So I thought the highlight of my day would be seeing another bull desperately try to force itself on the bull we just bought...it crashed our bull into a tin store...but I think sitting with the cow at night, chanting what I would with prayer beads silently in my head, and watching it look at me quietly, then calm down further when I played guitar for it, first in the scale of D, then C, I think that was nice.
The market wasn't as smelly as I thought it'd be, it certainly smelled better than a Chittagong rest stop, and the cows were so big! I went with my Uncle, Dhrubo, and Shohag. There were cows with horns that made them look like a post card, I think they were from India, and then there were bulls that swished their tail with huge menace! I won't forget one cow, it was crying, and just so angry, it attacked anyone within its roped up vicinity.
I believe we bought our cow for the sum of 55,000 tk, divide that by 70 if you want it in US currency.
Getting the bull out was the most fun, and dangerous, part of the trip, our cow, which was so quiet initially, started developing a temper. It struck me at the left side ab with its horn, but luckily it wasn't a hard blow. Then a team of runaway cows proceded to nearly run me over as we were guiding the cow through moving trucks, rickshaws, and more carefully, other cows.
I can really see why US cattle ranchers tend to castrate most of their male cattle, bulls have tempers and they are damn horny, even without a female present. I think our cow tried to mount another bull in the first 5 minutes, and later on, a huge black bull tried to get on top of our bull, forcing our cow into the wall of a tin shop.
I really give credit to Shohag and another unnamed hired hand who took the cow all the way back to Kathalbagan, he even lost his sandals early on and went through barefoot, my uncle got a rickshaw for the rest of us.
When the cow arrived, it seemed utterly in dismay to be within the garage, so my uncle very affectionately moved it to an outside area. I've never seen him so nice to another life form before...except now that I recall, other animals, so it makes sense.
My other cousins came today, and I gave them their gifts.
I spent 5k tk yesterday for the gifts, so I'm glad I could do something of happiness for them!
After they left, like I mentioned earlier, I just sat with the bull and just recited what I would with prayer beads...subahanallah, allahamdullilah. It seemed to quiet down and stare at me when I did them, even though I recited them in my head, oh these moments. I then sang and played guitar, which seemed to make it calm down some more. Then the cats came and it got mega pissed off. I almost wish I could ask my ex for advice on handling the cow, on making sure its fed right and what not, but then again I'm sure US ranchers have different methods that might not be available...still, how do you even pet a cow? It tends to put its butt towards me and that's the only time it lets me touch it without trying to gore me. Hmm.
And it'll be slaughtered, or sacrificed, murdered, or consumed, either word, in two days
I think I'll be holding the knife with the priest who does the slaughtering...
If that sounds cruel I apologize, I just want to realize what I'm doing when I'm eating meat, the consequence of taking a life, and doing it this time in God's name only.
Eid Mubarak
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