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Responsible parents..!
By Robert Clements. Dated: 7/13/2017 12:16:54 AM
The way parents are taking over the responsibilities of their school going children I can well imagine a situation like this: My neighbor Mr. Kapoor who normally accompanies me on my morning walks, walked with me this morning looking bleary eyed and disheveled.
"You look like you've been through a nightmare", I said pleasantly as I slowed down to allow him to catch up with me.
"Its worse than a nightmare", said my neighbor with a shudder. "I don't know how I'm going to manage without taking a year's leave."
"Are you sick or something", I asked worriedly as I quickly tried to move away from him," have they detected some serious disease in you".
"They will at the end of this academic year", said my neighbor bitterly, "if I don't work hard it'll be a sickness called failure. I guess I'll just have to start taking tuitions to be able to pass".
"Wait, wait", I shouted, "you mean you've joined some professional course". "I haven't, said Mr. Kapoor curtly, "but my daughter's passed to the sixth standard and I'm trying to learn her portion".
"Why don't you allow her to learn them herself", I asked in surprise.
"What! And load her with an additional burden?", asked my friend, looking at me in horror.
My other friend Mohan, who spends his time cracking jokes and generally filling our morning strolls with interesting humorous anecdotes was also missing. We found him near the society garden, busily plucking flowers from a mogra tree.
"I didn't know you had become religious", I said watching him reach high into the branches to pluck a bunch of white buds".
"These are not for the Gods", said my friend grumpily, "these flowers are for the class teacher".
"You mean you want her to look pretty when she teaches your son", I asked with a smile.
"I want her to be pleased with me when she meets this morning", said my friend nearly slipping as he tried to reach higher. "I want to become her favourite by making her happy".
"You two are extremely good parents", I said a little guiltily, "by the way where are your children at the moment".
"At home sleeping", said both my friends, suddenly relaxing with some joy in their eyes.
"Sleeping!", I shouted, "but aren't they getting ready to go to school".
"What", shouted my neighbor Mr. Kapoor as he hurried back into his house, "they already have enough responsibilities and now you want them to go to school?"
"Then who's going to school and who's going to learn all those portions and who's going to give all those flowers to the teacher", I asked puzzled.
"We", shouted both my neighbour's together, "we're going to school. That's the least we can do for our poor children…….!"
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