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THE GREATNESS OF MY FATHER 

The following episode amply illustrates the magnanimous nature of my father.

The year was 1989. It was the middle of January. We were shifting to ournewly purchased house. We were saying good bye to our rented house. The

final packing was getting under way.

Our owner’s brother called on us on that morning. Usually he was the man

who collected the rent every month from us on behalf of his sister who owned

the house. He would always appear at the door towards the end of every

month instead of appearing during the first week of the following month. Got

the point? He would press for the rent and father had no grudge over that.

Actually we were paying the rent one month in advance since our occupation.Rent receipts amply testified this. For the last several months we were not

particular for the rent receipts and he also was in practice not to give them.

Things were going on like this.

This is the preface. Now is the actual story. After enquiring about our welfare

he asked for the rent of that month. We were naturally startled. We said that

we always paid the rent one month in advance but he was not convinced. He

said that it could not be possible. Finally we had to show the old rent receipts

to prove our point and he was convinced. If he was a man of values, he could

have given us back half month’s rent which he naturally failed to do. Fatherdid not insist on this either.

He left the house. Naturally I became furious. My parents were in the habit of 

leaving the bulbs and tube lights quite untouched whenever we moved from

one place to another. My father was serving the Postal Department and was

on frequent transfers. Even though all the bulbs and tube lights really

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belonged to my father’s purse, he never used to touch them while he quit his

quarters. He was such a man of values. He had his own views about this.

Our owner’s inhuman attitude on that morning really was beyond my

toleration. I said to my parents that I was removing all the bulbs and tube

lights. My parents could not accept my view not in the least. They stood

against me as a rock in this regard. The net result was that I was left to

fuming and steaming but to no avail. My parents could have understood me

but somehow or other they were not prepared to surrender their age old view

before me.

After sometime, my father approached me and told me the following:-

‘Yes, my son. I do agree with your views but listen to me patiently. Out of the

two tube lights, you may remove one. Your may leave the other one in thefront room. Let it be there. The new tenants need not occupy the house in total

darkness. I had experienced the bitter side of this during my transfers. The

new quarters would have all the bulbs removed and we usually entered the

quarters in pitch darkness. Nobody would leave atleast one bulb untouched

for the following occupant. That was a desperate situation for me for a couple

of days. Let our owner be inhuman in his approach. We need not return the

same coin. Others are really getting affected. Let us not give the future

occupant a chance to curse us on this account. And remember, light is life. Let

us give light to others. Let them enter the house not in darkness’.

This really shook my heart. I did the same as he had asked me to do.

Reflecting on the episode now, I can really understand the greatness of my

father’s heart. Perhaps, the purpose of the episode was to show the

magnanimity of my father rather than the inhuman nature of my owner.

Every incident serves as a seed for our future life. Every incident has a

purpose. Beyond our singular cries, beyond our singular annoyance, beyond

our fuming thoughts, such incidents as this show us the real values of people

and life. Every incident is a teacher.

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