Six more years had passed. The child has grown into an intelligent, well mannered and handsome boy. He loved is mother very much. On weekends, mother and child would go to the garden to play and to sing.
Now the mother no longer worked as housekeeper but worked in a shop because she could already left the child to take of himself at home. They lived happily in family bliss. At times, the child insisted to help his mother was the neighbours clothes to get more income to pay for his schooling expenses. Next month would be the mother's birthday. The child wanted to buy his mother a watch as a birthday gift. He had seen her looking at a watch in a shop before and she loved it very much but after being told the price, she put it away because she couldn't afford it. She needed the money for many other necessities.
The child went to the watch shop which was near to his house and asked the shop owner to keep the watch for him as he wanted to buy if the following month. The shop owner asked the child " Do you have money ? ". The child answered " Not now but I'll have the money next month " in a serious tone.
A month later, the child went to the watch shop again to buy the watch. The shop owner was suprised to see him there. He thought the child was just joking. The shop onwer asked the child " Where did you get the money from ? Did you steal ? ". He answered " No, i didn't steal. For the past one month i walked home after school everyday instead of taking rickshaw and saved the money which my mother gave me for rickshaw ride to buy this watch. My legs hurt but it's ok, it's for my mother ". Before leaving the watch shop, the son told the shop owner not to tell his mother what he had just told him because if she knew about it she would be very angry. The shop owner was very touched by the child's action.
The child waited for his mother at home. As soon as she returned from work, he greeted her and gave her the watch. The mother was shocked and touched by her son's gift as it was what she had been dreaming of all the while. Then she asked her son " Where did you get the money to buy this watch ? ". The child did not answer and continued to keep silence despite being asked several times by his mother.
" You stole the money ? " asked the mother. The child remained silence as he didn't want his mother to know how he had saved the money. After asking a few more times without receiving any response from the child, the mother assumed that he had stolen the money. She told him " Eventhough we are poor we mustn't steal. Didn't i told you before not to steal ? ". She then took out a cane and started to beat the child. Eventhough she loved her son very much but she had to teach him how to be a good person. The child cried just as the same time tears began to appear in his mother's eyes. Her heart was bleeding as she beat her son but she had to do to teach her son a lesson. Neighbours heard the child's cry and were concerned about him. They went to the house to check out. Once being told what had happened by the mother, one of the neighbours said " He is a good child ". The shop owner who happened to visit his relatives there also joined in. As soon as he saw the child, he recognized him. The shop owner went near the mother and wanted to tell the truth. Suddenly the child ran to him and asked him not to tell his mother but the shop owner insisted to do so. He said to the boy " My dear boy, a good child does not lie and musn't keep any secret from his mother ". After hearing these words, the child relented. The shop owner started to tell the mother that his son appeared in his shop a month ago, asking him to keep the watch for him. " He came to my shop this morning and told me that today is his mother's birthday ". He continued to explain to her how the child walked home everyday for a month to save money to buy the watch because he knew his mother wanted it very much. The shop owner was touched and tears started to appear in his eyes, so were the neighbours there. The mother rushed to her son and hugged him tightly. Both mother and son were crying. The mother said " Son, i am sorry ". The son said " No, it was my fault ".
At the same time, the father of the child was already married but his wife was unable to conceive. They didn't have any children. His parents were sad over this because no one would inherit his wealth after this. One day as when the mother and son were walking in town, they bumped into the father and his wife. It was then only the father knew he had a child. He invited both mother and son to his house and offered to support them financially from then onwards but the mother rejected the offer. She said " We are poor but we live happily without your help " When the news came to the knowledge of the parents, they were eager to see their grandson but was not allowed by the mother.
A few months later, the son's old sickness returned. The doctor told the mother that her son required a surgery and constant medication otherwise the life of the child would be at risk. The mother could not afford to pay for her son's surgery and tried to think of an idea but couldn't think of one. Her only option was to hand over the child to his own father. On that weekend, mother and son went to play and sing in the garden just like what they had been doing every week. For that short happy moment, the mother managed to forget all the problems she was facing. Upon returning to their house, the mother told the child that he had to go to stay with his father. The child refused because he wanted to be with his mother. The mother said " but i cannot afford to pay for your medical bill ". The child said to his mother " It's alright mother, i don't need any surgery, I feel good and healthy each time i am with you . When i grow up i will earn money to pay for my surgery ". The insisted to take him to his father's house the following day because she knew her son needed the surgery urgently.
( to be continued tomorrow )
No comments:
Post a Comment