The old brahmin
I remembered those days very well.I stepped into high school to study for the sixth standard.My school was three miles away from my village.My village was a small hamlet in the Cauvery river delta region.Most of the villagers were farmers and they were very poor.Our village students went on foot to school as a gang of fifteen daily.I also joined them.The roads were muddy and slippery.During the monsoon season,we struggled to go to school.There was a suitable proverb said by our villagers."If we were going to sell salt, the rain would come and if we were going to sell cotton, the wind would blow."The south west monsoon rain and wind were hindering the study of the school students mostly.Our village gang was led by a senior student.He was very troublesome.The gang went to school like a car festival daily.Fun,joy and entertainment were made by the gang members while they were going to school.One Monday morning our gang was going to school.The gang leader stopped the members suddenly.He asked the members to spread and walk.I didn't know the exact reason.Meanwhile, I saw an old brahmin who stood on the road.He was very thin and had a dark complexion.He wore holy thread, dhoti and shawl and he pasted holy ash on his forehead,arms and hands.He was called Black Brahmin by the villagers.He was very orthodox and he wouldn't come near the non-brahmin community.Untochability was practised in some of the places at that time.As per the order of our gang leader,we spread and walked.When we went near the old brahmin,he shouted and ran on mud bank of the field.Eventhough he cursed us we laughed loudly.That happened every month particularly on the first Monday.Every first Monday of the months,he went to the government health centre for treatment.He was suffering from diabetes.We didn't see him for the past three months.We came to know that the old brahmin was in a death bed.One Monday morning we went to school as usual.His funeral procession was on the way.We gave our way to his dead body calmly.Our gang leader and others felt very sad.His death hurt our gang leader particularly.His iron heart melted and tears rolled down from his cheeks.He asked me if we were insulting the poor brahmin unnecessarily.I nodded my head.Then he kept quiet.The old brahmin's funeral procession passed away. His death taught a good lesson for us.
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