A mullah

A mullah is treasure to the village people. In the event of an epidemic of cholera, fever from malaria or migraine headache from too much talking, the help of a mullah is sought. The mullah can instantly solve those common problems of the rural people.

By the time I was growing up in the village there was no medicine man in our area. In case of an emergency we always had to call a mullah. He would come and sit on the exposed mud floor, then he would start reading some lines from out holy book. Occasionally, he would make a sad face to make us believe that he was concerned. Tears would roll down from his cheeks, at the end he would bless the victim, and then he would wait to see the results. In most cases action took place immediately, but not always.

The man who was a religious teacher in our village once got caught for an act of sin. At this news the village farmers stormed the house of the mullah only to find out that he had left the house the day before. They are humans and are far from infallible.