Just as I was nearing home, I remembered that mother had told me get a few things. To avoid getting home and then leaving again to complete the chores, I decided to complete all the shopping and then go home!! No laziness or postponing. Just another feather to add to the cap on a day where everything was just so good.
Finding a shop where parking was available, I disembarked. It was a little dusty and I realized it must due to the construction work going on next doors. Finding my way to the counter, I instructed the shopkeeper, I handed over my list.The shopkeeper efficiently packed up every item on the list.
Just as I finished and was about to leave, a young boy rushed in almost banging into me.
I wanted to tell him off, but as I saw him carefully I stopped myself.
He was a frail child, covered in clothes that were torn in more than just a few places. His skin had a layer of dust, it was clear that he came from less than a humble background. I could not judge his age but going by what I saw he must have been about 6 /8 years old. He seemed to be in a real hurry going by the way he had barged in. I could see a few notes clenched tightly in his fist. He had no footwear and his torn clothes were much larger than his weak body. His hair seemed to be covered in even more dust than the rest of his body.
Seeing him, I could feel a lump developing in my throat.
As I watched him with a sense of loss in my heart, he put his fist on the counter and in a loud excited voice asked the shopkeeper to give him milk.
The shopkeeper scanned the boy from top to toe and his expression almost gave up what he was feeling. He was too surprised that a boy in this state had come to buy things with cash.
The little boy was peeping over the counter and was clearly so excited at seeing so many things that he would have loved to have. Looking at him more and more, it was clear to me that this little boy might never even have laid his hand on any of the things that making him wide eyed . I became withdrawn with sorrow, my great day just seemed to have evaporated. Is this also life ? Is this also the way children have to grow up ?
The shopkeeper gave the child the milk. The child even louder than before, demanded his change. The shopkeeper walked to the counter, opened a jar and took out two sweets and placed them on the counter. Very strongly telling the boy to take it and go.
The sweets were wrapped in a shiny colorful wrapper and they drew my attention. The little boy grabbed the sweets, and kept them in his fist for a while. However, he did not go away. He felt the sweets in his palm and was now even greedily gaping at them. I was expecting the child to hurriedly open the wrapper, throw it where ever he could and gulp the sweets down.
As strongly as he had put the money on the counter and as swiftly as he had grabbed the sweets from the counter, he put them back on the counter. Yelling in his thin voice to the shopkeeper that he did not want the sweets. The shopkeeper tried to convince him that he was short of change and that is why he was giving him the sweets. The shopkeeper put the sweets in the child’s palm and asked him to take it.
The child with all the patience, again put the sweets back on the counter and told the shopkeeper in marathi “Mi aai na boltana aaikla ki gharaat paishe kami aahe, mhanoon me tumcha kadoon godi ghet nahin. Mi ghari paishe gheun zaanaar” (“I overheard mummy saying that there is very little money at home. That is the reason I cannot take the sweets in place of the money. I need to take the money home”).
As soon as he got the money he moved away as if there was nothing that he was deprived of or nothing that he desired. I could see the loose coins preciously clenched in his palm. I could also feel tears loosening up in my eyes. But I did not cry.
I know a child like this one, needs to be saluted.
Another teacher has come by. Temptations can be kept at bay. Focused on the larger and more important, nothing can make me miserable.
A sacrifice is only because that’s the way I look at it..the boy did not sulk that he was sacrificing something….he has a sense of duty. He performed a duty far beyond his age and with such a large heart.
M. Hirani
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