She was a shy, retiring girl that no one thought much of and she was the source of much ridicule. She was said to have the face of a stone and looked like she'd missed too many meals. Even her father thought of her as ugly and worthless, so when it was her hand that he asked for, rumors flew. With so many beautiful woman in the islands, why would Johnny choose someone so ugly?!
On these islands it was customary that a man offer cows to the father of a girl in payment for her; it's called a Bride Wealth. A woman worth three or four cows was considered a fine catch indeed. Speculations flew throughout the village. Some said Mohana was worth maybe only a three legged cow! Others said the father should be the one to pay Johnny Lingo to take her off his hands!
On these islands it was customary that a man offer cows to the father of a girl in payment for her; it's called a Bride Wealth. A woman worth three or four cows was considered a fine catch indeed. Speculations flew throughout the village. Some said Mohana was worth maybe only a three legged cow! Others said the father should be the one to pay Johnny Lingo to take her off his hands!
The time of the bargaining arrived and Johnny and Mohana's father prepared to bargain while the whole village looked on. Johnny asked how many cows the fathered wished to have for Mohana. The village laughed hysterically when the foolish father was so bold as to ask three cows for Mohana!
Johnny stared at the father quietly, then finally said, "three cows is many, but not enough for Mohana. I will pay eight cows".
The village was shocked! After the bargaining, Johnny went to the village store to order a gift for Mohana. It was a beautiful mirror. The shop keeper decided that Johnny must have offered eight cows out of vanity to make himself look important. Many speculated that he would not show up with the eight cows.
Good to his word, the next morning he showed up with the eight cows and married Mohana. After the wedding, he took her away on an extended honeymoon to visit many islands.
Months went by and finally Johnny and Mohana returned to the village. The shop keeper went to their home to deliver the mirror Johnny had ordered and was stunned to see that Mohana was incredibly beautiful and confident. Johnny explained to him that he had loved Mohana since he was a child and that others had not seen in her what he saw. He asked the man to image how you would feel if all the wives around you could boast of being a four or five cow wife and you were worth only one.
The shop keeper finally realized that because of how her father and others had viewed her, she believed herself to be worthless, but because Johnny had paid eight cows for her and shown her what she was worth to him, she had truly become an eight cow wife.
When I look
at Dhaka, I see what everyone else sees. I see the the poverty and the filth. I see all of the flaws, but I see other things too. I see the incredible smiles and the strong spirit. When I take pictures, it's because I want other people to see what I see.
Bangladesh isn't exactly a tourist hot spot, but I see it's beauty and it's potential and maybe someday it will become it's best self.
How could you not find beauty in all of this?
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