Mala’s Miracle
#32: 100-words on what troubles you that you can't change. Write it down, throw in the fire.
Mala’s Miracle
Mālā opened a sweets shop — Nani’s recipes — in a forgotten American town. She offered barfis, laddus, etc. Most townsfolk stayed away. A sign appeared for a daily “free-sweet-lottery” for kids.
Kids started coming.
When they grew into teenagers, Mala put out a “Troubles’ Tin” for them to scribble their problems on paper, throw them in. Every week Mala burned their problems to ashes. Hearing this seemed to comfort the teenagers.
The notes grew. Adults joined in.
Soon the town adopted a ritual. Every solstice and equinox townsfolk gathered around a bonfire, burnt their troubles, ate Mala’s laddus, returned home lighter!
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reena | 02.09.24
*Barfi or burfi is a milk-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent with a fudge-like consistency; often served at celebrations and festivals such as Diwali.
*Laddu or laddoo is a spherical sweet from the Indian subcontinent made of various ingredients and sugar syrup or jaggery, "perhaps the most universal and ancient of Indian sweets."
This piece was inspired by this excellent, hope inspiring piece of reporting…
If you don’t know the author
, he wrote “Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic” (2015) perhaps among the first books to provide a comprehensive report and story of the raging opioid crisis in inner America, and the multitudinous factors enabling it. Years before the crisis made front page news, before it reached our clueless coasts. He’s a fearless journalist — rare original breed in our click-baity times — and a gifted storyteller. I highly recommend the book.~~~
The story’s also inspired by a strange fantasy(?) I nurse, to live a simpler life in a small town, writing all day, making meaning through rituals in community and simply tending a garden. My own dreamland!
Back to the story… and the craft… I’ve been asked about these 100-word stories and they often begin as 300-400-500… words or more. I usually don’t save earlier versions. But I saved this one for a little show-tell. Here it is.
Mala (Maa-Laa) ran a little store that sold all sorts of everyday essentials in the small town. She was the only Indian - from India - in that little town. At first the people wondered about her and why she was here, single, alone, but slowly they came to not mind her. The store also sold a lot of candy which the kids loved. They’d stop by and every once in a while she’d have a bonus candy, a free giveaway. There was one every week but no one could predict who’d get it or when it would happen. The kids started coming many times a day for it. The shop became a little hub full of kids' laughter. There was always a warm fire and a warm Tulsi tea to sip up front if you came early enough.
The kids grew into teenagers with the usual growing-up troubles. Mala started a new tradition. A kid could write their troubles on a piece of paper and put it in a jar. Mala would give them a barfi or a laddoo -- her grandmother's recipe from India -- in return. The kids grew to love it. Mala told the kids that every Sunday she threw all their troubles into the fire so they could rest easier. Every Monday she’d put up a notice on her bulletin board saying the troubles died helpless and weak against the fire. The kids would read it and smile. It helped them feel better. The notes got more frequent and longer and the fire ritual had to be performed twice a week. The kids started doing better.
Soon the adults joined in and the fire became bigger. It had to be taken outside the store.
Within months the town had a new ritual. At the start of every new season - the solstices and the equinoxes - the townsfolk gathered around a little bonfire, shared their troubles, drank Tulsi tea and went away feeling better. They called it Mala’s miracle.
Do you have rituals to rid yourself of troubles that you don’t have any control over? Do share…
Thanks for the restock @Priya Iyer and @Paul Wittenberger. Very much appreciated 🙏
what a beautiful story! Loved how you wove real life complex social economic issue into a simple yet rich story. Looking forward to more such literary nuggets from you!