'75 rupees for a pencil! Don't be silly!'. The shock on his face as he looked at his daughter said it all. He was amused that someone could actually demand that much for a pencil, surprised that people would be prepared to pay for it, embarrassed that I had noticed him and ashamed that he couldn't afford it.
I was at the counter of a book store when this little girl came running up to her dad with a shiny silver pen-pencil. 'Papa, papa... I want this one'. I didn't pay any attention at first till her dad expressed his views on expensive pencils.
I glanced at the child. She wore a school uniform. It was a clean but worn out. Probably handed down from an elder sibling or relative. Her hair had been cut really short. She had either come back from Tirupati or her barber didn't like her or her parents thought that stubble on a girl's head was a great way of beating the heat.
The father was probably in his mid 20s. He had an honest and straightforward manner. I guess he worked as a junior executive in a company. Or so I'd like to think.
'Please Papa, please'. I felt like giving the child the pencil she so badly wanted. The father caught my gaze and knew I was observing the two of them. For a second he looked down at the child and then addressed me. 'She has to learn the value of money'.
And with that he gently led the bawling girl away from the counter.
I stood there for a while and thought about my own childhood. My parents weren't rich but they never denied my brother or me anything we asked for. In fact, there were times when they put our entertainment (video game) ahead of their comfort (desert cooler). I don't recall ever throwing a tantrum in a store. Probably because my grandparents got us all the latest toys from Canada. Yet, that scene in the book store gave me a small insight into what it must be like to be a parent and have to provide for another person's needs.
Managing your own needs is one thing. Having to look after a child or a parent who is totally dependent on you is another. For a minute I wondered how I would handle my kids' demands. Then I remembered that my parents had taught us the value of money. And knew I would do just fine.
So I collected my book and walked out of the store with a smile on my face.
Thank you Mom, Dad, Grandma and Gramps.
