The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge was first held in 2010. The challenge is that we have to post every day of April, except on the four Sundays. April 1st is a theme with letter A, 2nd with letter B and so on till April 30th which will be Z themed. This year, I’m planning to do short pieces of fiction (not a series), or a poem based on a word with that letter.
Index of Posts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Kappu – A Life of Lessons
Part 2
Today, the guard without hair is not there. When I reach outside the school, there is no one in the ground. The other guard sees me, but he doesn’t flinch. Instead, he gestures at me to come over.
“What is your name?” he asks me in Kannada, the language I know best.
“Kappu,” I utter by mistake, but he laughs it off. He asks me my real name.
“Suma,” I tell him.
He is kind, this guard. He tells me that I can stand near the window and peep into the class all day if I want to. He’ll tell me if someone comes. It’s something I’ve longed to hear. But a ragamuffin can’t be at one place all day. I have to find enough to take back, or my father will give me a beating. So I shall move away soon.
Yellowed paper in hand, I stand crouched near the window, waiting to hear the woman.
“D for,” comes a voice, but it’s a different woman.
“Doll,” echoes the children, but I know this already.
I have stood near the wrong window. I can see the guard tell me that.
But I have stood at this window before. Seeing the woman show the picture of a doll makes me want one of my own. I want a doll. And I want the book that has the doll picture in it. In it, I have seen her show cats and eggs and jugs. I will ask the guard uncle if he’ll get the book from me after the woman goes.
I crouch down and move toward the right window. Looking through, I see the woman there write in letters close to each other. I can’t do that; yet. But one day, I will. Looking at her, I try it on my yellowed paper. This lesson is fun. I hear the bell ring, and I try to slip through the fence to the road. But there’s a hand on my shoulder.
An angry man looks at me, and shouts in a language I don’t know. I plead with him to let me go, and he does, but he takes my yellowed paper and tears it, just as the children come out and watch him. Tearful, I sneak out the fence, but my luck is bad.
I am caught by my appa. As he drags me away from the building, I can see the angry man throw away the pieces and the children look at me. My appa curses me in Kannada as he pulls me to our tent, asking me why I couldn’t know my place. He gives me the beating I knew I would get. But he’s in a fury today.
“Let this be a lesson to you,” he says, taking the hot flat ladle from the coal stove and pressing it into my right hand.
~ Continued in Part 3 ~
Index of Posts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Like last year, I’m taking the challenge along with my friend Bhavya. We’re writing on the same themes each day, and giving each other the themes on alternate days. Day 12, the word chosen by us was ~Lesson~.
(© 14th April 2015)
Well written Leo.. very poignant and deep. But I wont “like” this story. 🙁
Waiting for the rest…
Yeah I know. The ending kind of kills the interest to “like” it, Pooja.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Oh the poor thing. How can parents punish their children in a manner so harsh? Is he even her real father? 🙁
Only the most cruel of people can hurt a child so 🙁
Beautifully written Leo! I hope she finds an answer to all her troubles in the parts to come….
(Bhavya recently posted… The Importance of Being Kind)
It happens. We think of “status” so much, that eagerness is forgotten. So crossing the boundaries is seen as unacceptable, Ishi.
I hope she finds that answer too.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Offoo!!!! Made me wince- the last line! Good one, V! Can’t wait for tomorrow! 🙂
(Shalini recently posted… Forever alone No more- L)
Made me wince too when I wrote it, imagined it, Shalzz. It’s hard to put that image in mind.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
What sad lives these children lead! We see them on the street, carrying heavy sacks on their shoulders, often barefoot, and we hardly spare a thought for them. But this is the truth of their lives. Please, Vinay, can you write a happy ending for her? Even if it is a temporary reprieve.
(Cynthia Rodrigues Manchekar recently posted… Dear Little Mermaid)
Yes. It is a sad life, but that’s their truth. We don’t see it, or if we see it, we ignore it.
I will try for the happy ending, Cynthia, but I don’t at the moment know where I’m taking it.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Oh, the poor girl. How could parents punish their child such. Sad reality 🙁 I hope the story ends on a positive note.
I hope so too, Prasanna. That bit of positivity is needed, I know, but I don’t know where I’m taking it right now.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Oh goodness, this is such a sad tale. Surely it can’t get any worse.
(keiths ramblings recently posted… Listen)
I hope not, Keith. But like I said to Aathira, it could. Life’s such.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Ouch! Such cruel people. I hope this story ends on a positive note though.
(Aathira recently posted… L – Love or Lust?)
I hope so too, but life is such that anything could happen, even the negative note, Aathira. Fingers crossed for my muse 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
That’s horrible! and you do paint a strong picture with your words
You are welcome to check my A-Z posts here: http://sundarivenkatraman.blogspot.in/
Yeah. It is definitely horrible, Sundari 🙁
oh poor thing…such a harsh punishment for having such a simple desire…
(the little princess recently posted… L for Lust)
Yeah. It happens, Titli. Unfortunate, that. But people look at it as crossing boundaries.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
yikes!!!!! i dont like this appa fellow! :@
(Meghana recently posted… ~::~ [A-Z Challenge] ~ Lento ~::~)
Hmm. Yeah. He’s not very likeable, Megz.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
It is really horrible to treat a kid like that 🙁 I wonder how many kids like her are out there, who suffer like this 🙁
Like It Happened Yesterdy
Quite a few, I suppose, Swathi. but they don’t complain so they’re not found.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
That is so incredibly sad. How can parents do such a thing to their own children?
(Shantala recently posted… Learning from our Kids #AtoZChallenge 2015 @AprilA2Z)
Oh. They do much more in anger sometimes, Shantala. It’s sad, but it happens.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Oh no! Hot coal! That’s mean! 🙁
(Kaddu recently posted… A to Z of Blogging: L – Labels #atozchallenge @AprilA2Z)
Very mean, Kaddu 🙁
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
No one can punish kids like that, esp parents, and specifically fathers!
(Sheethal recently posted… Lily …)
They shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean they can’t or don’t SSJ.
In anger, people do things they don’t know is wrong. 🙁
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Powerful writing, Leo. I was in tears when I stopped reading at the end 🙁
(Shailaja recently posted… Memories- #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z)
Yeah. That ending is a doozy, I know. It killed me to cliffhang there as well, Shailaja.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Oh! Such cruel people around lil Kappu! Even a school teacher could not understand her thirst for knowledge! Sad!
(Shilpa Garg recently posted… N is for Naughty #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z)
That’s status issues sometimes, Shilpa. Sad and cruel of course.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… Kappu – A Life of Lessons {Part 2})
Ouch! Moving on to part 3
[Interesting font choice. Makes me feel like I’m actually ‘writing’ it 🙂 ]
(Sid recently posted… Shoes? Oh yes!)
Yeah 😀 I loved that font too, Sid. Thanks!
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted… The Prophecy)
Parents like this make me want to give up on this world sometimes .
(Jaibala Rao recently posted… No Good Deed)
Likewise, Jb. Likewise!
That’s saddening and painful ! 🙁
(Sims recently posted… Save the Mother Earth)
It is. And that ending saddened me after writing it too, Sims.