Parental Value Encounters

This blog is a life experience of my younger brother, a teacher of great repute, who lives in Kumbakonam and I am giving this in his own words. The blog is written as though my younger brother is narrating it.

Please enjoy!

Any get together at Kumbakonam is an anticipated one for me, where unexpected meetings happen with one or two old students sharing their progress in professional life and happenings in their families to enhance my happiness!

That day was special one as one of my students was getting married and in addition his father was a close associate of mine in various social activities. It was a pleasant affair with plenty of friends around. As we were chatting, a well-dressed man approached me and said “Sir I have seen you somewhere. Your face is so familiar.” I replied that I too have similar feeling. With mutual pleasantries, we parted our ways and as I came out after the festival lunch, he approached me again and emphatically said "You are very familiar. May I know your native place?”

I said “I belong to Edanganni, a village nearby.”

 The man exclaimed “I too belong to the same place and by the way do you remember the three brothers Ponnan, Maruthan and Kuttaru, who worked for your parents? Slowly I recollected. As young children we know Ponnan who was looking after our fields and know him better because he was in charge of the bullock cart which brought us to Edanganni from Kumbakonam the day our vacation started. Our joy knew no bound the moment Ponnan stopped the cart in front of our Kumbakonam house.  And we were the saddest when he dropped us back from the village at the Kumbakonam house. Thus, Ponnan was an inseparable entity in our mixed sentiments.

As I shared this information he said “ I am Maruthan’s son and remember all of you. All the three brothers worked for your mother who was a revolutionary, a good paymaster and the first woman who had the courage to manage the fields in the male dominated terrain, an inspiration to our poverty ridden, low caste family. It was she who insisted that all of the three brothers should learn to read and write but they scoffed at her impossible idea. They thought that they were too old for such an undertaking! But she insisted that at least they should learn to write their name and never again put their finger prints in any document and helped them in the process to learn to write. She repeatedly told them that their children should be sent to school and a proper education alone could guarantee a better future for the family.

On that day my household was wonder struck when the brothers came home and did the magic of writing their names in the bit of paper provided by the lady! And that little act of care and concern for the down trodden became the load star of our family to guide us towards the great gift of education. Today I am a retired man from a prestigious government job married well and my children too are highly qualified. At this moment, I cannot forget that inspirational loving lady, the root cause for our upliftment.” So saying the man shook my hands with great fervour and walked towards his waiting car!

Another incident also happened in another prestigious wedding at my place in Kumbakonam. A distant associate of mine came home one day to extend the invitation for his son's wedding. I was not at home and my wife who received the invitation was told that he knew the family well especially, her husband's father, the great teacher, and her husband an equally good teacher and their sons too. The invitation he said was for all the three generations.

On the morning of the wedding as I parked my scooter amidst the row of cars at the marriage hall. Our man in his resplendent creamy silk dhoti and shirt came running to receive me as if he was awaiting for my arrival. He took me straight away to the couple for my blessing. As I tried to introduce myself the bridegroom said "Don't bother about it uncle. Day in and day out we hear about you and your father from our dad!"

 Holding my hand all through he took me aside and putting one hand inside his silk shirt he said "Today I want to show you something very precious to me." As he reverently took out a small item, I was indeed dumbfounded!! It was a laminated photo of my dad!!  I was flabbergasted! What could have a simple teacher given to this man? He continued "Sir your father is always in my heart. I may change my shirt daily but I make sure he is always close to me to guide me, enlighten me. And today the first and foremost thing for me was to make sure that your dad is with me to give his blessings to the newly married and I consider your presence as the pinnacle of my son's marriage." As he held both my hands in reverence, I could feel his sincerity flowing through my veins!!"

This was the sharing done by my brother from Kumbakonam when we returned home after a month-long vacation. I was overwhelmed and speechless. I was in tears.

What a great gift the lady had given to an ordinary family"

Had the three brothers heard the story of my mother who made an illiterate village into an enlightened one where my dad was the head master before he shifted to Kumbakonam?

"What could my dad a simple teacher who retired from school more than half a century back had given such a precious gift to a man who cherishes it still?! 

Was this man one of the students who was tutored by my dad in our verandah?

Was he the one who was fed by my mother knowing that he was on an empty stomach?

Was he the one who was lucky enough to listen to dad's easy way of learning maths through songs at Kumbakonam railway station, waiting for his train to nearby village after my dad's game of badminton with the railway officers?

Was he the one who was a witness when dad brought about a great reconciliation between his parents which he did to many families in and around Kumbakonam?

Was he one of the persons who landed on a good job through dad's recommendation?

Had he imbibed all the goodness through the words spoken by my dad?

Two weddings in the season with these strange meetings was an eye opener for us siblings!! What do our parents want to convey to us? Are they sending us signals and reminders that our contribution to the society could be much more than what we are giving now?

With these value encounters we the children of such a wonderful couple who bequeathed great values throughout their lives are honour bound to enrich those values. And each of us in our own way strive towards the same and our effort towards that goal will definitely be more fervent and their good vibrations flow ceaselessly in our lives and through our generations to benefit the society at large!