The glass for milk !

There's a story behind this picture. Kavetigaripalle school. Yesterday.

This small girl was sitting silently near the wall. I went to her and asked if she had

had milk. She looked at me with wide eyes filling with tears , and in 10 seconds burst into tears.

"No"

"Why ? "

"I did not bring a glass today."

I laughed, took her to the balwadi teacher. Who smiled at her tears, and filled an extra glass from the school kitchen with milk. Which she took with complete satisfaction. Tears vanished.

Then there was another tinier boy, who re-enacted the same scene ! When I approached him.

This tiny girl and her tinier brother had come without glasses as their grandmother had gone for coolie work early, and had forgotten to give them glasses to bring to school.

And when you are so tiny, 3 years and 4 years, to not get the glass of milk all the other children are having must be the greatest heartbreak. And to approach the adults, all towering way above ones tiny self must seem impossiby formidable.

And so they sat in silent anguish ! Till I asked, and the dams burst.

The heartaches of each age and stage.