Lying in bed, Sami realised with a sudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as thought only a moment ago it was Friday. Already Monday was here. He hoped he did not have to go to school.
At 9 o'clock seminathan wailed, I have a headache.
Mother generously suggested that Sami might stay at home. At 9:30 when he outed to have been into the school prayer hall, Sami was lying on the bench in mother's room.
Father asked him, have you no school today?
Headache, Sami replied.
Nonsense dress up and go.
Headache,
Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday.
Swami knew how strick his father could be. So he changed his tactics. I can't go so late to the class.
You will have to. It is your own fault .
What will the teacher think if I go so late?
Tell him you had a headache and so are late.
He will scold me if l say so.
Will he ? Let us see.whate is his name?
Samuel.
Does he always scold the students?
He is a very angry, man. He is especially angry with boys who com in late. I wouldn't like to go late to Samuel's class.
If he is so angry, why not tell your headmaster about it?
They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him.
Swami hoped that with this his father would be made to see why he must avoid school for the day. But father's behaviour took an unexpected turn. He proposed to send a letter with swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from swami would make him change his mind.
By the time swami was ready to leave for school, father had composed a long letter to the headmaster. He put it in an envelope and sealed it.
What have you written, father? Swami asked apprehensively.
Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class.
Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?
Yes. Plenty of things.
What has he done, father?
Everything is there in the letter. Give it to your headmaster.
Swami want to school feeling that he was the worst boy on earth. His conscience bother ed him. He wasn't at all sure if his description of Samuel had been accurate.
He felt he had mixed up the real and the imagined.
Swami stoped on the roadside to make up his mind about Samuel. Samuel was not such a bad man after all. Personally he was much more friendly than than the other teachers. Swami also felt Samuel had a special regard for him.
Swami's head was dizzy with confusions.he could not decide if Samuel really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter. The more he thought of samuel, the more swami grieved for him. To recall Samuel's dark face, his thin moustache, unshaven cheek and yellow coat fill swaminathan with sorrow.
As he entered the school gate, an idea occurred to him. He would deliver the letter to the headmaster at the end of the day. There was a change Samuel might do something during the course of the day to justify the letter.
Swami stood at the entrance to his class. Samuel was teaching arithmetic. He looked at swami. Swami hoped Samuel would scold him severely.
You are half an hour late, Samuel said.
I have a headache, sir. Swami said.
Then why did you come at all?
This was an unexpected question from Samuel.
Swami Said, my father said I shouldn't miss school, sir.
Samuel looked impressed. Your father is quit right. We want more parents like him.
Oh, you poor man ! Swami thought, you don't know what my father has done to you.
All right, go to your seat.
Swami sat down feeling sad. He had never met anyone as good as Samuel.
The teacher was inspecting the home lessons. To swami's thinking, this was the time when Samuel got most angry. But today samuel appeared very gently. Swaminathan, where is your homework?
I have not done my homework , sir, swami said.
Why-headache? asked Samuel.
"Yes, sir."
All right, sit down, Samuel said.
When the bell rang for the last period at 4.30,
Swami picked up his books and ran to the headmaster's room. He found the room locted.the peon told him the headmaster had gone on a week's leave. Swaminathan ran away from the place.
As soon as he entered home with the letter, father said,I know you wouldn't deliver it.
But the headmaster is on leave, swami said.
Father snatched the letter away from swami and tore it up.
Don't ever come to me for help if Samuel scolds you again. You deserve your Samuel, he said.