The complaint

A F Dawood

Jane Nona was a cunning, thickish woman and a gossiper in the village. She had a hen which laid unusual type of eggs-shining gold coloured eggs. She thought they were gold eggs, a wealth bestowed upon her by the God of wealth, so that she could improve her lifestyle. She did not break this news to the people in the neighbourhood because she thought they would be jealous of her new found fortune. “You know,” she told her husband, “don't talk about this to anyone; these are gold eggs and these will be safe with us, if you don't open your mouth.” Her husband shook his head in affirmation.

“Can you make money out of it, Jane Nonay?”

“Why not? Who will not like gold? Any way I won't sell them to people in our village.”

“Then where?” Questioned the husband “I'll travel to a far away village with the eggs.”

Collecting a few eggs, she travelled to a village, a few kilometres away from her village; her husband took care of the hen in the co-op during her absence. She walked every street where there were boutiques; she visited one kiosk after another but nobody responded positively.

In one place a trader asked, “From where did you get these eggs?”

“My hen laid them. These are gold eggs.”

“Gold eggs? What nonsense?”

“Nonsense?” Jane Nona questioned.

“Can't you see the difference in this from an ordinary egg?”

“They're rotten eggs or they're worthless.” Finally, it was decided to break open the eggs. The trader broke one egg and found a little yellow coloured liquid of bad odour; he broke another and found the same stinking yellow liquid.

“These're rotten eggs; there's no gold; look at the shell, shining yellow colour.” Jane Nona's exultant mood petered out and her hope of a better living condition crumbled down.

Back at home Jane Nona confided the unpalatable news to her husband. He was dejected.

“So what're you going to do with the eggs?”

“I'll sell them in the village.”

On the following day Jane Nona went round the village, parading her golden eggs in a basket. Very soon her neighbours flocked around her and told that the God of wealth had given her a fortune.

“With this you can make money,” One woman said.

“Why not? This is my good time,” Jane Nona replied.

“Even I like to buy one,” another woman said.

“But where to find so much money?”

“Will it cost so much money, Jane?” a third woman asked.

“Believe me Emalin; yesterday I travelled to a far away market and sold two eggs for Rs 10,000”. All this time Jamis Appu, Jane Nona's immediate neighbour, who listened to the conversation had remained silent but on hearing the price Jane Nona had sold the two eggs, he was dumbfound.

“Rs 10,000 for two eggs?” He immediately thought of a plan.

On the following day, Jamis Appu who was a farmer went to the village market; he purchased a hen similar in size, shape and colour to that of Jane Nona's hen. After a few weeks the hen started laying eggs; they were normal white eggs. “I like Jane Nona's hen because it lays golden eggs,” his wife remarked. “Don't worry Leela, very soon Jane Nona's hen will be here; that's why I bought a hen like hers.”

“You're going to take her hen?” Leela asked, “but be careful.”

“Don't worry, I'll be careful. I'm waiting for a time when both of them are not in the house.”

“She told me she is going to her village to see her mother next week.” Leela said “It will be better if she goes with her husband.”

A fortnight later Jamis Appu realized that Jane Nona's house was silent and the doors were closed. He sent his wife to Jane Nona's house on the pretext of borrowing a few rupees to ascertain whether the inmates were in the house. She tapped the door several times without any response; she walked round the house and found her hen in the coop, outside the kitchen shed. She came back.

“Now is the time to do your work.” Jamis Appu lost no time. He slowly crept though the fence with his hen; the coop was not padlocked; he removed Jane Nona's hen and replaced it with his. Both he and his wife were happy as lark because they thought that they possessed the bird of wealth.

“What if Jane Nona finds out we have stolen her hen?” Leela expressed her fear.

“How can she? Both the hens are identical” Jamis Appu boasted.

“But if the hens lay white eggs?” Three weeks elapsed and there was no complaint from Jane Nona. In the meantime her hen started laying very big white eggs. On the first day she was very happy that her plan had worked out.

“Here can you hear me?

Jamis Appu has stolen our hen. This hen has laid a white egg.” Jane Nona told her husband. He laughed. “That fool thought he can get golden eggs.” During this period Jamis Appu's stolen hen laid golden eggs. Jamis Appu couple's joy knew no bounds, because of this good fortune; but they thought for a moment why Jane Nona had not complained about her hen not laying golden eggs. The couple wanted to collect all the golden eggs, sell them at a good price and with the money to buy a big house; Leela also suggested that they should start a dairy farm and employ a number of people to work under them. In fact the couple was building castles in the air. When he went to the market to sell the eggs, his optimistic hope of an opulent lifestyle was shattered; like Jane Nona he met with rejection as all what he carried to the market were useless, rotten eggs.

Back at home Jamis Appu repented for the mistake he had made.

“We have been cheated. Jane Nona's hen never laid golden eggs.”

“Really? Then these eggs are not gold?”

“They're rotten yellow eggs, inside stinking.”

“Then you go and take your hen back.”

“I can't do that now, Leela. Then she will think I have stolen her hen.”

“Then what're you going to do?” Jamis Appu remained silent for some time. Then he threw a glance at his wife. He began to think of his foolishness. She broke the ice.

“In fact we're fools.”

“I'll teach her a good lesson for cheating.”

“Did she cheat us or we became greedy?”

“It doesn't matter whatever it is. I'll lodge an entry at the police.” “An entry at the police station?” Leela's eyes goggled in surprise. “I'll tell the police she stole my hen; her hen was laying rotten golden colour eggs, and all the villagers will bear witness.” Two days later two police officers visited Jane Nona's house. They tapped the door and Jane Nona opened the door.

“Are you Jane Nona?”

“Yes, Ralahamy; what's the matter?”

“There's a complaint against you.”

“Complaint against me? By whom?”

“Jamis Appu has complained, you have stolen his hen.”