A Smile for What Ails You

I can hear the ,honk of the bus driver.I could not finish my homework.I don’t want to go to school.

Dad is calling,”Ranu ,aren’t you going to school?”  “Dad,I have a headache”.” Okay,Ma”. My big sister’s loud voice coming from a distance here it goes, “Rani, you are not going to school?” She mumbles,” Dad is spoiling her”.In comes my big brother,”So why are you not in school,let me guess,you have a headache,no, tummy ache,oh even better,it is too cold to go to school? answer: ” Dada,I won’t talk to you”.This is how things happened the morning,I didn’t go to school.

My first day in Residential Model School was very eventful.I had a class of forty two overactive boys .I was their sixth teacher in a span of two months,one of the little boys reminded me very proudly. “Well, he thought,we have successfully driven out five.How hard can it be to get rid of you? We have experience on our side” .At 10:15 a.m the bell rang for recess.Before I could say anything,all forty-two of them were gone out in seconds.I said to myself, “I am ready for the challenge”.The next day at 10:05a.m,I locked the classroom door and I warned them if  anyone stood up without my permission there will be no recess for them.The boys realized it was no piece of cake to,” Say  good bye to me, “okay,they probably thought, ” if we can’t beat her,we may as well listen to her,she is tough”.

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Little kids have the most unique way of showing their displeasure.I had experienced it once.My little cousin asked me to let him take the first mango that his father plucked from the tree.When I refused to give him the second one,he was angry,he showed his anger the best way he could.He said he was not going to call me Ranu Apa any more,then in his loudest voice he said,”Ranu O Ranu”.

It is amazing how our brain can store memories of childhood.When I dig deep I can visualize the kind of fun that we siblings had.One of the memories was about a vendor who used to visit us regularly.He used to sell chana choor.He was brilliant in his trade.He knew how to attract the kids.His purpose was to sell his product.I can remember he made sure Abba Jan had gone to work.He made up a very interesting song.He would start by singing:Chana hai merey aali,jiss ko khatay hain bungali,jiss ki dhoti dheeli dali,chana chor garam.He would keep singing until we came out of the house and bought some of his chana choor.

While writing about my experiences,I came across this interesting piece from the book “Chicken Soup For The Soul”.I thought it is sure to make us look at us and see,that a dog is more trustworthy than us.Anyway I leave it to you to make the final judgement.

Service With A Smile

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation.He wrote:

I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved.Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner,who said,

I’ve been operating this hotel for many years.In all that time,I’ve never had a dog steal towels,bed clothes or silverware or pictures off the walls.

I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk or disorderly.And I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill.

Yes ,indeed ,your dog is welcome at my hotel.And, if  your dog will vouch for you,you’re welcome to stay here,too.

Karl Albrecht and Ron Zenke

Service America