In this chapter I propose to write about some of the personalities worth remembering and praying for. Of course they are no more now but their contribution to our family was invaluable.
Patience was her faith. She was the wife of our first maternal Uncle Mr. Mohammed Ismail. We don't remember to have seen him as he was living in Hyderabad until his untimely death. The widow Bimumani had no other choice except to shift to Bangarapet alongwith four children, one son and three daughters all very young.
As far as we remember our late Uncle could not leave much for the family as it appears he was earning just enough to survive.
In Bangarapet Bimumani's relatives were her mother, one sick father (always on bed) and three brothers. The eldest was fairly well placed. Mumani's children lived with their uncles and Mumani mostly lived in our family always giving a helping hand in every respect.
Anytime there was a marriage or sickness in our family, she was the mainstay. Nothing moved without her assistance.
One instance to remember is that of our first aunt, Nisar's mother, who was suffering from TB, a dangerously contagious disease. When our aunt's condition was precarious Mumani lived close to her not caring to eat or sleep. It looked as if she was breathing with her. She was so close. When our aunt succumbed to her illness everyone mourned nonstop for hours weeping and lamenting. It was because our aunt whose name was Halima Bi was a beloved lady and a real moving spirit in the joint family. She was also our mother's own younger sister. As long as she lived my mother had very little to do in the house. She loved and looked after us as if we were her own children. When she died I was very young and I believe I wept very much beside her dead body. We remembered her for a very long time.
Bimumani's next great act was the way she handled the sickness of her youngest daughter Nasima who had an attack of small pox, a dangerously contagious disease, which usually proved fatal in those days. The child got the attack when she was in our house with her mother. There was no epidemic hospital in Bangarapet where such patients could be admitted to prevent spreading of this disease.
Since she could not be shifted anywhere one of the corner rooms in our house was spared for the purpose. Bimumani spent all the time with her daughter mostly in her lap. Food and medicines were supplied from time to time but no one was allowed to go in and Mumani came out only to go to the bathroom. Nasima had the worst type of attack and all her body including the face was not safe. She had to complete the duration of probably 21 days of continuous torture along with her mother.
You might say that she was her own child and she had to do it. The question is that such diseases are handled in specific hospitals or looked after by more than one person. In this case I am sure Mumani never slept even one wink during the whole period. Ultimately when it was over and the doctor declared the child to be out of danger, Mumani looked cheerful without a trace of the suffering. Such was her stamina. Incidentally Nasima is the only surviving child today with her own family.
I still recall that Mumani was the busiest lady in all the marriages including mine and she showed no signs of weariness. No one ever saw her getting angry against any one or refuse to assist anybody in need.
Unfortunately she was not blessed with happiness through her own children. The eldest son died at the prime of his youth and the daughters were married but lived only a marginal life struggling to exist all the time.
Bimumani was a noble lady the type of one in a million you might say.
May God rest her soul in peace. Ameen.