you for reading.

More from Rasuwa Reminders:
Rasuwa Reminders: The Shades of Nature
Rasuwa Reminders: The Works
Rasuwa Reminders: Randomness