‘A Baker from Goa’ is a pen portrait of a traditional Goan village baker who still has an important place in his society. The narrator is travelling through the memory lane thinking about the loaves of bread a baker delivered every morning.
Summary
Goa is very much influenced by the Portuguese. Their traditional work can be still seen there. The Portuguese are famous for preparing the loaves of bread. We can come across the bakers of bread. The writer tells about his childhood days in Goa when the baker used to visit their friend. He used to visit the house twice a day. In the morning, his jingling sound of the bamboo woke them from sleep. They all ran to meet him. The loaves were purchased by the man-servant of the house. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as ‘bol’. The marriage gifts were meaningless without it. So the bakers’ furnace in the village was the most essential thing. The lady of the house prepared sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. In those days the bread sellers wore a particular dress known as ‘Kabai’. It was a single piece long frock up to the knees. Even today, they can be seen wearing a half pant that reaches just below the knees. People usually comment that he is dressed like a ‘pader’. Baking was a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved and they looked happy and prosperous.