Monday 26 May 2014

Sasi ... the conspiracy theory at work.

I said the conspiracy theory is for real ! The universe conspires to help ...

Prasad emailed,"I called Sasi this week but the first time, someone picked up the phone (probably Easwarramma who did not recognize my name or voice) and said that it was the wrong number! I called again a few minutes later and this time, Sasi picked up the phone and talked to me for 10mins".

Sasi, fatherless and unmentored, has been a source of much concern for me. He and his sister Kavya, lost their parents to an unspeakable tragedy when the mother murdered the father to cover up some facts. She abandoned them - and Eashwaramma, their grandmother and my neighbour,  has slaved to bring them up single handedly, despite her arthritic limbs, her one blind eye and her utter poverty. But she gave them living values of goodness, a generosity that would not be bounded by poverty and self concern, and an honesty that was deep rooted. The children have grown up with such values ingrained.

But ... I have always worried that Sasi, with no mentoring, can go devient. That is all too possible in villages today, with drink and other things freely available.

Prasad and Jacinte, old friends, came and utterly charmed the village children, and Sasi followed Prasad devotedly those two days. I decided that Prasad could be pressed into service, and asked him to call up Sasi weekly from U.S. I knew Sasi would be thrilled and proud - and would definitely then go from house to house for the next two hours, solicitously asking every child, "Prasad saar called me. Oh, he really did not call you up ? Really ? So sad ...". His day would be made. And his week, as he would count the hours, for the next Sunday call. And in that dream of happiness would hopefully do some studies, and abstain from temptations ...

One day Sasi called me and informed me that Prasad Saar had called him up thrice so far,  and once Jacinte had called him ... and when I asked how on earth he managed to converse with Jacinte, and in what language, he confidently said he had managed ... and knowing his ingenuity i believed him. Later i discovered that it was a marvellous piece of imaginary fiction that i has been listening to ... and that Prasad had only spoken to him once, and though Sasi had asked after 'Madam', she had not been ther.

I think it will work ... the universe conspires. First Radhika came to the village during Sankranthi, and spotted that Varalu could be the best person to put Sasi on rails ... and it was a blessed inspiration. Sasi loves his teacher, and has steadily improved. I am not worried now about his being labelled a dud in middle school when he joins there next year. Now I hope providence works thro' Prasad to give Sasi a sense of purpose.

And i wish that every Sasi in need, in every village and slum, gets such mentors like Varalu and Prasad who can give them a sense of purpose to hold on and struggle ... I wish each of us are able to mentor, that god gives us that opportunity, while there are Sasis...

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