STAYING WITH THE QUESTIONS MUCH LONGER

 



“In learning, you will teach;

and in teaching, you will learn.”


― Phil Collins

 

Some days ago, I saw this little girl (first standard) waiting for the lift to come. She was being brought home by a house-help. We were there waiting for the lift for a couple of minutes… and, the little lady initiated a discussion with me…

“What is your flat number? Mine is …”

I gave mine as innocently as the little one had offered hers.

“I like my school… Did you like yours?”

I was caught off-guard by this angle… Can I afford to be absolutely honest in my answer? I was swiftly thinking, “At her age, I did not like to go to school… I was scared of some strict teachers and I was weak in studies… So, how would I answer this little lady? Should I tell her “No, I did not like… I was scared of my teachers? Or, should I sugarcoat my answer… ‘Yes, honey, I liked my school’”?

Mercifully, the lift had landed on the ground floor and we rushed inside…

The question was left outside the lift…

Another middle-aged couple had settled inside the lift…

The little lady shifted her focus to the woman… “What is your flat number?... Mine is…”

The woman happily answered…

"Will you come to my house?” the little angel asked the woman…

“How sweet! So pure,” I exclaimed with naivety…

The woman looked at me, like a strict teacher, and said, “We need to correct her.” And, she did…

“Beta, you should not invite strangers to your house… It’s not safe.”

Little one willingly accepted the advice, “Okay aunty.”

The lift landed on my floor… “Bye beta… Thank you, Ma’am for your timely advice,” saying this, I proceeded towards my flat…





Today is Guru Purnima…

I remembered the schooling that took place inside our lift…

I, also, remembered Einstein’s famous confession:

“It is not that I'm so smart.

But, I stay with the questions much longer.”

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Pixabay/DayronV

Video: Visa India

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