The sky has been painted red in the east by the rising sun. Though it's still dark the entire village has started the day. Women gathered at the well in the middle of the village to fetch water. This is the only well that has water in it in the surrounding four villages. The pulleys used to bring water up are making screaming noise over the weight of the buckets. Men are helping their women in carrying the water to home. Children are still sleeping. Some infants are disturbing their parents.
Cattle also started crying for attention and the cocks are awakening people. This entire scene has disturbed the baby bird sleeping in the nest. It has borne last night. And this is it's first morning. It looked up at her mum in confusion and looked like scared. The mother hugged and told it not to be worried.
Ranga is still sleeping in the front yard. He is awaken by the noise and had seen his parents getting ready to bring water. Ranga is 20 years old. He's studying engineering in the town nearby. His parents work in paddy farms. It's very difficult for them to pay his fees. His illiterate parents know the value of the education very well and they want their son to be an officer. They took all the pain and sent him to the college. Though Ranga is good at studies, the worries and struggles back at home always pull him back.
He takes tuitions in the city. He can manage some of his expenses there in college. Still he has to skip breakfast and even lunch sometimes. Now, it's summer and all his tuitions are on hold. He came back to home last night. He slept very late thinking about his grades. He remembered the face of the clerk who said to bring all the fees while coming back to college. He made a firm decision to work in mango gardens during these holidays.
Ranga's father is ready to get water. He's coughing louder. The doctor suggested him not to be exposed to cold weather. Ranga looked at him and told,'Papa, I'll get water. Give me the vessels, go and sleep. Without giving them he replied, "we are used to do this. Let's do it. We don't want you to have all these struggles". He's coughing more. His mother asked his father to take some rest. She told him that they would get the water. Ranga made him lie on the cot which is damaged beyond repair.
They reached the well and waiting for their turn. Mohan came in there. He's his maternal uncle. He's the leader of the people who work in the farms. He saw Ranga and asked him how he was. Ranga went to him to ask him , 'Mama, I'm fine and studying well. But, doctor said papa to take rest. I have to pay the fees when the college starts. Please take me in to your team. I'll work and earn some money.". Mohan was silent and thought for a while. He knows about their situation. He himself is in debt. Though he wants to help them, he cannot. Hence, he decided to send him to pluck mangoes in the garden. It's the easiest of all. He then replied, 'Ranga, I'm taking few people to pluck mangoes in Raidu's garden. Get ready soon. Bring your food in carrier and wear old cloths. Your cloths will get dirty by evening". Ranga felt very happy and filled all the vessels with water.
He ate the food remained last night, took carrier with hot food and left for the garden. They would be taken to the garden on a tractor. They had to go through the city. All the people are waving their hands at the tractors and lorries coming towards them. They are also going for work. Soon, he started enjoying it. They reached the garden after an hour. Some people opened their carriers and started eating. They haven't eaten at home. The owner showed them the boundaries and asked them to start. Men have to pluck the mangoes from trees. Women would clean them from any dirt and count them.
They have to use a big bamboo stick attached with a ring at one end. A net is attached around the ring. (These sticks are called as gadas.) They have to get the mango into the net and pull the stick towards themselves to pluck them. If the fruit falls down, it will be damaged and will not be used for selling. They started selecting their sticks. Someone has chosen a good stick for Ranga. He has taken and started walking towards a tree. The stick is fallen down by mistake. The owner of the garden became very angry and started abusing him. He did not understand what his wrong was. Someone has taken him away from the owner and explained him the reason. Dropping the stick is considered as a bad luck. The owner fears he may not get a good trade for his fruits.
He went to the owner and asked him to forgive. He then inquired about him and appreciated. Everyone started working and the owners family sat under a big tree. He was asking Mohan about his estimate on the fruit lot. How much would be the yield and the quality of the fruits. Mohan was analyzing it according to his experience. Then they heard a THUD sound. Someone has dropped the bamboo stick along with the fruits. The scared Ranga stood there mumbling. The owner became angry and shouted at Mohan not to bring him from tomorrow. After some time, he became normal and asked him to give him some easy task.
The people have to work in gardens far away from villages. Mango trees yield during mid-summer. It's very difficult for them to get water. Hence, one person has to fetch water for them. As it is the easisest task, usually, an old person would be assigned for it. But, this time, Mohan asked Ranga to get the water. He took the pot and started walking towards the village nearby. It's in the outskirts of it. He went there and took water. The thirst labors completed within minutes. He brought another pot of water. Now he has to bring water under the burning hot sun.
It's very hot and he's stumbling. He rested for sometime under the trees. He has to go again. It's 1:20. he hadn't had lunch. He's very hungry and thought that he would eat after this round. He's feeling like he's is burning. He tied the bucket to the thread and dropped it into the well. He's pulling it up. It's becoming heavy, so he passed for a moment and started to pull it again. He cannot pull it anymore. His stumbling feet are unable to keep him stable. Everything has become bright around him. Could not understand what was going on. He felt deep in his mind that his body is light. He came into senses when he touched the cold water. He could not understand what happened for a while. When he understood, he became panic as he doesn't know swimming.
He has remembered his life from childhood. He remembered his parents. He felt very sad for them. He has remembered his college and the fee he has to pay. He's remembered his fading dreams. He's drowning and drowning. He did not even cry for help. The disturbed water became stable after sometime. The well has swallowed him in.
(Based on a news published in a local paper....)
Cattle also started crying for attention and the cocks are awakening people. This entire scene has disturbed the baby bird sleeping in the nest. It has borne last night. And this is it's first morning. It looked up at her mum in confusion and looked like scared. The mother hugged and told it not to be worried.
Ranga is still sleeping in the front yard. He is awaken by the noise and had seen his parents getting ready to bring water. Ranga is 20 years old. He's studying engineering in the town nearby. His parents work in paddy farms. It's very difficult for them to pay his fees. His illiterate parents know the value of the education very well and they want their son to be an officer. They took all the pain and sent him to the college. Though Ranga is good at studies, the worries and struggles back at home always pull him back.
He takes tuitions in the city. He can manage some of his expenses there in college. Still he has to skip breakfast and even lunch sometimes. Now, it's summer and all his tuitions are on hold. He came back to home last night. He slept very late thinking about his grades. He remembered the face of the clerk who said to bring all the fees while coming back to college. He made a firm decision to work in mango gardens during these holidays.
Ranga's father is ready to get water. He's coughing louder. The doctor suggested him not to be exposed to cold weather. Ranga looked at him and told,'Papa, I'll get water. Give me the vessels, go and sleep. Without giving them he replied, "we are used to do this. Let's do it. We don't want you to have all these struggles". He's coughing more. His mother asked his father to take some rest. She told him that they would get the water. Ranga made him lie on the cot which is damaged beyond repair.
They reached the well and waiting for their turn. Mohan came in there. He's his maternal uncle. He's the leader of the people who work in the farms. He saw Ranga and asked him how he was. Ranga went to him to ask him , 'Mama, I'm fine and studying well. But, doctor said papa to take rest. I have to pay the fees when the college starts. Please take me in to your team. I'll work and earn some money.". Mohan was silent and thought for a while. He knows about their situation. He himself is in debt. Though he wants to help them, he cannot. Hence, he decided to send him to pluck mangoes in the garden. It's the easiest of all. He then replied, 'Ranga, I'm taking few people to pluck mangoes in Raidu's garden. Get ready soon. Bring your food in carrier and wear old cloths. Your cloths will get dirty by evening". Ranga felt very happy and filled all the vessels with water.
He ate the food remained last night, took carrier with hot food and left for the garden. They would be taken to the garden on a tractor. They had to go through the city. All the people are waving their hands at the tractors and lorries coming towards them. They are also going for work. Soon, he started enjoying it. They reached the garden after an hour. Some people opened their carriers and started eating. They haven't eaten at home. The owner showed them the boundaries and asked them to start. Men have to pluck the mangoes from trees. Women would clean them from any dirt and count them.
They have to use a big bamboo stick attached with a ring at one end. A net is attached around the ring. (These sticks are called as gadas.) They have to get the mango into the net and pull the stick towards themselves to pluck them. If the fruit falls down, it will be damaged and will not be used for selling. They started selecting their sticks. Someone has chosen a good stick for Ranga. He has taken and started walking towards a tree. The stick is fallen down by mistake. The owner of the garden became very angry and started abusing him. He did not understand what his wrong was. Someone has taken him away from the owner and explained him the reason. Dropping the stick is considered as a bad luck. The owner fears he may not get a good trade for his fruits.
He went to the owner and asked him to forgive. He then inquired about him and appreciated. Everyone started working and the owners family sat under a big tree. He was asking Mohan about his estimate on the fruit lot. How much would be the yield and the quality of the fruits. Mohan was analyzing it according to his experience. Then they heard a THUD sound. Someone has dropped the bamboo stick along with the fruits. The scared Ranga stood there mumbling. The owner became angry and shouted at Mohan not to bring him from tomorrow. After some time, he became normal and asked him to give him some easy task.
The people have to work in gardens far away from villages. Mango trees yield during mid-summer. It's very difficult for them to get water. Hence, one person has to fetch water for them. As it is the easisest task, usually, an old person would be assigned for it. But, this time, Mohan asked Ranga to get the water. He took the pot and started walking towards the village nearby. It's in the outskirts of it. He went there and took water. The thirst labors completed within minutes. He brought another pot of water. Now he has to bring water under the burning hot sun.
It's very hot and he's stumbling. He rested for sometime under the trees. He has to go again. It's 1:20. he hadn't had lunch. He's very hungry and thought that he would eat after this round. He's feeling like he's is burning. He tied the bucket to the thread and dropped it into the well. He's pulling it up. It's becoming heavy, so he passed for a moment and started to pull it again. He cannot pull it anymore. His stumbling feet are unable to keep him stable. Everything has become bright around him. Could not understand what was going on. He felt deep in his mind that his body is light. He came into senses when he touched the cold water. He could not understand what happened for a while. When he understood, he became panic as he doesn't know swimming.
He has remembered his life from childhood. He remembered his parents. He felt very sad for them. He has remembered his college and the fee he has to pay. He's remembered his fading dreams. He's drowning and drowning. He did not even cry for help. The disturbed water became stable after sometime. The well has swallowed him in.
(Based on a news published in a local paper....)
