A matter of perception

My Didi responded to its rattle respectfully and replied the crow to wait and left for her kitchen from the mid of our chit-chatting, during my last visit to her. My perplexity grew deeper, she moved to her rooftop with a plateful of rice. As she returned, I questioned her, feeding birds is noble but you responded it in a dignified way, what is that? I could not get you…

Always she answered me truthfully and cleared my speculations lucidly. She took a deep breath. and started – 'Seven years back I was transferred to my present school, which is 8 km from here. The very first day, the bus took me to the next stoppage which is 200m away. As I entered my Headmaster welcomed me and comforted me with his suave behaviour, introduced me to other colleagues. As the official hours ended, he came to the stoppage and informed the driver to stop the bus near to the school, whenever I board it.

As days passed, he became a father figure. Breaktime get-togethers, small parties, tiffin sharing were our daily chores. His enthusiasm for the flora and fauna of the school was praiseworthy. None of us availed a French leave during his time for his empathetic behaviour which motivated us to work collaboratively. Once your brother in law came to pick me up, he saw him, invited him to the office, offered a cup of coffee from a nearby hotel, I was unaware of his hospitality. He treated my husband as his son in law.

He retired fifteen months back. In the last month of his tenure, we, colleagues were not in our elements. His farewell was heart-rending, each one of us cried a lot, we bid him adieu with tears in our eyes. Never I felt so much of pain in my career spanning 26 years. Three months back his only son sent a message to our school that he developed issues in his kidneys, getting his treatment from the nephrologist of the nearby town. Two of our male colleagues visited him in the hospital, there to he inquired about the whereabouts of all his the then subordinates and school.

It was a winter night and about 10 p.m., someone knocked on the door, as your brother in law opened, with two of my colleagues, my HM was standing. He said, "Daughter I was relieved yesterday from the hospital, I met others, just thought of seeing you." As he came in, he asked, "Give me a one-fourth cup of milk, just wanted to have it from your hands." He talked for a few minutes, blessed me, and left. Three days later, I received the information about his sad demise, he succumbed to kidney failure. My sister wiped out her tears, completely choking by this time.

She continued – his son requested all of us to attend his twelfth-day ritual. As we reached on the day of the ritual, his son came running and entreated us to show something. A number of crows was sitting over food plates that were offered as part of the ritual. His son repeated "I offered food before one hour, till now not even a single crow was seen, as you all came, just see, my father came with all his friends and relatives. Every day he used to talk about each one of you, even in the hospital bed too, he talked about his staff. He must be very happy now, as you all came."

By this time tears rolled down from her cheeks, I could see her lamentation as she left to her kitchen and called me for lunch. I went up to the roof-top, the crow finished the rice plate just like it's its prerogative, rubbed its beak, and sipped water that was kept in a pot, cawed, and flew to perch in a nearby tree.

Sometimes it is difficult to decipher human perceptions related to certain events, it may be a coincidence or result of resolute faith. The divine has its way of manifesting the aspiration of souls. My Didi had prepared my favorite delicacies, which were ready on the table…