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| Tuesday, 30 November 2004 |
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The good-hearted postman
"What's that?" I asked my wife. "Yesterday the postman wanted to see you for something important. I asked him what it's all about, but he did not want to tell me, and he was just laughing to himself like a mad man." "He is a good-hearted man and an educated person too!" "How do you know all that?" "I have had the chance to speak to him when he is handing over the letters" "He said that he wanted to see you soon." "May be there is a parcel or something heavy lying in the post office that he cannot carry on the bicycle?" "That can't be. If that's so he can tell me, can't he?" "I know this postman so well. Do you remember the case of the registered letter?" "I am not sure what it was all about." "Once he had brought a registered letter and rung the bell several times. Failing all he had taken the letter and kept it with him to hand it over to me personally. So he came in the evening and handed it over to me. He is such a good-hearted man." "But surely that is his job and he should attend to it properly." "That's not the point. He was so good that he brought it the same day during his off duty hours. He would have thought that it was a very important letter. Yes, certainly because it was a cheque. Some of my friends at post office also know this postman. I also came to know that he is a good musician, who can play violin. He wants to pursue his studies in music at Bhatkande. I told him to collect some money and go there as that will help him to become at least a music teacher at school level." I saw my wife smiling this moment. But I continued with all what I knew about him. "This postman is also a reader of books, I have seen him at the public library. He came to know me closer because of our discussions were on books and authors. He once told me that he had read almost all the available books in translation. He likes Chekov and Tolstoy. He tells me that the teaching and writing are the best professions on earth and he wants to become a teacher or a writer one day. He also wants to learn English to read books. So I asked him to see a good English teacher, but he laughed and said that a good English teacher is hard to find in this society. He does not want to join these mushroom English classes. But mind you he is a person who can read all the addresses written in English and that's how he had been selected for his job." "Is he married?" my wife asked. "Oh yes. He once told me that he wanted to see his children well educated. One day I gave him some children's books to be given to his children. He was so grateful that he kept on talking about it whenever he met me." "I see that you have studied this man so carefully." "Actually I want to write a short story about him. Once there was a stampless envelope with my address. I was worried thinking that it is an anonymous filthy letter. My friend wanted me to see what is in it and told me that if it is a very important letter I should take and if that happens to be a nonsensical letter to tear it into pieces. I did not want to do anything and I paid the stamp fee and sent him off. But the postman was quite cored that was a nonsensical letter sent by an enemy. That was the worst abusive anonymous letter I received in my lifetime. But I was quite happy as that was real experience" I relaxed for a moment by turning the pages of a newspaper. All of a sudden I heard the postman ringing his bell. Then he called me. "Mahattaya (Sir) I am your postman. I like to see you if you don't mind." I walked up to the gate to see him. "Oh how lucky I am to see you this morning sir," he said "are you on leave today?" "Yes I am so. You came to see me yesterday too, what is it about?" "Sir my grandmother is dead and I have to go to Matara. I don't have money with me, can you please lend me some money to attend the funeral?" "How much do you need?" "About two hundred, I return it once I draw my salary advance." I went into my study, where I keep my money. On my way I told my wife what befell me. "I smelt it. But I really hope his granny won't die again," she said smilingly. |
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"Something funny happened today," said my wife, as I was
relaxing at my place of work. I wanted to stay a day, taking leave off to
attend to some writing assignments.
