And you call them crazy!!!
We were on a usual month long vacation to India. It happened only once in two years, and we were all equally excited about it. We had planned to settle down in Bangalore, whenever we would return and so were busy constructing our house there. This happened then.
Dad’s colleague happened to invite us to his place. He had recently returned for good to India. We went. Theirs was a small family of four, just like ours. But there was a difference. The elder son was mentally retarded.
I had always been frightened of mad people.
Well, unusually for me, and perhaps very usual for this family friend of ours, the main topic of discussion that day happened to be their son. The aunty went on telling us of how brilliant their kid actually was, and the high hopes they had had for him, like every Indian parent has for their son. Shakuntala devi had visited his school and had said he shall replace me, after I am gone! He always ranked first, until the day he had his stroke. He had to be escorted to wherever he went from then on, he couldn’t go to the bathroom alone, and many a times he had turned violent.
Enough for me to get all panicky. I was waiting to leave. Uncle took us along to see the newly constructed part of their house, on the first floor. We got down the stairs and were ready to leave. My mom asked me to get her handbag which she had left in the living room.
I knew there was no one there except him. And I hated my mom for having assigned me this task. I went in straight. I didn’t look at him, I was too scared. I could sense his eyes prying me. I picked up the handbag, and turned to leave. Just then, I heard him speak. All the while we had been there, he had been silently watching. Now he spoke.
“You are leaving?” he asked. I said yes. In one of the sweetest tone I had ever heard, he replied, “Bye!”
I was numbed with shame.
Dad’s colleague happened to invite us to his place. He had recently returned for good to India. We went. Theirs was a small family of four, just like ours. But there was a difference. The elder son was mentally retarded.
I had always been frightened of mad people.
Well, unusually for me, and perhaps very usual for this family friend of ours, the main topic of discussion that day happened to be their son. The aunty went on telling us of how brilliant their kid actually was, and the high hopes they had had for him, like every Indian parent has for their son. Shakuntala devi had visited his school and had said he shall replace me, after I am gone! He always ranked first, until the day he had his stroke. He had to be escorted to wherever he went from then on, he couldn’t go to the bathroom alone, and many a times he had turned violent.
Enough for me to get all panicky. I was waiting to leave. Uncle took us along to see the newly constructed part of their house, on the first floor. We got down the stairs and were ready to leave. My mom asked me to get her handbag which she had left in the living room.
I knew there was no one there except him. And I hated my mom for having assigned me this task. I went in straight. I didn’t look at him, I was too scared. I could sense his eyes prying me. I picked up the handbag, and turned to leave. Just then, I heard him speak. All the while we had been there, he had been silently watching. Now he spoke.
“You are leaving?” he asked. I said yes. In one of the sweetest tone I had ever heard, he replied, “Bye!”
I was numbed with shame.
Comments