I went a little further up the path today. On my way back just before I could cross the only house on the path I saw the tiniest, little boy walking ahead with a school bag. I caught up with him. I put my hand on his head so that he could look at me and I could smile at him. I was greeted by big eyes with tears running down them. I bent and asked him what happened. Controlling his sobs and shaking his head he said, no one drops him to school, he said this a few times and then I understood him. I told him its ok, not to cry, I will walk with him and asked to give me his bag, which he did. He also had a two rupee coin in his hand. I wonder what would be his reaction if I had asked to carry the coin too. After a few steps and some consoling, I pointed back to the house and asked him if he lived there he said yes, and that brought back his pain and again he repeated that nobody drops him to school. He was so tiny, I had to walk at a snail's pace to keep pace with him.
Then he poked a finger in a hole in his T-shirt and said something about his dress and his mother. With his attention focused on the Tee, he continued saying something, so I kept saying yes to acknowledge, only to realise that he kept repeating the same thing. So I bent down and asked him to repeat again. He was asking me if I would also come to pick him up after school. I told him I have to go to work and it won't be possible for me to come when his school ends. He was fine with that. He pointed to the end of the path and asked me if I will go off from there. I said no I will take a right when we reach the crossroad. We could here some barking from the direction I had to take. He said there are many dogs that side and they are saying bow bow. I said what to do but I still have to go that way. When we reached the crossroad I asked him where his school is, it was at the dairy, with very few cows left now, which is a few steps straight ahead on the path. I gave him his bag and said bye. He said a very crisp bye and started walking to the school with his back straight.
When I left him he had his own company for the small distance he still had to walk and he had stopped crying.
