I think it was in the 6th standard or the 7th, when Geometry was first introduced in our curriculum. The most exciting thing about this was getting a “geometry box” complete with set-squares, protractor, scale et al. And I had always seen the colourful “CAMLIN” geometry boxes and always yearned to have one of the same.
Finally the wait was over. The new books came, the new notebooks came and I was eagerly goading my mother to get me the “geometry box”. I am sure, my mother took note of my eagerness and excitement in possessing the ‘geometry box’.
Then finally one day – whew! What a wait it had been, she got me the ‘geometry box’, or so I thought. I came running back from school and excitedly hunted for the purchase, as my mother was out to someone’s place. With bated breath and energy I searched and searched, but could not find.
Those days we did not have mobile phones, nor telephones, so could not reach my mother. The only choice was to (a) go in search of her to known places – boring thing to do… or (b) wait till she returns. I decided to wait.
After seemingly long long hours she finally came, and immediately I pounced on her and started asking her if she got the ‘geometry box’. She replied, well – I searched for it today, but could not get you one. Just wait for one more day and by tomorrow you will certainly have it.
There went up in smoke – all my excitement, but I recovered and reasoned out after the initial tantrum, well can wait for one more day.
Then the same scene the next day – came back from school, found mother was at home and jumped about and asked for the ‘geometry box’. Disappointment….. My brother had fallen ill and she had to take him to the doctor, hence she could not buy the box. Oh God! What a pity. Second day in a row, this is too much. I was inconsolable, and had to be admonished. This time, the promise was – over the Monday next. No, no, really cannot wait that long, it just takes less than an hour to go to the shop, buy the box and be back. Really could not understand why this could not happen.
There were another couple of days to go for the weekend and I was out of sorts for the next two days. And then as the d-day approached, the excitement started to build all over again.
Monday came and truly I thought there could be no more misses and I would surely have it. And with bated breath came back running from school, found mother at home. True to her words she said she has already bought the box. She went to the cupboard to fetch it and show, I followed closely on my toes. And she brought out the box all wrapped in love as an affectionate gift. I could not wait, tore open the cover and grasped the box. But alas! Immediately on sight, I was shocked and my excitement deflated. It was not “CAMLIN”!!!
It was “PRESIDENT”. It was made of plastic versus the metal box of “CAMLIN” and though the interior was good, I was disappointed beyond words, and really made a mess of the issue and my mother silently bore my tantrums. Try as she might to explain, I was in no mood to listen or learn.
And thus I spent most part of my 6th standard in melancholy in each geometry class. I used to look at others using the “CAMLIN” box and feel very jealous and tempted. I could not stop thinking, why my mother did not buy “CAMLIN”.
And I showed all my disappointment to the poor box, neglecting it, misusing it and what not.
One fine day, I finally lost the box in the class. I left it on the open and it was picked by someone during lunch hours. I tried searching for it, but could not find it. I came back and reported to mother and she listened to me. She just let out a sigh and said, so finally you had your way. This time around she bought me the “CAMLIN” set. I went to the school happy and excited and started flaunting it to all.
Then came one my friends and asked me – a new box again, what happened to your old box. I replied that I had lost it; someone had stolen it from our class. He just stared at me for a while and said….”hey that was a wonderful box you had and we all eyed it jealously so long, and you lost it! You should have been careful about the precious box”
That really hit me hard on my young face and mind. I immediately realized that indeed it was a wonderful box, it had sponge all over it, the articles inside were of superior quality, the box was of high grade plastic, not the rusty metal and indeed very very compact and elegant – and, and I had lost it now for good. I realized, what a gift, my mother had given and it was purely my ignorance that I never realized it’s worth and lost it. Try as I might, I was very disconsolate and to this day, that event leaves me speechless and makes me look at each such gift in a careful way and consider.
I have got this precious life for a great purpose – Do I chase after all the material that glitters and beckons or chose to delve deeper and realize the spiritual. In other words, do I chase after “camlin” and lose the “president”?
As I think of it, I get to see many lessons : "we lose easily what we have in hand and one in a hundred do we realise what we lost. We are hallucinated, nay, sweet-talked / sweet-walked into going astray, blissfully unaware of the gem that we had.
Finally the wait was over. The new books came, the new notebooks came and I was eagerly goading my mother to get me the “geometry box”. I am sure, my mother took note of my eagerness and excitement in possessing the ‘geometry box’.
Then finally one day – whew! What a wait it had been, she got me the ‘geometry box’, or so I thought. I came running back from school and excitedly hunted for the purchase, as my mother was out to someone’s place. With bated breath and energy I searched and searched, but could not find.
Those days we did not have mobile phones, nor telephones, so could not reach my mother. The only choice was to (a) go in search of her to known places – boring thing to do… or (b) wait till she returns. I decided to wait.
After seemingly long long hours she finally came, and immediately I pounced on her and started asking her if she got the ‘geometry box’. She replied, well – I searched for it today, but could not get you one. Just wait for one more day and by tomorrow you will certainly have it.
There went up in smoke – all my excitement, but I recovered and reasoned out after the initial tantrum, well can wait for one more day.
Then the same scene the next day – came back from school, found mother was at home and jumped about and asked for the ‘geometry box’. Disappointment….. My brother had fallen ill and she had to take him to the doctor, hence she could not buy the box. Oh God! What a pity. Second day in a row, this is too much. I was inconsolable, and had to be admonished. This time, the promise was – over the Monday next. No, no, really cannot wait that long, it just takes less than an hour to go to the shop, buy the box and be back. Really could not understand why this could not happen.
There were another couple of days to go for the weekend and I was out of sorts for the next two days. And then as the d-day approached, the excitement started to build all over again.
Monday came and truly I thought there could be no more misses and I would surely have it. And with bated breath came back running from school, found mother at home. True to her words she said she has already bought the box. She went to the cupboard to fetch it and show, I followed closely on my toes. And she brought out the box all wrapped in love as an affectionate gift. I could not wait, tore open the cover and grasped the box. But alas! Immediately on sight, I was shocked and my excitement deflated. It was not “CAMLIN”!!!
It was “PRESIDENT”. It was made of plastic versus the metal box of “CAMLIN” and though the interior was good, I was disappointed beyond words, and really made a mess of the issue and my mother silently bore my tantrums. Try as she might to explain, I was in no mood to listen or learn.
And thus I spent most part of my 6th standard in melancholy in each geometry class. I used to look at others using the “CAMLIN” box and feel very jealous and tempted. I could not stop thinking, why my mother did not buy “CAMLIN”.
And I showed all my disappointment to the poor box, neglecting it, misusing it and what not.
One fine day, I finally lost the box in the class. I left it on the open and it was picked by someone during lunch hours. I tried searching for it, but could not find it. I came back and reported to mother and she listened to me. She just let out a sigh and said, so finally you had your way. This time around she bought me the “CAMLIN” set. I went to the school happy and excited and started flaunting it to all.
Then came one my friends and asked me – a new box again, what happened to your old box. I replied that I had lost it; someone had stolen it from our class. He just stared at me for a while and said….”hey that was a wonderful box you had and we all eyed it jealously so long, and you lost it! You should have been careful about the precious box”
That really hit me hard on my young face and mind. I immediately realized that indeed it was a wonderful box, it had sponge all over it, the articles inside were of superior quality, the box was of high grade plastic, not the rusty metal and indeed very very compact and elegant – and, and I had lost it now for good. I realized, what a gift, my mother had given and it was purely my ignorance that I never realized it’s worth and lost it. Try as I might, I was very disconsolate and to this day, that event leaves me speechless and makes me look at each such gift in a careful way and consider.
I have got this precious life for a great purpose – Do I chase after all the material that glitters and beckons or chose to delve deeper and realize the spiritual. In other words, do I chase after “camlin” and lose the “president”?
As I think of it, I get to see many lessons : "we lose easily what we have in hand and one in a hundred do we realise what we lost. We are hallucinated, nay, sweet-talked / sweet-walked into going astray, blissfully unaware of the gem that we had.
Lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Beautifully expressed!!
ReplyDelete