Gundu – the Teacher - 02

Perspectives and priorities

Gundu carries books – one time he took six of them - to the toilet and I have to accompany him. I pull up a low stool and settle down comfortably as it would take sufficiently long time not necessarily because he needs so much time for his toilet function but because he has to finish six books. He cannot read but that does not worry him in the least. His vocabulary is good and imagination even better. He insists on reading all of them and explaining to me. In spite of constraints of space and time (and smell, I should add) it is quite relaxing. He has his priorities and who is to say that they are less important.

We go for a walk and Gundu does not want to come back. He drags me in a direction opposite to the house so that he can be as far away as possible and delay the return. We end up near a house under construction. There is a heap of small crushed stones (‘jalli ‘ ) and we start throwing stones back to the heap one by one. It goes on for more than 45 minutes and the sound of stone hitting the heap, disturbance it causes to the heap, path of the stone, size and shape and careful selection of the stone itself and the competition to throw as far as possible – all are so pleasurable. After sometime I sit down on a nearby culvert and watch lazily Gundu playing. The man on duty is initially circumspect but smiles soon. Sun is shining but weather is mild (Jan or Feb morning in Bangalore), a breeze is blowing and time stands still. And at the end, reluctantly Gundu starts for home and looks at me with pleasure and I have become a hero.

We play a game while we walk. Whoever has more cars on his side wins. Gundu changes his side often – sometimes to my left and sometimes to the right – to get more cars in to his account. You see, fixed rules do not interest him. He likes rules to be flexible and he should change them at his will!

I cannot watch cricket. Under instigation or on his own inspiration Gundu stands in front of TV, hands stretched across, and says ‘No Cricket ‘. I move to another room stealthily and watch TV putting the audio on mute. Gundu smells it out and catches me quickly. Not watching Cricket was never so interesting.

My coffee is the next victim. It is morning and I have a nice hot cup of aromatic coffee in my hands and I sip it lazily. Gundu says let us go out. I plead with him to let me finish it. Gundu has his priorities and also has ready solutions.’ Put it down’ he says and I obey.

I realise the obvious. Deadlines are self-imposed and in hind sight often transient, silly and trivial. Perspectives change and so do the priorities. When you are driven by someone else’s rules, schedules and priorities it adds different flavour to life. It is a humbling experience.