THREE STORIES.
I have read so many stories and biographies and auto biographies. Out of all of them only three stories haunt my memory even to this day.
1) MACHA (Kannada short story which appeared in the Deepavali issue of “Kathavali” a monthly magazine written by Chayapathi Suryanarayana which I read may be about 5 or more decades back)
The short story gist is as follows :
Once upon a time there was one Brahmin land lord. In his house for generations one Dalit family was working. They were assured food clothing and shelter and good quantity of grains which they can exchange for commodities or money.
Macha was of equal age as that of the present landlord whose father had died sometime back. Even though Macha’s family was Dalits they were treated well by the family of the land lord.
.
This young land lord had an young daughter and wife. This young daughter used to run towards Macha with out knowing that he was a Dalit. Macha used to run away. This made the young daughter to play with Macha in this type of game.
Once the village was swept by Plague. This plague did not have any medicine during those periods. As was the usual practice whenever any contagious disease struck the village the entire villagers used to leave the village and go to a far off place build temporary hutments with bamboo and straw and leaves and stay there for sometime until the falling of rats totally stopped.
The falling of rats continued for about a month and a half.
One day due to carelessness of the land lords wife who was preparing morning breakfast early in the morning their hut caught fire. This may also be due to the fact that she did not know how to cook in a straw thatched hut. At that time the land lord had gone out to his fields. Without knowing what to do the lady rushed out of the hut and at that time she forgot that her daughter wa still in the hut sleeping. All the others immediately gathered and brought water from their huts. Macha from their secluded camp also saw the fire and rushed to wards the hut of the land lord. Everybody knew that the young daughter of the landlord is inside the house but none ventured. The mother who tried was prevented her from going inside. Macha without caring for the advice of others and without any care for his personal safety rushed inside the nurning hut and brought the child which had her blanket around her. By this act most of the clothes of Macha got burnt up and his skin also burnt up to a large extent. He was taken and laid on a cushion of straw. By this time the land lord after seeing the fire from his land rushed running and he saw that the hut ws burnt to ashes and his daughter with a woolen blanket thrown around her and without any physical damage was with her mother . He saw some villagers surrounding a place and rushed up there. He found Macha with badly burnt body in agony and lying there..
He went hear him and held his hand . Macha opened his eyes and the first question he asked was whether the young lady ws safe. Tears rolled in the land lords eyes and he told Macha that the young lady is alright .Macha then tried to withdraw his hand and told the land lord that he has to be excused as he touched the young lady though he was a Dalit.. with satisfaction on his face Macha breathed his last.
With a heavy heart the land lord returned to his wife and daughter . The first words his daughter uttered was that she made Macha out on that day even though he used to run on other days!.
The land lord arranged for the funeral of Macha and gave some lands to the family of Macha so that they can live freely working in their own lands and not depending upon the land and wages from others.
P.S:
I do not remember the other names and may be I have missed on some finer points. Any way I have given the gist.
2)Jagadodharana
(Kannada short story which appeared in the Deepavali issue of “Prajamatha””This also I remember to have read some 5 to 6 decades back.. The author of this story is “Gopalakrishna”)
In a Srivaishnavaite holy place liveed an orthodox Brahmin. He had his wife and a son This son was born to him after some years of marriage and his and his wofe’s going on pilgrimages to beget a son.. He owned some landed property and a smallhouse. The income from the land was just enough to take care of his life.
It cannot be said that he was affluent.
He had a dream a dream for constructing a Veda patashala (Teaching of ancient scriptures along with modern education) This he could not do because of his impecunious circumstances.
This orthodox srivaishnavite had a brother in law(wife’s younger brother) who had settled in a nearby city. This brother in law ws married and had an young son
He was not orthodox . He was working in a company and his earning ws enough for his needs and ws able to save some amount. He also had the habit of going to racess. :This was not a regular habit of his.
One day along with some presents for his sister and nephew and brother in law he visited his sister. He gave the presents to them and had his lunch at their house. He talked to his nephew and asked him as to shy he is having sort of sad face. The nephew said that as his father is always worried and prays to LORD NARAYANA everyday during pooja that his dream of constructing a “Patashala” ould not be realized as his income is just enough for his household. The gentleman from the city asked his nephew whether the body had some money of his own. For this the boy replied he had a “Golaka” (Piggy Bank) in which he has deposited some money .. When ever some relatives visit their house or whenever he attends some function the “Dakshina” (monetary offerings ) is systematically deposited in this golakam. He brought the golakam and opened it with the help of his maternal uncle. It contained babout repees five which was a good amount. This nephew was studying in class five and could even read English. The uncle told the boy that he would gie him some names and also the time. The boy has to sit on the play rocking horse and recall the name of the horse at the time he says for about 10 minutes. The boy agreed and agreed for the secrecy.. The uncle had the next meets race book with him and he gave the name of the horse and the time. There was an old clock in the brother in laws house. This boy could read the time.
This rocking was fixed for a Sunday.
The gentleman from the city returned and on the next sunday the race day he wnet to the race course.
He bet on the horse he had chosen and also in the TRIPLE event at the same time the boy in the village sat on the horse and started reciting the name as given by the uncle.
This horse won. The entire amount he played on the next horse . And all the horses won. This orthodox Brahmin and his wife could not understand as to what this boy was doing.
The Triple event was also won and as thid uncle had a single ticket the amount was really huge.
The next day the uncle along with the money went to the gvillage and by that time tht boy had developed some viral fever.
The uncle went to the nephew who was lying on a bed and gve him the nu ndle and asked him to present it to his father . He also told the boy that the amont is enough to start a patashala and will be enough even if his nepew wasn’t to study in th City.
With feeble voice th boy called his father and requested him to take the bundle and told him to construct the patashala. As soon as his father who was not aware of anything that wnet on between his brother in law and the boy took the bundle the boy died. Later on only the brother in law told this Brahmin about the whole story. The Brahmin and his wife told the brother in law that he is solely responsible for the boys death as he ws made to repay the old or may be some past live debt to the father. As soon as he repaid his birth in this earth ws over and he left for his Vaikuntam.
With the money the Brahmin constructed the patashala and named it afterhis son..
After the death of his wife he entered into “Sanyasashram”
This brother in law of city vary rarely used to visit his sister and her husband as they thought that due to his action only the boy died in his very young age.
3)TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA.(True story)
(This was a story that appeared in Readers Diges and read by Late Mr L Narasappa during a period when actual teacher is absent and a substitute is asked to take over for that period. I was studying in The Banumaih’s High School.. The year I think is around 1950A D)
In Verona of Italy there was a family consisting of Parents and two brothers. This family can be said to be just managing their lives, neither very rich nor very poor. Due to some disease the parents died. These two young boys did not have any near and dear ones to take care.
The elder one thought for some time and he devised a wonderful plan. He and his brother went to a paper agent and told him that he would distribute the papers and he can give the commission due. He also told him the circumstances they were in. So the news agent took pity and gave them the papers with strict instruction that they should not miss the distrinution of paper on all days and also not miss any house hold.
Early in the morning they used to get up get the papers distribute them eat the bread from a bakery nearby. They used to purchas cheap bread ( which were a bit discoloured) and wash their clothes in the public fountain and hang them to dry up. They had oly two sets of good clothes. Other clothes were not so good. This set they used to wer and attend the school. After return from the school they will return to the small place where they were residing and have a light snack. Then they will proceed to a busy market place and start the Polishig of shoes. During the holidays during day time they used to woek as guides.
Their work was appreciated by the news agent and they were given mor commission and some more routes.
After some time they themselves took the agency of some of the newly strted papers and their business grew. Along with this their study also wnet on. The brothers started starting some new business and they become rich in course of time.
In the long run the brothers became leading lights of the society and one of the brothers even became the mayor of town VERONA..
I have written what I remember after a long lapse of time. However even today the outline of the stories still haunt me. I don’t know the reason for the same.
