Quick-reads

The new boy in class was quiet. He kept to himself not speaking unless spoken to. He made no friends. He did not even move much. During lunch break or games period, he always sat with a book he showed to no-one.

The children began to tease him. They called him ‘bore’ and ‘Kaddu’. But it was all in good humour. Alok started it. Alok was just curious about the new boy & wanted to know his name, where he came from and hoped they could play together. But nothing worked. The new boy was engrossed in the world he had woven around himself.

One day during games period, Alok and the kids gathered around the new boy and started clapping & calling out – Kaddu Kaddu Kaddu. They poked him, asked him to play but the new boy hugged his book and hung his head. A tear drop landed on his book. Alok noticed and asked the kids to be quiet. He realized something was wrong. He went closer to the new boy and asked, ‘Kaddu, what happened? We are just joking because you never speak. Its ok if you don’t want to speak. We wont tease you.’

The new boy moved – for the first time. He handed his book to Alok and gestured to him to open it. Alok took the book and did so. He saw that it was an album not a book. When he opened it, he saw that it was full of pictures of a beautiful lady. She was with the new boy in many pictures. There were pictures of the new boy, the beautiful lady and an unassuming man. ‘Who is this?’, asked Alok pointing to the family photo.

The new boy spoke for the first time. He said, ‘these are my parents.’

Alok: ‘Where are they now?’

The new boy: ‘My Daddy is at home. He works from home now.’

Alok: ‘…and your mom?’

The new boy: ‘She went to heaven last month.’

Alok: ‘I am sorry. I would have cried a lot. You are a strong man.’

The new boy: ‘I wish I had cried. I can’t cry.’

Alok: ‘You can. I saw a tear drop from your eye. You can cry!’

The new boy: ‘Not the way I want to.’

Since that day, Alok and the kids gave the boy a new name – ‘The New Boy.’ At lunch they shared their tiffins. Someone had tomato rice, someone – aloo paratha or eggs… the new boy always had bread and jam. The kids took the bread and jam and gave their tiffins. The new boy shed another tear.

The kids saw the new boy going to the chapel every day. One day Alok asked him, ‘What do you ask for? What do you want?’

The new boy: ‘My mother. I want my mother.  Want to hold her and cry.’

That’s the day the magic began. The new boy went home after school and found a half-eaten toffee with the wrapper on his bed. He couldn’t believe his eyes! This was the code his mother and he had. They never ate the whole sweet. It was always half half. He knew his mother’s spirit was there.

The next day he found a glass of warm badam milk on his study table. But how? That was his mommy’s secret recipe. It tasted exactly like hers. Her spirit was certainly there and she made it for him.

This continued for days. Sometimes a piece of chocolate cake. Sometimes upma. They were real. They were her recipes. Where did they come from if not her spirit? The new boy knew that his mother was back and God did this to answer his prayers. Another day, he saw a bonsai in his room – gardening was her thing – or a warm crocheted stole on him while he was asleep.

Sometimes he called out to his mom and started talking to her. He asked her to come to him.

The new boy was better now. He & Alok were friends. He shared his magical story with Alok.

Alok: ‘Did you tell your father?’

The new boy: ‘No, he doesn’t talk much. He is always working in the study.’

Alok: ‘You must talk to him. What if the magic is happening with him too.’

That made sense. The new boy decided to meet and speak with his dad. That day he went into his study without knocking. He found him in the middle of recipe books and his mother’s pictures and sarees and all her things. The new boy was shocked. His dad turned to look at him.

The new boy: ‘So, it was you?’

Dad: ‘Yes… because I wanted you to feel better. I am not mom but I love you like her. I didn’t know how else to say it.’

They both hugged each other and had a long cry.

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