By Kulbhushan Kain
He was a man who always appeared to be in a hurry. But he was also a man who seemed to find enough time to teach the kids around him things which he valued. In an age when women hardly stepped out of their homes to work, he often said, “Your mother will teach you the dos and don’ts of life at home. Your father won’t have time to teach you those. What you will learn from him will be from the way he conducts his life, and from his interactions with people. So listen to your Mom and watch your Dad.”
And so it was. The way he dressed, the way he walked, his generosity, the way he dealt with people. One could see how hard he worked – he was on his toes all the time.
Not everything about him was worth learning though. He was short tempered and lacked patience. He smoked too much.
But I used to observe him whenever I got the opportunity.
One day I witnessed something which I found very strange. I happened to enter a room only to find that he was shouting at his help Sadhu Ram.
“Did you pick up the 10 paisa coin which was on top of this table?” he yelled, pointing to the table in his bedroom.
The hapless Sadhu Ram first looked stunned, then realised that he could not get away by telling lies. The man confronting him was too intelligent.
“Ji sahib,” he admitted.
“Don’t ever do that again. You will always find the coin there. And there is one below the bed. Don’t ever try to fiddle with that as well,” he said.
Having said that, he quickly reached for the top pocket of his shirt and gave Sadhu Ram some money.
“When you need money, ask. Don’t steal,” he said and patted a teary eyed Sadhu Ram on his back.
I could not understand what I had seen and heard. After all Sadhu Ram was a poor man, his master, a rich and generous human being. I could not understand him ticking off someone for stealing such a paltry sum of money. And to top it up, for the life of me I could not understand why Sadhu Ram was being rewarded after he had been caught on the wrong foot? Was it a reward for being brave enough to admit that he had stolen the coin? I was then a 11 year old schoolboy whose mind swirled with questions and probable answers.
I decided to confront him with my doubts. He had always fascinated me.
He looked at me and explained, “There are two coins I always keep in the room in which I sleep. One on the table there (he said pointing to the table), and one below the bed in which I sleep. The coin below the bed is to remind me that any excess money I earn, I must try to distribute it to people who are poor and whose standard of living is below mine.” I looked at the bed – it was a low bed and apparently he must have slid a coin below it. I got down on my knees and, amidst the dust, sure enough there lay a coin.
“What about the coin above the bed, on the table?” I asked.
“That is to remind me to try and earn as much, or more money than the people who earn more than me,” he replied. “That is why the table is at a level higher than my bed. The coins are just symbolic of an idea.”
With the passage of time, the man who taught me so many things passed away. A lot of people had gathered to bid him a final goodbye. It was a cold January morning. The year was 1972.
I stood and looked as people showered flowers on his dead body. In particular, I saw an old lady crying inconsolably-almost shrieking.
In the midst of all this, I suddenly remembered about the two coins. I had never asked him what would happen to those when he died. I ran to the room and with a broom, I first retrieved the one from below his bed. Then I picked up the other one from the table, and put both into my trouser pocket.
The funeral procession then proceeded to the Lakhibagh Cremation Ground. As the fire consumed his cancer stricken frail body amidst holy chants, I took the two coins and lowered them into the hungry flames. I stood watching and speaking to myself, “Thank you Dad for teaching me so much without even opening a book. I have cremated the two coins along with you. Like you, they will always inspire me.”
Yes, we had gathered to cremate my Dad. As the tears rolled down my cheeks, the old lady who had cried inconsolably at our house came to me. She hugged me and said, “Your Dad was an incredible human being. He used to give me and my family 100 rupees a month, for years. God will be kind to you. Follow in his footsteps.” Much as I tried in subsequent years – I never met her again.
But I heeded her advice and tried to follow in his footsteps. But when you follow in someone’s footsteps – you can never be like the original. You can be a duplicate at best!!
However, even after 52 years of his passing away, you will find coins on my table and under my bed. Two of them!
My Dad never told me anything about what he did with his money. If one spends money in a foul way – the world will know and they will whisper.
If you spend money well – the world will know and they will shout!
Others always judge you better. That is the lifelong lesson my Dad and the coins taught me!
(Kulbhushan Kain is an award winning educationist with more than 4 decades of working in schools in India and abroad. He is a prolific writer who loves cricket, travelling and cooking. He can be reached at kulbhushan.kain@gmail.com)
