The Sun Drops, 1955–60

JAPANI HAD BEEN WITH us for years, cleaning, child-minding and helping my mother cook when she took in orders for weddings, births and deaths. His face was round and shiny as a clean plate. Most servants had to surrender their ‘impossible’ African names when they worked for Asians and Europeans, who baptized them ‘John’ or ‘Joe’ or ‘Joan’ or ‘Jean’ or ‘Mary’, short occidental names, easy to shout, sounding like blows to the ear. Christian servants named after virtues – Innocent, Immaculate, Devotee – were relabelled, so too were Sunshine and Moonshine (twin sisters, both ayahs), Jacaranda, Cheetah and Victoriana. Always mindful of his dignity, Japani had arranged his own renaming. His favourite Hindi film ditty was titled ‘Mera Jutta Hai Japani’: ‘My shoes are Japanese; these trousers were made in England; on my head a Russian cap, but my heart is purely Indian.’ It was a freedom song he couldn’t have understood.