Friday, March 06, 2009

Fountain Pen











Years back:

He is a little boy. He is studying in 7th standard and is of the size and figure of a small Rat. Occasion is t
he routine school assembly. The ground is filled with children from 5th to 10th standard, creatively and neatly shaped in numerous rows and columns of good proportion by George sir, known most popular as PT (Physical Training) sir and understood as High school Hitler. All eyes are on the podium where headmaster Rev. Fr. Jose Karivelikkal is announcing the prizes for handwriting competition.

It was Little Rat who got this most coveted prize a year back which he proudly keeps pinned on his pocket since then, like the badge of a soldier. Naturally he is looking pretty excited about the day. He came from home, all set to walk on to the stage. Even dreamt of it the previous night and that is quite obvious from his eyes.

Rat gave a quick glance to the back row of girls to make sure that his latest lady love is there. Ironically this MAN is standing 3rd from the first of boy’s row while his WOMAN is 3rd from the last of girl’s row. Well, “NO ONE” is bothered about height these days. Only the Rat KNEW it…as long as she is always keen on giving her classic smile before getting into the school bus every evening.

There is pin drop silence at the ground. The noise in air is of the road…of the crazy cars, private buses and auto ricks. That is quite a noise. There are definitely a lot of bystanders at the road, curiously peeping though the grills of the wall surrounding the ground from the notorious world outside, just to have a glance of their own childhood. In fact, rat knows a few of those jobless faces very well coz he was always been a keen practitioner of the great principle - learn from the world around and not from the book. Though Hitler never let his eyes wander much, he failed miserably in caging his ears. So normally, Rat knew ways to roam on the road during the assembly using his ear. BUT, Definitely NOT TODAY.

He is the most disciplined boy on the ground today. Except for a mild distraction of his lady love, he has full control on his eye and ear…Eyes on a gift pack and ears on, only on, the load speaker.

Finally…………… …………………………………………. a big DISAPPONTMENT


“The world is sinking…The sun is really HOT…the assembly is taking too LONG. Headmaster is talking too much… Hitler is behaving too strict…Road seems too NOISY…What a HEADACHE…She is smiling at the guy who is taking the gift….UFF” In a single second so many new discoveries…….HATS off to RAT.

The assembly is over. Like all other rats, RAT is pretty curious to see the gift pack open. He is obviously struggling to resist his inner call and irritation. The row is now walking back to the class and suddenly the winner opened the gift pack for his friends………..A BALL PEN…Ha ha ha.Oh my God it’s a BALL PEN.

Guess what………The world is normal now. The Sunlight is really soothing. Assembly was fine. Headmaster is nice. Hitler is not following us. Road is calm. Headache is gone. The girl’s row is walking beside and she is smiling and bright.
RAT is happy smiling …………He took the last year’s “badge” pinned on his pocket.
A FOUNTAIN PEN.


Today:


Rat is a grown up Man…others might not accept it…but he definitely will. Today morning, on his way to office Rat saw a shop and a few fountain pens. He couldn’t resist the tempation. He quickly got in...purchased a grey one and a blue ink bottle. Now he is writing his blog with his hands full of ink. His mind is full of those Fountain Pens he left for Ball Pens…Those beautiful things he left in life in the names of conveniences…those slow melodious rhythm of life lost for so called fast and instants…