Monday, 3rd April 2017, 10:33 p.m.
The Nadar household, Rameswaram (India)
The Nadar household, Rameswaram (India)
Our Father, Who Art In Heaven
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will Be Done
On Earth, As It Is In Heaven
Give Us This Day
Our Daily Bread
And Forgive Us Our Trespasses
As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation
But Deliver Us From All Evil...
AMEN.
It was an unwritten rule at Little Timmy's house to say the Lord's Prayer every night before going to bed. His eyes would usually stay half open throughout the routine, but over the past week he had been reciting the prayer like a zealot. A bully from the 6th grade had been making lunch breaks a nightmare for him over the past month.
He had heard quite a bit about 'bad boys' from friends in his colony and from cousins, about how they would usually be tall and hefty and mean-looking. This guy though, didn't quite fit the bill. Nagesh was at least an inch shorter, almost wafer-thin, and to an outsider he would easily come across like an average Joe...until he opened his uncouth mouth. Timmy himself did not think much of him until he had a run-in with him one March afternoon over a stolen pen. Since then, life at school had been miserable.
Since then Nagesh would rough him up everyday - sometimes tripping him in the corridors, sometimes snatching his meals away, sometimes yanking his bag off his back and dropping it on the floor, and on really bad days being knocked on the head by Nagesh's clenched fist. Tim had tried everything to make this stop - prayers, avoiding been seen in the school corridors during breaks and after school, making sure he hung around teachers and elders - but nothing seemed to be working. Of course, the only thing he didn't dare to do was complain to his teachers or his parents. He was certain he'd get killed if he did that. He was terribly shaken on the inside.
Nagesh never picked on Ronit. Beating Punjabi stereotypes, he was weak and skinny. Even the girls could beat him to pulp if they tried. Timmy wondered how he had managed to stay safe. The fact was that Ronit's dad happened to be Nagesh's boss at work. Knowing his ways, and unknown to the world, Nagesh's parents had strictly instructed him to steer clear of Ronit. Of course, Timmy didn't know this, and he was disappointed with his luck.
Timmy was almost done with hie lunch when he finally saw the badge on Ronit's bag.
He tapped Romit on his saw it on his their Nagesh would rough him up everyday - sometimes tripping him in the corridors, sometimes snatching his meals away, sometimes yanking his bag off his back and dropping it on the floor, and on really bad days being knocked on the head by Nagesh's clenched fist. Tim had tried everything to make this stop - prayers, avoiding been seen in the school corridors during breaks and after school, making sure he hung around teachers and elders - but nothing seemed to be working. Of course, the only thing he
'Aww'...she sighed in her mind, 'My Son's such an innocent Angel'.
...And Lead Us Not Into Temptation
She was now imagining her son in a priest's cassock. 'Now, now...Maybe he'll be better as a Doctor or an Engineer.'
AMEN.
To his mom's horror, Timmy then pulled the Nazar Battu badge out of his shirt pocket and kissed it.
It was an unwritten rule at Little Timmy's house to say the Lord's Prayer every night before going to bed. His eyes would usually stay half open throughout the routine, but over the past week he had been reciting the prayer like a zealot. A bully from the 6th grade had been making lunch breaks a nightmare for him over the past month.
He had heard quite a bit about 'bad boys' from friends in his colony and from cousins, about how they would usually be tall and hefty and mean-looking. This guy though, didn't quite fit the bill. Nagesh was at least an inch shorter, almost wafer-thin, and to an outsider he would easily come across like an average Joe...until he opened his uncouth mouth. Timmy himself did not think much of him until he had a run-in with him one March afternoon over a stolen pen. Since then, life at school had been miserable.
Since then Nagesh would rough him up everyday - sometimes tripping him in the corridors, sometimes snatching his meals away, sometimes yanking his bag off his back and dropping it on the floor, and on really bad days being knocked on the head by Nagesh's clenched fist. Tim had tried everything to make this stop - prayers, avoiding been seen in the school corridors during breaks and after school, making sure he hung around teachers and elders - but nothing seemed to be working. Of course, the only thing he didn't dare to do was complain to his teachers or his parents. He was certain he'd get killed if he did that. He was terribly shaken on the inside.
Tuesday, 4th April 2017, 1:03 p.m.,
Lunch Time at Vikas Public School, Rameswaram (India)
Lunch Time at Vikas Public School, Rameswaram (India)
Timmy picks himself and his lunchbox up, pats the dust off of himself, and goes to the wash basin to clear any evidence of a scuffle. He then goes back to the canteen table where Ronit was waiting for him. He begins eating without saying a word; Ronit doesn't bother him either.
Five minutes later, Ronit decides to break the silence.
"Did you try speaking to your mum?"
"No."
"How long will you tolerate this?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe you should speak to the Principal?"
"Who wants to get killed?"
"But you WON'T get killed"
"Yeah, right."
Both boys went back to completing their meals.
Timmy was almost done with hie lunch when he finally saw the badge on Ronit's bag.
"What is this?"
"I don't know much...but Maa calls it Nazar Battu."
"Nazar Battu...it looks kinda scary. Is it a demon?"
"Not quite...Maa says it wards off evil."
"I've seen this somewhere else."
"On trucks and lorries? Maybe on walls? We all have seen it somewhere."
"Can I keep it for a day or two?"
"Umm...Okay."
They walked back to class.
He tapped Romit on his saw it on his their Nagesh would rough him up everyday - sometimes tripping him in the corridors, sometimes snatching his meals away, sometimes yanking his bag off his back and dropping it on the floor, and on really bad days being knocked on the head by Nagesh's clenched fist. Tim had tried everything to make this stop - prayers, avoiding been seen in the school corridors during breaks and after school, making sure he hung around teachers and elders - but nothing seemed to be working. Of course, the only thing he
Tuesday, 4th April 2017, 10:28 p.m.,
The Nadar household, Rameswaram (India)
Our Father, Who Art In Heaven
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will Be Done
On Earth, As It Is In Heaven...
Timmy's mom was observing his every move. She was having mixed feelings. On one hand, she was concerned about her son's sudden change in behaviour. On the other hand, his dedication to prayer filled her with a sense of pride about the quality of her upbringing.
...Give Us This Day
Our Daily Bread
And Forgive Us Our Trespasses
As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us...
...And Lead Us Not Into Temptation
...But Deliver Us From All Evil...
AMEN.
To his mom's horror, Timmy then pulled the Nazar Battu badge out of his shirt pocket and kissed it.
Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.
Here's thanking Mumbai-based blogger and Instagrammer Arti S for the image of the Nazar Battu. For the uninitiated, the Nazar Battu is a charm that is largely used in North Indian and in Pakistan to ward off the 'evil eye' - it is used to deliberately add blemish or imperfection so as to prevent envy or jealousy, or even evil of the netherworld. Arti and I have been following each other on Instagram since a couple of months now. I only recently discovered that she is a blogger. As her blog url and pics on her Instagram, page would suggest, she loves travelling and discovering new places, with her father. In her words, she considers her trips as continuous learning journeys within, where she seeks to discover and experience the real treasures of life. She blogs at www.myyatradiary.com and her Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/artisdiary/
Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-
A - All Apologies
Good story Christopher
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