Memories

As I traverse through the meandering lanes of my childhood , there are some curves which I prefer to ignore on purpose for they invoke painful memories which I have pushed into the deep  and dark abyss of my mind and on my recollection wish an eraser to wipe it away clean without a trace of residue. But if wishes were horses............... and it re-surfaces to hurt,agonize and antagonize me. I have never shared this incident with anyone. But speaking it out or making it known to people  does not unburden or lessen the weight of guilt. I stand in the  culprit's box with great uneasiness.

                                            

My mother had employed a maid who helped in the smooth running of our domestic machinery. The maid's brother , a lanky boy , maybe a year or two older to me, dropped to do odd jobs in the off-season months of farming to supplement his income. Being a boy from rural hinterland , he was simple. My mom employed him to carry our school bags (my bro's and my ) from home to school and back. Me and my brother used to hand our our heavy school bags and play for some-time and then head back home. Our school bags reached home before we did. This routine continued. 

One day as I was climbing the stairs of my first floor flat ,I saw the boy sitting on the steps with my book in his hands. I was a bit surprised and asked him the reason for the odd behaviour. He shyly told me that he too would love to attend school and that the feel of the school book was soothing for him. I was taken aback. Most of my classmates despised the drudgery of school life. and here was one illiterate boy who was willing to study but opportunity was not availed to him.And when I closely saw , he had held the book up-side down. I just asked him to pack my bag and deposit it home.

My immaturity and lack of worldly experience failed to realize the gravity of the situation.But as I traverse back through the road , this memory invokes unpleasant feelings and my guilty mind creates a seismic activity deep down my heart.The lava poured out cannot be cooled even by the Antarctic glaciers melting. I should have helped him come closer to his dreams. I could have done something in my limited capacity , I now rue.

But time does not stand still and a lot has changed. 

The government has made primary education compulsory. But this rule has to be strictly implemented.Being literate and educated ,  arms one with an invisible gun that can shoot down the monsters of poverty and ignorance. Those who are unarmed realize the value and worth of it.


Sometimes journey of life is not travelled in miles ahead but with                           memories in the reverse direction.

                                       


I now believe that every child should have the right to attend school and is the duty of the society to send every child to school. Read here.


Readers, do share your memories with me. Is it right that one should share bitter/unpleasant memories with others ?

                        FOR :  WRITE TRIBE FESTIVAL OF WORDS -II DAY 1

                                                 



Read Vidya Sury's memories of her great grand-mother.