Akilan came running from school very angry, barely able to control himself from crying out aloud.

Mom was at their humble home getting ready to cook dinner. As she was carefully trying to sift away little stones and chaff from rice bought from the ration store, all she could hear was Akilan muttering ‘how could she? how dare she?’

Mom quietly asked, “What happened at school Akilan?” Loving tone of mom’s question triggered full blown sobbing.

Head hanging into the chest, and in between sobbing, Akilan haltingly described, “Anandhi pushed me…to the ground and hurt my elbow…”

Mom was a bit concerned but wanted to listen to the whole story.

Akilan continued while nursing his elbow, “first she took my pencil…and she…didn’t even ask me.”

Akilan continued as Mom didn’t say anything, “She was sitting next to me as always. Teacher asked us to write down notes. Her pencil tip broke. And, she… reached out, opened my geometry box…and took my pencil…she took it as if it was her own! I got so mad…I tried to get the pencil back immediately but she gripped it hard and wouldn’t let go…after the bell rang I tried to take the pencil back and she screamed at me….and pushed me hard…and I fell to the ground and…now my elbow still hurts!“

Mom asked, “Isn’t Anandhi you best friend?”

Akilan weakly cried into his chest, “Was.”

Mom paused a bit and said, “Do you remember, before school started, Anandhi invited all of her friends to her big home for her birthday celebration?”.

Akilan reduced his sobbing and said, “Yes.”

Mom continued, “Do you remember, we could not take any gifts to her but…she gave us gifts? In addition to chocolates, Anandhi asked her parents to give each of her friends 500 rupees so parents can buy whatever children wanted?”

Akilan stopped crying, “Yes.”

Mom noticed that Akilan was calming down and asked, “Can you guess, how I bought your geometry box, pencils and notebooks?”

Akilan looked up, saw his Mom’s kind and wise face, and with a bit of surprise, wondered, “Did you…buy them…with Anandhi’s birthday gift that she gave us?”.

Mom smiled and Akilan understood.

She then asked, “Now, would you have given her the pencil if she had asked?”

Akilan responded immediately, “Yes!”

Mom asked, “So, she didn’t ask you. Is that the problem?”

Akilan did not answer. She persisted, “What would you tell her tomorrow at school?”

Akilan started smiling his bright and beautiful trademark smile, “Mom!… I will ask her to ask me anytime she needs a pencil!”

Mom said, “Attaboy Akilan!…now go out and play.”

Akilan feeling very light ran out, not really hearing what Mom was saying, “…come back before sun down so we can light the evening lamp and study one more Thirukkural today”.

Inspired by: http://www.ytamizh.com/thirukural/kural-109

குறள் 109:

             கொன்றன்ன இன்னா செயினும் அவர்செய்த 

             ஒன்றுநன்று உள்ளக் கெடும். 

Transliteration(Tamil to English):

kondranna innaa seyinum avarseydha
ondru-nandru uLLak kedum

மு.வரதராசன் விளக்கம்: முன் உதவி செய்தவர் பின்பு ‌கொன்றார் போன்ற துன்பத்தைச் செய்தாரானாலும், அவர் முன் செய்த ஒரு நன்மையை நினைத்தாலும் அந்தத் துன்பம் கெடும் (Though one inflict an injury great as murder, it will perish before the thought of one benefit (formerly) conferred).

                         (About the author: All too Human, Engineer, Leader, Seeker, Yoga Teacher, Ever the Student).