February 1946- The tension of the war years disappeared, but the peace in the hills was uneasy as political changes began. The British government was moving out, and India and Burma would become independent countries. Dickie, a young British soldier, was working under Mr. Pawsey, a stern administrator known for his integrity and strict ways. Dickie and the narrator became pregnant again, and the narrator was worried about the future. Dickie had to leave for Silchar, and the narrator felt abandoned and unsure. When Dickie returned, the narrator gave birth to a baby girl named Lily. The second pregnancy was harder on the narrator’s family, as Dickie never became her husband in the manner Vic had. The narrator had to decide whether to leave for England with her daughters and Dickie, or stay behind. The narrator realized that it had been two years since Dickie left, and she pushed the thought of him returning to England. The narrator grew quieter, and her father scolded her for not laughing now.
February 1950- The author decided to study at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana to support her growing girls. Despite the long distance, she found support from her sister superintendent and continued her studies. Eventually, she joined the military nursing services and applied for a job. Despite her initial disappointment, she withdrew her application due to her care. After her sister superintendent’s stroke, she left India. The author moved to Delhi to study obstetrics, where she felt less lonely and more at home. The kindness of the sisters and staff at St Stephen’s Hospital made her life more pleasant.
February 1952- On the narrator’s second holiday, the narrator found her girls growing up and attending school. Aneiü took care of them, and many friends got married. Jimmy, who had been like a younger brother, moved away with his wife and baby. The narrator spent time with my girls, learning their schoolwork and drawing. After passing her final exams, she returned home and spent the next few years with them, living with her parents.
April 1956- Sam, a supervisor of Commonwealth War Graves, invited the author to work at the Assam Oil Company in Digboi. The author joined the hospital in 1956 and enjoyed the international atmosphere and high standards. The social life revolved around the Oil Company Club, which showed Hollywood movies every Wednesday and Sunday. Sam’s job with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission kept him busy, and the author lived in a Chang bungalow with three other senior sisters. Sister Jagathambal introduced the author to a family with grown-up daughters, Mr and Mrs Theodore O’Leary, who were officers in the Assam Oil Company’s engineering department. The author found good company with the O’Leary sisters and their younger siblings.
September 1956- The narrator meets Patrick O’Leary, a man working at the Assam Oil Company. They fall in love and eventually marry. Pat is patient and understanding, despite the pain he has experienced from war. They discuss getting married in 1956, ten years after Dickie and the narrator’s separation. The narrator is unsure if Pat is ready to be a father to her two girls, but she is determined to marry him. The family has grown over the years, with Sam and his wife having five children, Zhabu having four, and Aneiü having a son. The narrator loves her family and knows that any major decision she makes would have to include them.
October 1956- Political unrest in Nagaland led to the family of the author traveling to Assam to live with the author until the worst was over. The author welcomed the arrival of her family members, including her daughters, who were unable to leave their friends and school. Pat, the author’s husband, was transferred to Naharkatiya, an oil town, and met the family in Makum. The family decided to send the children to study at the Little Flower School in Dibrugarh. After a few months, things were more stable in Kohima, and the author’s family left. The author’s daughters became more comfortable with Pat and the author took them to his oil camp in Naharkatiya. The road from Naharkatiya to Digboi was rough, but Pat and the family became closer. The author was pleased that Pat would be the father to the author’s two girls, and it was important for them to get along well.
February 1957- The author recounts her years working at the Assam Oil Company Hospital and visiting her parents. She was married in Kohima on 15 February 1957, and the couple took a month’s leave to return to Assam. Pat was enchanted by Kohima, a small town recovering from war. The author felt like she had finally come home for the first time in a long time.
Pat worked long hours at the oil town of Duliajan, which was self-sufficient and well-structured. The town had a hospital, clubs, and a golf course, tennis, badminton courts, and swimming pools for recreation. The author resigned from her job and moved to the new oil town of Duliajan, where she lived in executive bungalows and a sprawling garden.
The author was filled with wonder that she could be happy once more, and as the girls returned to boarding school, she learned to be a stay-home wife. She reflected on her past and felt like another person who had gone through all the hardships.
Easterine Kire Mari Summary (1963-1968- Epilogue)
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