Short Story Competition 2011 (Commonwealth)

Life Goes On…

By Praveen Tissera.


Sounds of screeching of brakes filled my ears. A small old car stopped in front of me. The lady in the driving seat, looks familiar to me. I adjusted my spectacles and try to remember her.

“Mr. Joseph, get in. I’ll drop you to home”, I heard her kind call.

“Of course; how can I forget my old students? She should be one of those brilliant students”, I thought.

Time flew fast backward, to one of the brightest Sundays, twenty five yeas back.

I was doing private tuition for fifth year scholarship students. There’s a huge demand for these classes, because Middle class parents tried hard to enter their children for famous schools through this. They thought this will acquire the honor of high class to them.

A girl came, with her father to my class. But she was almost 10 minutes late. Her father was scolding to her like beating to a drum. It’s just because she couldn’t inform him the exact class commencing time.

“Isn’t it too much for a child?” I thought to myself.

“These kids are in their playing age. Aren’t they?” I tried to convince him.

He came towards and talked in high voice, “Sir, I want you to pass my daughter with the highest marks. She’s the class first since grade 2. I want her to enter the town’s high College. To do that, she’d be following all the instructions and shouldn’t do any careless mistakes.”

I have heard this, in so many times from different voices of the parents. But I thought, “Why they couldn’t understand; only limited seats are available in the town’s high College. Other than trying to drag children to this rat race, they could have let the child choose his own way. Anyway this is a challenge to me”, I heaved a sigh of relief.

“OK, Mr. Russell, I’ll teach as far as I can. But your daughter needs to practice”, I said while registering her.

With my experiences, I recognized she’s a clever girl attending to her studies thoroughly.

Days turned to months and then to years. On the day results released, my phone rang at the morning. On the other side, I heard the impatient Mr. Russell, yelling in the top of his voice.

Sir! Sir! My daughter has failed the exam! What shall I do now? All my efforts, money and everything are in vain. She’ll never be able to enter the town’s high college. I feel like stopping her education. Beside how can I let her go to the old school? Other parents will mock; my neighbors and relatives will laugh. ”, He said.

“Mr. Russell, this is not the end of the world. She’s not a dumb child, she’s done her best”, I tried to convince him, how difficult for all the children to pass the exam with flying colours. But he’s disconnected. Only the sound of beep… remained. I thought what will happen to the poor girl. Later, again I requested him to change the idea. He said that he no longer interested changing her school.

With the cracking sound the door closed behind. Yes, this is that little girl, “Quily”. Now she must be in her mid thirty.

“Ah...! Quily Duwa, Nice to see you back. You were in my tuition class. Weren’t you?”

“Oh yes sir, you have a very good memory. I’m taking my daughter to the class. Her fifth year scholarship exam falls on coming Sunday”, she replied proudly.

I just smiled and close the eyes. It seems the world rotating backward continuing the same struggle.

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Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2011