She hops off the school bus, slides into the car, giving her mother a perfunctory smile and wave but her eyes are fixed in a direction out of the car window. “See, look at them,” she says. “Those kids carry their books in plastic carry bags.” The mother looks out, and sees three children—two girls, aged around 10, 7 and a 5 year old boy, walking the dusty pavement with three plastic departmental bags stuffed with their school stuff. They are the children of a domestic help in their apartment and those plastic bags are probably from their house. The bags look worn out and the little one seemed to not be able to carry it so his older sister took it from him. As they walk on, the mother drives home, as her child keeps looking out the window.
The next day, same time, while she parks at the bus stop, the mother spots the three children again with their worn out plastic covers. Her child gets off the bus and once again looks out at the threesome walking down. “I have some old school bags but they are just too old…the fasteners are all worn out and besides who would like getting an old school backpack, anyway?”
That evening, as her child kneels down to pray, the mother hears her say, “Please Hanuman, or any god who has free time. It’s the New Year. Can you please get those kids new school bags?”
A few days later, she’s off from office early and has time till the school bus rolls in, and she passes by a shop selling school bags…
The next day, at the bus stop again, the child is all smiles as she sees the three kids proudly carrying brand new school backpacks. She knows now that she can believe in prayers.
Just that sometimes, you have to be the prayer.
