The Curse

I was not the person who would be cowed down by the threat of a ghost.

But then there was something sinister in the voice of the watchman that made me rethink about going to the well. In peak summer, when most wells had dried in the village, here was one well which always seemed to be filled with water, yet no one ventured near it after dark. I enjoyed a bath in the cool water during summer months late after a hot day. I was very tempted to fetch a bucket of water for myself. I walked to the well which was about half a mile from my grandmother's house, as the sun set. I needed to prove to the local people that there was nothing like a curse. So here I was in the premise of the temple, fetching water.

Even during the day time few people went to the well.

Folklore had it that long back a woman had cursed the landlord that even though there would be water it will be of no use after dark. There were many versions of the why and how, if and when the curse happened, but in a nut shell, no one drew water from the well after dark.

Summoning all my courage I managed to pull a bucket full of water. I winked naughtily at the watch man as if to let him know that I was not scared of his imaginary ghosts.

It was not long before I sat down to have a bath, when a bird of some kind flew over head in the open space and put its droppings into the bucket.

Disgusted and disappointed I looked at the bucket of water turning cloudy and kicked the bucket down.

I turned back to see elder aunt. She always wanted to pull my legs and now she had her way.

"Who asked you to go to the well after sunset?" elder aunt asked as she brought in a small bucket of water for me from inside."We collect and keep it before dark. If you are so interested to fetch water for your own use, bring it before dusk." she further added.

She knew if I did that she would have won her case that I had lost and bowed down to the people'e belief.

I wondered about the curse as the bucket of water cooled me.