Guilty Conscious

I was reasonably excited at having to go somewhere other than school. Getting ready early, I hopped onto the front seat of the car and started conversing with the car driver. Balu was his name. We were good friends.

Mother took the longest time to get ready. That was no worry to me, though. The shade of the rubber tree under which the car was parked kept us both cool and conversant. Nevertheless, fathers are fathers always shouting at mothers to get ready quickly and my father was dutiful.

"Did you drink water?" shouted mom, from the doorway, a good 22 yards away.

'No', I replied back.

She carried the tumbler all along to the car and asked me if I had washed my hands after tying the shoe lace.

'No', I replied again.

"Lift your head"

'aaaaaaaaaaaaa'

"What is all this circus you are doing? How many times have I told you not to do this. What if the water goes into the windpipe? How many cases should I tell you? Still you people don't stop this. Cleanliness is...." father went on and ended by asking me to keep the glass with me as there wasn't any time left to go back in to put back the tumbler.

Everyone got in and we started out to some place, supposed to be my father's friend's house, which was, as I had gather from Balu in the short conversation, a good 60 minutes away.


Hardly had 10 minutes gone by, I remembered having forgotten to attend to Nature's call in the morning. Also feeling it, I turned back at father and revealed "Appa, ...."

Balu, take the car back.

Hey, you are sure you wan't us to go back. Or can you stay this way for 50 more minutes.

'No', I said.

Let him go. Anyway we are late, we will go later by 20 minutes.

I felt slightly guilty, although nothing was under my control! Nature, after all, is more powerful than man, isn't it?

We reached back home in 10 minutes. I got off the car and rushed. Pushing the main-door, I ran and pushed another door.


INTERMISSION


A few minutes later, as I stepped into the car,

"Did you have the main-door key with you?", mother questioned.

'No', I said again.

They looked at each other.

"How many times have I told you not to hurry at the last moment. What if we hadn't come back?" Mother accused father.

"Is it my mistake. You people should get ready earlie...."


Atleast I wasn't felling guilty anymore!