Episode -3 (letting out)
I was the only person standing in the staff room. It was the first hour of the morning, and every teacher was busy with their schedule. After the routine check-up, Master Chowdappa entered the staff room with a wooden stick and asked me to sit near him. However, I just stood next to him. Master gave me a sharp look and asked about me. I introduced myself, “I’m Vinoth, studying in 12th standard, B group, Computer Science.”
He then asked for my report sheet. I opened my bag and showed it to him. He looked at the report sheet, then looked at me. “Is this you?” he asked. “Yes, sir. I scored 70 to 75 percent overall in my exams,” I replied. He forced me to sit next to him and asked, “Why are you getting late every day?” I felt so embarrassed to answer, but he kept asking, over and over. Eventually, I slowly opened my mouth. “I’m not a jovial type. I’m very quiet, always so quiet. I have friends, but I don’t have any best friends.” I hesitated, but didn’t say much more. Master looked at me and asked, “Why are you late every day?” Again, I didn’t answer. Then he asked, “What time do you sleep every night?”
I looked into Master’s eyes, and he looked back at me. We just stared at each other. Finally, I said, “It’s usually around 12 to 1 AM, Master.” He seemed a bit surprised and asked, “Why?”
I replied, “My father works at a bar. He drinks every day without fail. The wine shop closes at 10 PM, and he comes home at 10:30. Then he starts drinking. After two drinks, he begins shouting and fighting with my mother and me. This continues until 1 AM, every day. He beats my mother, and until I was in 10th standard, I used to fight back. Last year, he stopped hitting me, but he still always scolds my mother. He also criticizes her family, especially because my mom is more beautiful than him. My father always feels guilty about it.
In my childhood, my father didn’t drink daily. He worked hard to get a government job. Finally, he got a job at a government-run bar, and that’s when everything changed. He gained weight and started thinking of himself as superior. No one could control him after that, and he started drinking heavily. The shouting would go on until 1 AM. After that, I would go to sleep. But it took me longer to fall asleep, usually around 3 AM. My mom works in a chit fund, so she wakes up early, makes food for me, and gets ready for work. I still ended up going to school late. I would complain to my mom about this, but we didn’t have any other option. I had to drop my mom near the bus stand and go back to school.”
“I feel great because no one else ever asks me about this. Once I told someone about all my problems, I felt so normal,” I added.
Master looked at me sharply and said, “Tell your mom that I have special classes. I will be in school by 8:15 AM.” I just nodded. He asked me for my diary, wrote everything down, and signed it. He told me, “Come to school at 8:15 every day. You have some work here.”