THE CUP GOES TO THE LAST SCHOOL BELL

 



“There are two motives for reading a book:

one, that you enjoy it;

two, that you can boast about it (on Goodreads).”

Bertrand Russell

 

A week ago, a friend of mine, who lives in London, messaged me saying, that she wanted to send a good book for my wife to read as she (my wife) was recovering from her two back-to-back angioplasties. Without checking with my wife, I wrote my preference: ‘Mother Mary Comes To Me’ by Arundhati Roy (Penguin Random House)...

Only after the book arrived home, my wife learnt about what my  London friend and I had agreed upon...

My wife was disappointed – not with the book, but with the ‘acclaimed’, 'Bestselling' author and the Booker Prize winner... “Whatever that is, I don’t care,” my wife blasted, “I don’t like her.”

Period.

‘Mother Mary Comes To Me’ (374 pages) was destined to be my cup of tea. I had already heard about the storyline, through several rounds of promotional interviews. So, it became easy for me to navigate through the pages... The story takes us back to the traumatic relationship between Arundhati Roy and her dominant mother, Mrs. Mary Roy. In other words, it’s the story of two rebel women – the mother and her daughter... and, through all that disquieting relationship, Arundhati, at her young age of 36,  was able to create a masterpiece with her very first fiction -  ‘The God of Small Things’, which was published by Flamingo, and which brought her Booker and several other awards...

Not an easy feat for a young, Indian author to achieve... Certainly, not with a maiden work of fiction...

For that, and for her eventual strong stand on social issues, I did have a soft corner for Arundhati Roy. But, more than anything else, to me, she was a gifted storyteller... A strong, sensitive personality.

Anyway, as I said, that’s my ‘soft corner’ for the author. I realized, that others, including my own wife, did not have to keep such a soft corner in their hearts for those I admired.





And, just two days ago, my cousin’s wife, Felicita (who resides in my hometown, Mangalore), sent another book to me. It was authored by her younger sister, Dr. Zita Lobo. It was an amazing novel (320 pages) titled - ‘PEACOCK, PYTHON AND ESTHER’.

Dr. Zita, a PhD in English Literature and the author of her earlier two books, is a compelling storyteller, too. But, unlike Arundhati Roy, who got her books published through well-known publishers – the publishers, who became instrumental in her eventual glory -  Dr. Zita, got her books self-published (Stellar Publications)...

I loved the book, instantly... and sent a note of appreciation to Dr. Zita, which, evidently, meant a lot to her...

“This is a great book,” my wife declared this morning, “Not your ‘Mother Mary... whatever.”

Well, Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion, you see... If my wife found Dr. Zita Lobo a better storyteller than Arundhati Roy, I must honour that verdict...




There is no need for a Booker, a Magsaysay or a Nobel, if you really want to tell stories from your heart. There are thousands and thousands of storytellers in every nook and corner of this world, who enchant us with their stories – but, they are never bothered about the tag ‘International Bestseller’, ‘Winner of that prize and this prize...’

Hello, they win many, many hearts, quietly, any way...

That’s their moment of Glory... that’s their incomparable prize!

And, now, look at this story of a man, who rang the school bell for the last time when he retired after 38 years – yes,  doing the same job in the school... to begin every day, to end every day. He wasn’t the Trustee, Principal, Class teacher or even a clerical staff of this school... He was just a peon, the affectionate Das uncle, who did his job - the same job of ringing the school bell (in Bangalore's Bishop Cotton School) -  for 38 long years – with all his heart – and he won the hearts of these young school children as he bent down to ring the last bell...




Is this award any less than a Booker, a Magsaysay, or a Nobel?

Dr. Zita, hope you are reading...

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: 1 & 3 Pixabay   2  Penguin Random House/Stellar Publications

Video: @mojostory

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