It was after completing 60 years I have celebrated my first birthday.
* * * * * * * * *
“Tomorrow is going to be holiday” the teacher declared at the end of the period..
“ HOOOOOOOOOOOO” there was a wave of noise from all the children.
“But “ the teacher maintained a dramatic pause.
There was total silence.
“All of you have to come to school as usual at the usual time. Tomorrow is Mahatma Gandhiji’s birthday. All of you should come wearing new clothes.
“Sir if we don’t have new clothes” I turned to the boy on my right.
“Come wearing washed and pressed clothes”
“Only yesterday our washer man took the clothes and he will return only on day after tomorrow” a boy on my left replied.
I like the boys who rise the questions I would like to rise.
The teacher got irritated “OK ware something and come “
******
What is tomorrow’s date? The teacher asked.
“ 14th “
“Tell me in full’ the teacher demanded.
“14th November”
“Anybody knows what the importance of the date is”
I waited for somebody to answer the question. But nobody.
I half raised and answered “it is Chacha Nehru’s Birthday”
So tomorrow is a holiday. But all of you should attend the school..and ..” the routine went on..
I went home and want impress my father. And told him
“Father tomorrow is holiday’
“ OK. But sit at home do your home work. Don’t roam around.
“No actually tomorrow we have to go to school.”
Why... What for ?
I was excited and happy that I am able explain something which my father do not know.
“Actually to morrow is ChaCha Nehru’s birthday. We all have to go to school and “
“Ok ...Ok.. I got it. But as soon as the program is over come back straight to home don’t roam around.
“When is my birthday” I asked..
My father stared for a moment and replied “go and ask your mother.”
I ran to my mother and asked .
“ Amma when is my birthday “
She was silent for a moment “why you want to know “
“Just like that “” 2nd October is Gandhi’s, 14th November Nehru’s..
She took the lid on the rice pot and continued to stir the rice.
“ Amma… I prompted her.
It is on three days after the full moon on the month sravan , the star if I remember correct it is ..” she went on. I could not understand a thing.
“ Just tell me date and month .. like one, two three, January…February.. March.. etc.”
“No I can not say like that I don’t know English . If you want to know in English go and ask your father.
I can not go to my father. He has already directed me to my mother.
I got stuck I don’t know my date of birth.
I explained my problem to my friend Kittappa.
“ Let us go and ask our teacher’
I was scared . “ No not the teacher . He scolds us.. and he will tell to my father”
He found a method “ Look ..to morrow is Friday .. the weekly Haat day. Like every Friday I have to go to the market during the school time and deliver the goods to his home. After I return I will ask him . He will be in good mood and he will see the attendance register and tell you. You know every thing will be there in that register. Who is elder, who is younger who is boy who is girl.. whose father is getting more money etc.. .
I was impressed with his idea. And agreed.
In the evening KIttappa came and told me “ OK I arranged everything for you . He is in a happy mood Go and ask he will tell you “ and he suddenly pushed in to the teachers’ room.
“” What do you want” teacher asked me.
“ Sir.. birthday.. Kittappa.. “ I fumbled.
“ what you will do with Kittappa’s Birthday”
“No actually my birthday.. In English..”
“Why.. go and ask your parents”.. What are you going to do by knowing your birthday..
“ Just like that “
Are you Mahatma Gandhi ?.. are you Nehru ?.are you Subhas Chndra Bose ? You should aim to be somebody like that to know …
“ I could not understand why I should be some body like that to know my birthday..
I realized that only great people celebrate their birthdays.
I have never seen any body celebrating birthdays in our eight member family.
But the next day I was proved wrong..
“ OK. Children listen care fully. “the teacher beaten with the thin stick three times on the table.
“ today Lingam Setti’s birthday”
We turned to Lingam. He is black but today he is bright. The gold necklace is ore brighter. He wore new clothes,. New flowery loose bush shirt and half pant with four pockets and black belt.
“Today is his birthday”
So ..he is going to distribute pencils to all the students”
The teacher raised the hand full of pencils. The Pencil with lot of cartoon characters and small purple color eraser at the end.
There was lot of excitement. I was craving for such a pencil since along. Most of the time my father used to bring single dull green color pencil and also used to cut in to two and distribute between me and my sister.” You are not going to write the whole pencil at a time. You are going to write little by little .Right ?’ was his logic.
I looked at the pencil once again. What a lucky day... I am going to have my dream pencil just like that with out asking.
“who ever want the pencils they should come and stand in a line”
“ and Lingam will distribute to the students one by one with his own hand. Only to poor students.
I was disappointed. I could not think I am poor. May be I could not afford that fancy pencil, I may not be able to afford full pencil but could not agree to the phrase Poor student. .
I half rose and sat back after the teacher utter the word poor.
I remember how Lingam promised me that he will give a pencil if I complete his home work I completed his home work and asked for the pencil he promised. He shown his closed fist and asked me to open the fist and take . I struggled to open his palm and after opening I found a pencil but half the size of my little finger. I felt cheated.
“ I told a pencil. It is a pencil I never said a full pencil” He grinned.
“ Ok ..come one by one “ teacher was prompting.
I am not poor. I can write all the alphabets from any point to any point.
I can write all the math tables from 20 by 20.
I can recite all the poems from first page to last page. I am desperate to convince my self that I am not poor. It is against my self respect to stand in the q along with those students for a pencil.
But the Micky mouse, Donald duck, other carton characters on the pencil are very tempting.
Again I tied to stand an join the q. but sat down as I could not decide.
Then I saw Kittappa suddenly rose and stood in the q. I tried pull his shirt to make him sit “ hey you are not poor student “
He winked and said “ I want the pencil”
Suddenly I jumped and stood behind him..
Now it is my turn and I am going to own my first fancy full length pencil. I closed my eyes and watching room full of ducks and mice and cats.
“Ok. It is over. Now you can take your seats” the teacher declared. Keeping the balance four pencils in his drawer.
“but sir.. I murmured”
I told all of you to go back and take your seats.
Who is poor now .. person with pencil or person with out pencil “ Kittappa asked. Showing is new pencil..See even the teacher retained four pencils not one. He is not poor but.
Since then I lost interest in knowing my date of Birth.
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