Joining a Committee
She was calling to remind me that the monthly instalment for the committee was due. She did not know that I was in Seattle and there was a time difference of three hours. But, I didn't tell her and of course I didn't mind the call at all.
In fact, I had been worried because the reminder to pay the committee instalment had gone off on my Iphone and I had revised it to make sure that I pay it as soon as I got back to Detroit. I wished that Rubeena had not called to remind me.
This Committee thing was something that always puzzled me. I didn't know what it was when Naheed initially participated in it. But she explained it all to me and it made a little bit of sense. This is how I imagined it. In the old days in villages when the husband went to work, he would get paid at the end of the day. When he came home, he would give the money he earned that day to his wife. There wouldn't be too much money, perhaps just enough to buy food for the next day.
The wives would do their best to spend the money as frugally as possible, save a penny here, a dime there and so on. If there were some coins left from shopping at the bazaar, they would tie them in their cummerbund, tuck the cummerbund into the shalwar and come home. Tying them in the cummerbund kept them together and safe. No thief would dare put a hand on a woman's cummerbund, lol. At the end of the month they would accumulate a little bit of a saving.
Of course there were always things in life that required large sums of money. This could be saving for a rainy day or saving for a trip to the "maika (the wife's parents home)" or maybe a daughter's wedding. The monthly savings of course would not be enough to finance such events, so friends or neighbours would start a committee. The concept was that you paid a fixed amount each month and you could get a lump sum of the amount you put in, at a time of your choosing, when you really needed it.
So, for example, if the committee was among 12 friends for one year and you put in $100 a month beginning in January, you could get $1200 in the month, say in August, but then you continued to put in your share for the rest of the year. It was a neat concept for villages, where there were no banks, etc. It even made sense for the old times in Pakistan, but it just didn't make sense in good old U.S. of A.
One thing that still puzzles me is the use of the word Committee. Why do they call it that? I wonder! They even pronounce it differently and call it "Kumaytee", lol. I remember when Rubeena had come to our house and was begging Naheed and saying, "Bajeeeee, saaday naal ik kumaytee dal lo na, lol". And, those words were said in typical Punjabi and in a tone begging her to participate. Of course Naheed would always agree. As soon as one committee was finished, another one was ready to start.
Our committee started with $100 but then it became $200 and then they convinced Naheed, "bajeeee do dal lo na", so it doubled to $400, which is what it is now. The current committee is one that Naheed started while she was still alive. We never picked a month to collect the committee money. After everyone else had gotten paid and the committee was ready to finish, we would get the last instalments. I would ask Naheed why she does this and it was an added chore for me because I had to make sure that cash was in the house for each month's instalment.
Her answer was always, "kisi kee mudud ho jatee hai" (this could help somebody) or "jab ek dum say paisay miltay hain to achha lugta hai na?" (when you get a lump sum all at once, it's a really wonderful feeling, isn't it). I always had responses for these arguments but seldom chose to give them. It was no use. Once I did tell her that if we kept this money in the bank, we would get interest, but to that argument her response was an unpleasant "Unh", and that was it.
So, that is the story of the committee and I am thinking that I don't know when the current committee will end. And, when it ends, Rubeena will come to the house and give me my share of the money. And, then she will most likely ask, "Phai Jaaan, ik ore kumaytee dal lo naaaa!", pleading her case to do it again. What will I say then?
I am thinking that I shouldn't really join. This is an added chore. When Rubeena used to come each month to pick up the committee from Naheed, it was more like a social visit, an opportunity to chit chat. An opportunity to find out who is looking for a bride or a husband, and which boys and girls are still not married.
I remember this being the main topic of their conversation. I also remember that she would specially mention some pretty girls of friends she knew that were looking for husbands but then add a comment, "pur bajee, unhain to daaktur chahiyai hai na, lol" (but they are looking for a doctor). A chitchat like this could not happen between Rubeena and me. So, I shouldn't join the committee again. But then, this committee thing is a link. A link with Rubeena. A link that was started by my darling wife.
A link that I should never break. A link I should always keep intact. So, if Rubeena asks me, I will join the committee again. I really should. money savings www.pakpositive.com