How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and other Stories Read online

  I used to really like these two boys for their enthusiasm. Once in a while I took snacks and some old shirts for them. They took the clothes with great joy, as if they were made of silk. But I never saw them wear those clothes. If I asked, they said, ‘Madam, we always wear dirty clothes to work, because at the station they become greasy.’

  Once I took some storybooks for them, thinking they could read them at night. After all, while other children of their age were studying in schools and attending hockey matches and chess tournaments, these boys were slogging to make both ends meet. But when I gave them the story books, their faces became pale and for the first time ever I saw a trace of unhappiness on their faces. They said, ‘Madam, it takes a lot of time for us to read as we are not used to reading. Will you tell us the story?’

  ‘How can I tell the story here, when you are working all the time?’

  ‘We get some free time at about four o’clock. If you come to service your car then we can sit with you and listen to the story.’ Their two pairs of eyes were begging me for the stories and I could not say no. I remembered how my own children always insisted I tell them stories in the night. I agreed.

  So it became a routine for me to tell stories on Saturday evenings. I went there even if my car did not need to be serviced. They were very attentive when I told my stories and waited eagerly for more. This went on for many months. Then I decided to get a driver and stopped driving myself. My driver took the car for servicing after that and I did not meet Ram and Gopal for a long time.

  Time flows like water. After almost a decade, one day my driver was complaining about some problem the car was giving him. I told him to get it repaired. My old car had outlived its life but was still working. When my driver came back from the garage he said, ‘After looking at the car, the car mechanic asked about you. Do you know the owner of the Good Luck Garage?’

  ‘I have not heard this name. Is it a new garage?’

  ‘It is relatively new. I always prefer to go to garages owned by youngsters. This young man is very sincere. It seems he has known you for a long time. He asked if you are still teaching in the college.’

  I could not think of anyone I knew who could be owning a garage now. Since my driver did not even know his name, I was unable to place him and assumed it was some old student of mine, though since I teach computer science, I could not figure out how this person had shifted to Automobile Engineering. When my driver told me a second time that the owner of the garage had asked about me, I felt I should go and meet this man who was so concerned about me.

  The next day, I went to the Good Luck Garage. It was a fairly modern garage and well equipped. There was a glass cabin where I assumed the owner was sitting. As soon as I entered, a handsome young man in blue overalls greeted me. He was holding a spanner and a screwdriver in his hand.

  ‘Madam, please come and sit down in the cabin. I will wash my hands and come in a minute.’

  I sat on the sofa in his office. It was a nice functional office. The young man looked vaguely familiar to me. I knew I had met him somewhere but could not place where. I wondered, did I teach this boy in pre-university? That time, boys are sixteen or seventeen years old, adolescents with a lot of energy. When I meet them after they have grown up, I often fail to recognize them. They look so different and mature. By that time the man had returned with a coffee mug and a glass of water.

  ‘Madam, you have changed a lot. You look old and tired.’

  ‘I am sorry, I am unable to recollect your name. You should excuse me and tell me your name. As you said, I am growing old.’

  He smiled at me. There was a dimple on his cheek. And then I knew who he was. He was one of those kids who used to work in the garage a decade back. Was he Ram or Gopal? Even in those days I used to get confused. I asked him, ‘Are you Ram or Gopal?’

  ‘I am Ram, Madam.’

  ‘Please sit down. I am very happy to see you like this.’

  Now I could understand why Ram had enquired about me after recognizing the car.

  ‘Madam, I am very grateful to you for your help in those days.’

  ‘What help did I give? I used to give some old shirts and eatables and told some stories.’

  ‘Madam, you do not know how your stories changed my life. Do you remember the stories you told us?’

  I didn’t. From the ocean of stories in my head I had told them a few.

  ‘No, I don’t remember.’

  He sat down opposite me, closed his eyes and started telling his own story.

  ‘Madam, our life was very difficult. You were aware of it. The only thing we looked forward to was your visit every Saturday when we listened to your stories. We used to stay with our uncle, and whatever we earned he would take. The stories you told us were our only escape from the drudgery of our lives. Our working hours were long. I felt I should go to school and continue my studies. But the night schools were all quite far from where we stayed. With no financial help or support from home, it seemed studying would always remain a dream, till we heard one of your stories. It made a big difference in our lives.’

  Now I was keen to know what happened next.

  ‘Tell me which story that was?’ The roles had got reversed. I was the listener and he, the storyteller.

  ‘Once, in a village there were many poor people. They all wanted to cross a desert to go to the next village where life was better and the future more promising.

  ‘Many boys wanted to go. The elders in the village had said to them, “If you want to do something in life you must go to that town. You pick up stones from the desert and carry to that town. Some buyer will pay money for those rare stones.”

  ‘One morning, two boys started their journey. They carried food and water with them. In the beginning, the sand was still cold and the sun not yet hot. Their journey was great. They did not feel tired and strode on. After sometime the sun rose over their heads and the sand started getting hot. After walking for a long time they thought they must have reached the edge of the desert. So they ate all their food and drank the water. But soon they realized they had walked only half the way.

  ‘They also started collecting stones to sell in the town. After some time their bags were full of stones and very heavy. One boy felt it was too much to carry so he threw the stones and decided to go back. The other boy said, “Let us listen to our elders. Come what may, let us cross this desert and go to the next town.”

  ‘The first boy did not listen and went back. The second boy continued to walk towards the other town. It was a difficult journey, collecting the stones and travelling all alone, with no water to drink. Sometimes he felt his friend was right. There was no guarantee what was in that town. It was better to stop and go back to the village. But faith and hope kept him going. After walking for a long, long time he reached the town. Much to his disappointment, he saw it was like any other town. There was a dharamshala near by. It was getting dark and he was tired. So he decided to spend the night there.

  ‘Next morning, when he got up he wanted to throw away the heavy stones he had collected and return to his village. He opened his bag. What he saw surprised him. All the stones had become big diamonds! In a minute’s time he had become a millionaire.

  ‘Do you remember Madam, you also told us the meaning of the story? A student’s life is like the desert, examinations are the hot sun, difficulties are like the warm sand and study is like hunger and thirst. As a student, you have to travel all alone, collecting knowledge and skill the way the boy in the story collected stones. The more you collect, the better is the life you lead later.

  ‘After hearing the story, I decided to study in spite of all the odds I had to face. With a lot of determination and after facing many difficulties, I managed to finish school. The service station owner was also helpful. When I got good marks, he helped me pay my fees for an Automobile Diploma. I continued to work while I learnt. Later, I took a loan from the bank and started this work. By the grace of God, I am successful and have re