Kong Flody and pig trotter soup

Pig trotter soup is a popular dish in the local cuisine of Shillong. It scores high both in nutritional value and taste

One rainy afternoon in Jhargram, Medinipur, I was making my way home from work through runnels of rainwater on a muddy path with paddy fields on either side. I was cursing myself for not carrying an umbrella, and also for choosing this shortcut because it was picturesque. Suddenly, I remembered my days in Shillong where rain could come similarly unannounced, and longed for Kong Flody’s pig trotter soup. Before I go any further, let me tell you a little about Kong Flody and pig trotter soup. Kong Flody’s name (‘Kong’ in Khasi means ‘elder sister’) was on most people’s lips in Shillong in the early 1970s on account of her instinctive healing touch. She became a professional therapeutic masseuse almost by accident after she heard a sage’s prophecy and grew aware of her ability. When my mother had a severe case of frozen shoulder and muscle debilitation that did not respond to modern treatment, our neighbours suggested we call Kong Flody. Not only did she cure my mother over the course of the next six months, she also became a fast friend. Very often on my way back from college I would sight one of her daughters waiting for me at the head of the lane leading down to their house. She would whisper in her excitement, ‘Come quickly, Mother has just taken the pig trotter soup off the fire,’ or, ‘We saved some doh khlieh (pork brain salad) for you from lunch, come on’.