The next day, Vishwa was woken up early by his father. His mind still sleepy, he looked around his father packing something.
‘Wake up kid,’ his father said. He was neatly arranging all the packages. On top on one another. The package were kept on top of a cloth strip.
Vishwa looked around. It hasn’t been morning just yet. He wasn’t able to sleep well. And from what he was still able to make from the sky outside from the windows. It was still dark. There were some traces of light but still it wasn’t still in bloom.
‘Help me with the food,’ his father said, going into the kitchen.
Vishwa woke up. As he ruffled his hands through his messy hair. He sprayed some water on his face, and cleaned it up with an old cloth. Now that he was awake. He made his way to were his father had kept the food.
The food were packed in newspaper strips. Vishwa helped arranged the food. He guessed what might have been inside the packages.
The package was cylindrical. It was most probably bread, rolled to look cylindrical. It has been done before too, Vishwa knew if this was a bread, most probably some vegetables must have been rolled inside it. And the whole thing had been wrapped in papers.
Vishwa arranged them, on top of the cloth strip. The cloth strip was what would be used to make a make shift bag kind off. So that both of them could carry the food, to the village farm lands, and temple as such. There was also a hill, Vishwa knew, the village had foundations, which were not exactly plain. The hill was a forest area. Though not many wild animals were present there. There were some that were common on the top of the hill and the surrounding forest.
Vishwa’s father came back from the kitchen with many such rolls. Vishwa never knew. If they were so much poor, why would his father still would from time to time, go around feeding the animals. It has definitely decreased around the past year or so. But he still was able to gather food enough to feed 10-15 of those animals.
And Vishwa knew his father wasn’t the only one. In fact throughout all these years, he had managed to gather others. He had been able to convince them to feed the animals from time to time. Though most of them had laughed at their father's proposition, they were still others, mostly people who were old enough, the farmers, and such. Who saw good in the doing the deed.
‘That’s all of it,’ His father said. Vishwa arranged the remaining of the food.
Vishwa folded the cloth strip that contained all the food, making a makeshift cloth sac. He was able to carry on his back.
‘Let’s go,’ his father said, looking at the sky which had started to get brighter. It would not be too soon before the sunrise.
Vishwa and his father both left after locking the house. They started walking toward the old master’s house.
They had decided to gather around his house. The old master was someone who had spent his entire life teaching the village. Now that he was old, the older generation didn’t forget to show their gratitude towards the master. He was someone who had watched most of the village kids, go from infancy to adulthood. Some of them even have gotten old. Such was the zeal and the passion of the man, who was the pillar of this village’s education.
When Vishwa reached there, he saw many of them waiting. Most of them were old people but there were some young ones among them too. They were either the grandchildren of those old people or were some adults who were interested in feeding the animals too. All of them were present with different kinds of bags.
VIshwa saw the old master, sitting on a chair, laughing among the people of the older generations. He looked more aged than Vishwa had seen him in the past. More frail than in the past. He was slow, but still his happiness couldn’t be contained when he saw us coming.
‘Bullshead, you came again, huh.’ The old master was having trouble speaking, but still that much didn’t stop him from talking to us.
‘You still call me that, I am not that strong anymore,’ Vishwa’s father, smiling. He ruffled his own hair.
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‘You tell me old master, how are you these days,’ Vishwa’s father asked the old master.
‘Fine, when you all are still here to care for me, how couldn’t I be fine. But this old age has started troubling me a lot these few days,’ the old master replied Vishwa’s father.
‘How can it be, you still look so strong,’ Mayankan said in a joking manner.
‘Don’t tease this old man,’ the old master said, now looking at Vishwa.
‘You have grown taller, but you still don’t look much older than 14. Mayankan, feed this kid. Otherwise how would he grow strong like you.’ the old master said to Vishwa.
Vishwa could laugh ruefully in that response. He knew his old master was only teasing him. But still it hurt him, despite how much he tried, he wasn’t able to grow strong like his father.
The chirping of birds started. It indicated the arrival of sunrise.
The old master looked at the clear sun that had started rising on the horizon. It was always a beautiful experience. But his muddy eyes couldn't grasp the immensity of its beauty.
‘Let’s go,’ the old master said to his own granddaughter. She was behind him tugging at his wheelchair.
The old master hadn’t always required a wheelchair as far as Vishwa could tell. But in the recent few years, the old man hadn’t been able to keep up with his body. His body failed him with the passing of ages.
Everyone started picking up their food packages. And started following behind, the old master. Vishwa’s father might have suggested feeding to the animals, but if it not for the old master, it might not have been possible. He was the whole pillar. There were many threads, that bonded with the old master, from ages. His relationship had only grown into this much love and respect.
When the old master, had first told the villagers. He hadn’t expected anyone to follow behind him. In this journey. But the day, the day selected for feeding the food to the poor animals. They were many who had came. The old master was overwhelmed and tear had filled his eyes. He never would have expected, the seeds he had sown in the past, the seeds of respect, responsibility and morality. Would one day tell its beauty with its own trees, that embodied the same principles. Though not to the extent of that of old master. But it was there.
Old master turned behind, he was having difficulty. But he looked at all the people who had came, both young and old. And his own granddaughter who had followed his own footsteps. He was very happy.
The people roamed, everywhere from the village farms, to the temples and structures lost to age, where stray animals took shelter. Though the old master wasn’t able to his granddaughter held his wheelchair. There were others too. Vishwa helped her, the route through the hills were not very steep. But still it was better to not take too much load.
They climbed the hills, the could see rabbits, burrowing out from their holes, but they saw strange people coming in huge numbers, it didn’t hesitate to burrow himself inside. Still those strangers would leave some food near the whole. The food would be gone, the next time strangers, came back to look at it.
There were many deers, other animals too. In the past they had been all nervous, some would even attack at those who had come to fed him. But as the time passed, the animals were tamed. They were wary but little by little they had started interacting with us. In no time at all. There was no barrier between those animals and the humans. After all, village people were hardened people; they weren’t easily scared by those animals.
When they all returned back from the hill, it had already been too late. The sun was setting out. The dawn was starting to prevail. But there was a sense of harmony among the people. They were all talking among themselves, they were all to happy to enjoy such a day.
On the way, not everyone went to the same way as the old master’s home. They all took their own ways, to reach their homes before it was too dark.
Vishwa too wanted to return to his home. But his father had insisted on accompanying the old master till his home. So along with few more people, they made their way to the old master’s home.
The night had prevailed the sky when they had arrived at the old master’s home. The two moons were making quite a pattern. With their existence. Vishwa had heard from some of the children at the school. That these two moons represent the twin gods, mostly both the moons would follow different patterns. But today they both looked in harmony. A rare occurrence.
The remaining few of the villagers, which included one farmer’s whole family and two others who were older people. But not old aged like the old master. They still had vigor and strength remaining in their older bodies. People of the villages. Those people bid their bye to the old master, and went their way towards their home.
‘We shall also return, old master, it has become dark.’ Mayankan said, he said softly.
Old master looked tired. In Fact he had already taken many naps throughout the journey. So Vishwa’s father didn’t want to disturb his rest.
‘Wait,’ despite having difficulty retaining his lucidity, the old master called for Vishwa’s father to wait.
‘Come, there is something I must show you two.’ old master said.
‘But night has already came. If we waited some more, midnight would come too.’ Vishwa grumbled to his father.
‘Keep you mouth shut.’ Vishwa’s father glared at him. Vishwa silently closed his mouth.
But the old master had listened to him. He said, ‘No it is something, I must show you two.’
‘What is it, master,’ Mayankan asked.
But the old master didn’t speak. He gestured to his granddaughter.
Vishwa saw her nodding at the old master. It must be something they both knew about.
‘Come with us,’ Old master’s granddaughter said.