Chapter-3

The Journey
TemsulaAo
Study Material: Dr. Loveleen
3.0. Objective:
The content of the story tells about the North-East region where people fight against many challenges
posed by nature. The landscape is rugged and dangerous and finding an even path to walk on is difficult. The
writer tells about the troublesome life led by the people of that area and how it strengthens their self- confidence
and bonding with each other. The grammar section of this chapter focuses on one of the parts of speech- the
modals. A modal is a verb followed by the main verb expressing possibility, necessity, permission, duty, order,
etc. There are exercises which help a student understand the various situations in which modals are used.
3.1. About the Writer:
TemsulaAo (1945) is an important literary writer from the North-East region of India. She belongs to
Assam and comes from the Ao-Naga community. She was born in 1945 in the Assamese town of Jorhat. Her
happy childhood with her five siblings was tragically cut short with the early deaths of both their parents. She was
poor, emotionally disturbed, lonely and often hungry. The young Temsula fought against all odds with courage
and determination. From these unfavourable beginnings, Ao went on to build a distinguished career in teaching.
She served as the Director of the Northeast Zone Cultural Centre, and the Dean of the School of Humanities and
Education, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Shillong. She retired as Professor of English from the same
university. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2007 and the SahityaAkademi Award in 2013. She has written
poems, ethnographs and short stories. Ao’s works have been translated into many languages such as German,
French, Bengali and Hindi. Ao’s short story collections include These Hills Called Home: Stories from a War
Zone (2006) and Laburnum for My Head (2009).
3.2. About the Story:
The present story “The Journey” is from her collection These Hills Called Home: Stories from a War
Zone. It traces the experiences of a young girl whose journey is both literal and symbolic. The writer gives a vivid
picture of the lush green landscape with a large variety of flora and fauna. Though it is a story from the far off
hilly region, the emotions expressed here have a universal appeal as human beings are the same everywhere and
are subject to the same kinds of emotional responses. The brother-sister bond as described in the story is equally
heart-warming. Temjenba and Tinula travel through valleys, hills, at times on foot, sometimes by public transport
and sometimes requesting someone to give them lift in a car. After much trouble and trial, they reach the
destination. Thereafter the girl encounters another problem posed by one of her hostel mates and learns some
more facts of life. So overall it is a journey of various kinds and leaves behind many lessons.
3.3. Summary
This story is about how human spirit can fight and survive all natural and man- made troubles if there is
support and trust of each other. The little girl named Tinula had been brought home by the brother two months
ago. Now she was onher way back to the school. Early morning the squeaks of a small pig had woken her up and
now her brother was guiding her back. There was a group of which the two were a part. There were thick jungles,
wild animals, rugged mountains, rivers and the approaching night. The brother asked her again and again to walk
faster. They came across foot prints of elephants and hurried ahead. After covering large parts of rugged terrain on
foot, they reached the railway station. The train was packed with people and the two had to struggle hard to find
space to sit. They could not even buy tickets. On the way they had some tea and eatables. They deboarded the
train at the last station and traveled by car thereafter as they were offered seat in it. By the time they reached the
school, it was very late in the night. The Superintendent was angry at the arrival of the two at that hour. She asked
the littlegirl to sleep alongside another girl named Winnie. This idea was not liked by that girl who found this
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sudden arrival very intrusive. She told Tinula that her boyfriend had a new girlfriend now. This amazed the little
girl as she had no such feelings towards that boy. She slept crying though after some years she might nit attach
any importance to such are mark.
3.4. Points to remember:
3.4.1. The brother- sister live in a hilly area where there are no schools nearby. They start their journey early
morning as it is a long way to school.
3.4.2. They travel with a group as this is the only way to cross thick jungles.
3.4.3. The path is very uneven and there is fear of the wild animals also. They come across foot marks of
elephants. The two hurry on as night is approaching.
3.4.4. When they reach the station, there is no time to buy tickets and they jump inside the train. They eat
some food on the way.
3.4.5. Thereafter they travel by a car when they are offered a seat. By the time they reach school, it is near
midnight.
3.4.6. The girl is permitted in and the brother is asked to leave.
3.4.7. As she has to share bed with one of the residents, the other girl is rude and cruel to her and talks about
some boy.
3.4.8. It shocks the little girl and she sleeps crying.
3.5. Comprehension Exercises
3.5.1. Explain the following passages with reference to the context
3.5.1.a. At the school, her brother first dropped the tin trunk over the top of the gate, then hoisted Tinula over it,
and finally jumped in himself. He then proceeded towards the Superintendent’s bungalow. After much knocking,
the lady herself opened the door to her office. She was annoyed at first for having been awakened at this unearthly
hour but when she saw the shivering duo, she quietly went inside and came out with a torch saying to Temjenba,
‘You can go now.’ He merely nodded at his sister and without a word retraced his steps towards the gate and the
dark night.
Explanation
These lines have been taken from the short story named “The Journey” written by TemsulaAo who is a writer
from the North East. They describe the late night scene when the two children arrive at the hostel where the girl
studies. The brother helped his sister to get inside by carrying her up and placing her inside the school premises as
the gate is shut. It is very late in the night and the in charge seems unhappy at the late arrival. She ushers in the
girl who is stricken with cold. Then she asks the boy to leave. There are no farewell words uttered and the boy
goes away. The passage is very touching. The boy brings his sister to the school after a lot of trouble but has to
leave unceremoniously.
3.5.1.b. Soon after crossing the river, the road became steep, at first gradually but from a certain point, almost
perpendicular. It was more than the girl could negotiate and she sat down on one of the stone steps and began to
cry. The others had already gone quite far ahead, so they did not see this. But the brother was worried, he sat
down with her for a while and soothed her, pointing to the sun moving towards the west and telling her once again
of the dangers lurking in the jungle.
Explanation
These lines have been taken from the short story named “The Journey” written by TemsulaAo who is a writer
from the North East. They describe the difficult nature of the journey which the two children have to cover. They
encounter all kinds of troubles. Crossing the river, walking up the steep road, the fear of the wild animals are
some primary dangers. The little girl feels tired and weak as the trials on this mountainous path are very
demanding. However the brother seems more practical and mature and coaxes his sister to keep moving as they
have the fear of the wild animals intheir minds as well. The passage gives an inside view into the life of the
people from the hills who face all tests of nature but never give up on each other.
The Journey 17

3.6. Answer the following short questions in about 50 words each.

3.6.1 Which location has been mentioned in the story?
3.6.2 Why is the journey taken up by the brother- sister duo?
3.6.3 What are the difficulties that the two come across?
3.6.4 Who is Winnie?
3.6.4.a.)What does the story tell about school life?
Ans: It tells that children are not innocent and naive and do hurt each other knowingly also. Life in school has its
own kind of pressure and problems. At times teachers may not be very accommodating and sometimes the fellow
students can be nasty. But one has to use one’s good sense and negotiate life there.
3.6.-A: Answer to the above Question
Ans 3.6.1.: A village in the hills of Nagaland has been mentioned in the story. It is situated amongst the
mountains and is surrounded by jungles, water bodies and wild fauna. People live in clusters in this
area as living in the vicinity is essential to face any natural calamity.
Ans 3.6.2.: The journey is taken up by them to reach the school where the small girl studies. They had come
home two months back to spend the girl’s vacation. Time seemed to have escaped fast and they
were to return to the school. The boy was going to drop his sister back.
Ans 3.6.3.: They face many difficulties such as rough terrain, extreme weather, wild animals, lack of
transportation and so on. As people from the hills, they were used to a harsh and challenging life.
As there were no metaled roads, they had to cover long tracts on foot and face other problems also.
Ans 3.6.4.: She is Tinula’s class- fellow. She has to share bed that cold night with Tinula which she does not
like. It is an intrusion in her privacy. So she gets angry and decides to say hurting things to the other
girl. She purposely mentions the boy named Hubert and also his new interest in another girl.
3.7. Answer the following essay type questions.
3.7.1. Do you consider the title relevant ?
Ans: The title is relevant because it is a journey—both in the real and symbolic sense. The two children cover
different kinds of paths to reach the school. During the route, they have various experiences. They learn from all
this and negotiate life accordingly. The journey reminds them of their internal resources and their mutual bonding.
It also teaches that there is antagonism and hostility which they must learn to live with. So the title is relevant.
The journey is also a test of the strength of the brother- sister bond. It proves their deep sense of understanding
and care for each other. There is a reflection on the community efforts also. There is community kitchen which
ensures that travelers get enough food. As there are dense jungles, wild animals, rivers and mountains to be
crossed, people travel in groups to face any untoward incident. The title hints at all these aspects and is therefore
relevant.
3.7.2 What are the community efforts as described in the story?
Ans: Life in the hills is difficult and demanding. One can neither travel, cook nor live alone. As resources are less,
they have to be pooled and shared. People cook and travel in groups. There is community kitchen which ensures
that travelers get enough food. As there are dense jungles, wild animals, rivers and mountains to be crossed,
people travel in groups to face any untoward incident. Such instances are abundant in the story.
3.7.3 Discuss the brother-sister relationship.
Ans: The brother-sister bond is very strong and withstands various vagaries of time. The brother is caring and
considerate towards the sister and coaxes her to walk fast. He advises her not to waste food and also carries her
atop his shoulders. He takes proper care of the sister all through the journey on foot and later by train and car.
Although he is not communicative verbally, he takes pains to ensure the safety and some comfort for his sister. He
safely deposits her in the school and leaves quietly. The brother is mature beyond his years. He is brave and
caring. The two share a silent understanding with each other. Their relationship is really strong.
3.7.4 What are the special features of the landscape described here?
Ans: The landscape is peculiar and unfamiliar. The area is hilly with uneven paths, rivers and dense forests. There
is the added fear of wild animals. Even when one walks on the plains, there is intense heat and thick vegetation
18 B.A.-1 Semester 2

which needs to be crossed. There is ample natural beauty all around but there are many lurking dangers as well.
But people live in harmony and co-operate with each other. They make collective efforts to fight and survive
against odds. As life is tough people live like a family. They prefer to travel in groups during day time and try to
go across rivers in winters in the Summer season as the rivers have lesser volume of water at that time. The
landscape is beautiful yet it has its own risks also.
3.7.5 On the basis of your reading of the story draw a picture of the natural beauty of the North-East.
Ans: The North- East region is a treasure house of natural resources. There is lush greenery everywhere. The
mountains, rivers, plains, jungles and animals make the entire region very bountiful. The story describes all of
these elaborately. Nature in its multifarious diversity has been depicted here. The rivers are water resources but
people have to cross them and be careful if the river is in spate or not. Vegetables such as oranges, ginger, yam
and rice are grown in this area which provide food to people and are also given in barter. Winters are severe but
since rivers do no over-flow in this season, people travel around in winters. There is fear of the wild animals as
well. Tigers and elephants roam around and people have to be cautious. There is thick vegetation as dense forests
and foliage on the ground block the sun rays . Therefore the temperature is low in winters. Thus abundant natural
beauty is present in the area.
3.7.6 Observe the natural environment around you and write a paragraph about it.
Ans: The area I live in is the fertile part of the state. There are crops all around and a good network of tube wells.
The morning time is very soothing as fresh breeze calms the mind and body. The gushing voice of water from the
canal nearby has its own music. A variety of birds assemble from everywhere to make the environment vibrant.
There in nature at its colorful best. The standing crops make the farmers very satisfied. They work hard and the
produce encourages them to work harder. Some fruit trees are also there. They invite monkeys, children and birds.
People sit together and share their everyday experiences. The natural environment around is beautiful. In order to
keep it in good shape for the coming generations, more trees are planted, water is used in an optimal manner and
grazing of animals in open areas in done carefully so that deforestation is avoided. The natural environment is an
extension of human life , so all care is taken to conserve it.
3.8 Read the passage and answer the following questions
The winter sun was almost setting when Tinula and her brother reached the railway platform. There was no time
to purchase tickets; so they simply jumped onto the train and immediately it chugged out of the station. It was one
of those suburban trains which stopped at all kinds of stations, sometimes to take in a single passenger and once
or twice it stopped even when there was no one. All this while she and her brother were standing, holding on to
the window frames to keep from falling.
3.8.5 What time was it when the two reached the station?
Ans: It was sun set time when the two reached the station.
3.8.6 Did they purchase tickets? Why?
Ans: No they did not purchase tickets as they reached the station at the last moment when the train was about to
leave.
3.8.7 Where did the train halt on the way?
Ans: It halted at all the stations on the way.
3.8.8 Did the two get a seat in the train?
Ans: No they did not get a seat and had to keep on standing.
3.8.9 Use the word ‘stopped’ as a noun in a sentence of your own.
Ans: I reached the bus stop well in time.
3.9 Vocabulary Exercises
3.9.1 Find words in the story that are synonymous with the italicized words in the following
sentences.
(i) On hearing the noise, he got up from the bed.
(ii) We are having our winter holidays.
(iii) I had to fight at every step.