Stories      
School
by R. Purushothamarao

When I returned home from my office, even on that day the same scene is seen. All children grouping together are encouragingly glancing at the ventilator where a sparrow is resting in the newly weaved nest. They are moving frequently in and out of the nest making some twittering sounds. Children are feeling excited with the acts of the sparrows. They are delighted and feeling happy over the new entrants.

Besides, all their books are thrown helter- skelter by the children in the empty chairs. I am observing it since four days .Kids are not concentrating on their regular studies after returning from school. They used to wash their hands and face immediately after thy return from their school. I am rather delighted at their interest on studies.

But after these sparrows entered the house kids schedules gone awry and they are evincing more interest on the acclivities of the sparrows. Their glances are sticking up at the ventilator. The sparrows with their tiny noses are bring blades of grass and putting them at one place
for eventual weaving of a nest at a later date.

First day practically I didn�t notice this new development in the house. Next day I saw the children moving round and also staring at the ventilator where the sparrows are making rounds.

The dry grass blades are strewn all over the floor in the hall and my wife started cleaning the floor with very much impatience. She is not able to bear the noise done by the children in excitement. Children almost stopped attending to their home work and they ceased to involve in reading activity. If I show my ire, they hesitatingly streak into their books but their mind and glances are more projected on the sparrows. Their entire hearts space is filled with the new world of sparrows.

One, two, three weeks have passed. In the mean time, sparrows completed the task of weaving their nest. Children have almost neglected their studies once for all.

To day also the same situation continued. Same story getting repeated. I just frowned upon them yelling in high sounds, only to scare them from being enticed to the new habit. My wife also got restless with the sweeping of those dirty grass blades from the floor again and again.

I am unable to bear with these noisy scenes created of late by these kids. Kindly do some thing to lessen my anger on them. I am feeling as if I am staring in a monkey land.

I glanced at the children with an angry written face. The three children downed their heads and started enacting the role of good students. I stretched my glance towards that ventilator. Unfettered by all these frowns those sparrows started twittering their wings and tails. They look very innocent .

I went in and had my sip of coffee. These kids are not good at their studies now. If the same status continues they may not fare well in the ensuing exams.

If we pluck out that nest from the ventilator, I tossed the idea with my wife. Something similar to that must be done or else our kids will go down the merit list in their academics, she addressed me in an advising tone.

On the next day when I returned home after office hours. I am rather surprised at the scene staking before me,. My wife climbing all the steps of the ladder behaved like a child viewing delightfully into the nest.

�There are three eggs in the nest. we must protect them from the eyes of the cat moving round in the house.� My second son enthusiastically requested his mother to show him the eggs.

What is being done here? I enquired with my wife interestingly at the changed stances.

�What is this you have joined them in making hell of a noise transforming yourself too as another kid.

�When do we remove that nest as decided earlier.

Oh! for God's sake or heaven's sake let us not commit such a sin now my dear! They are all voiceless birds. If we ease them out where do they go in search of a place to rest their eggs?

So fans to the sparrows are large in number in my family. So I don't propose to wage a war detrimental to their delight.

So I drawn up an acceptable reading schedule to gear them up once again in their scholastic career.

Taking leniency over me in handling the situation amicably in their favor, they started enquiring me about the laying ,hatching of eggs etc.

After that we have to go to my country side place on some urgent work along with my kids.

My village is in a forest area.

The kids with the aid of servants there got some new nests already woven by sparrows and carried them to the city with utmost care.

In the minds of the kids the entire geographical account of sparrows stayed long. It seems I am also unknowingly expressed fancy for those sounds made by sparrows day in and day out.

My wife immediately after returning from the village ,tried to have a glance at the safety measures. she has adopted to protect the interest of the birds.

She verified the broken rice placed there and made available to them and the water content placed there ,to quench their thirst if need be. The sparrows also after seeing the light and air pushing into the hall felt pleased and made some rejoicing sounds at the glance of their friends in the form of kids and my wife.

My wife exclaimed that three eggs were hatched and brought in as small, tiny birds.

There is a lot of ecstasy observed after hearing the news of new entrants and every member of the family including me are surprised and delighted at the sudden development.

Mother sparrow brought some food from elsewhere and started feeding the new ones from its nose through their nose.

�Oh! these tiny tots are yet to gain wings.� Why these tots could not be blessed with wings on the day of birth itself, kids enquired interestingly. Those tiny birds grew larger in size day by day and started their walking spree on the floor.

On that evening when I looked at the progress sheets of my kids. I got really annoyed and angry too at their below normal performance. They, who were faring well hitherto, dropped down to lower levels remarkably much to my chagrin.

With the new acquaintance with the sparrows and spending more time with them and neglecting studies noticeably, they could not fare well in academics.

I scolded them uninterruptedly for their poor performance.

�The rearing of these birds will not give you food only your academic excellence can give. I told them point blank in unequivocal terms. The kids almost downed their heads and shut their faces too, in utter shame,

Next morning there seems to be a large transformation in the kids time table. Sparrows too did not disturb us surprisingly for no other cause.

The kids are looking at the ventilator without catching any observation from my side.

The sparrows along with their tiny kids started flying into the sky deserting their nest once for all in the ventilator itself.

Why the sparrows leave us dad?

All the three excitingly put a question. They got their wings hence flew into the sky. I explained.

Where did they go dad? They questioned me interestingly.

I am not able to answer their query properly.

They have gone to their school in the sky lane.

I once again told them that all the sparrows moved ahead to eke out their living elsewhere

What do they do there dad?

�They will be taught lessons there , you also must grow up and excel your selves in academics like them

�what lessons are taught to them dad?

I am unable to reply them instantaneously.

How to fly ?how to live? how to earn food

Like that they will be taught lessons. I grouped some words and told them.

'But dad in our school ...' They murmured hesitatingly

�They don't say any thing related to life and ways that lead to earning in future times. The kids answered

I have immediately no answer to lend so I quipped and skipped.

I am stared looking at the sky to find some answer ...    

August 30, 2009

Original in Telugu by Ramachandramouli.

Image under license with Gettyimages.com

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