It was that time of the year again. He dreaded the summer vacations. He never understood the logic of going to a hotter place in summer, devoid of basic amenities like wifi and high speed internet. Fully bred and brought up in the city, he is used to a way of life very hard to give up. He is ready to bid goodbye to his teenage in a few months, but still could not find a way to wriggle out of this family engagement. It was the family trip to their native place, rather his father's birthplace. The surroundings are as simple as it could get. Lush green paddy and sugarcane fields surround the village in all the 4 directions. Simple cement 40 feet roads, with small shops on the roadside. A main road that connects the two nearby towns passes through the village and is the sole entry/exit to the village. Spreading over a few square kilometers, the village had a population over 4000, it is amongst the most affluent ones in the state. The passage of days were like years.
He was finally thrilled as the 2 week long stint in this pre-Neanderthal place was coming to an end. There was a nearby temple to visit, followed by lunch in a local hotel and then leave for the city, which is an 8 hour drive from the place. It was the entire family going to the temple, with a headcount of over 20. Our protagonist being the youngest amongst a clan of cousins, did not have anybody in his age group. Meeting the family was fun for the first few days. But he was rather glad it was all coming to end. The temple visit was quite normal. Only thing that interested him was an elephant that was giving its blessing for free when offered a banana. Once the temple visit was over, the group divided into two and a group of around 8 people went for the lunch in a local hotel.
"The lunch in this hotel is simply not to be missed. Raghu, do you know it has not changed a bit since my childhood?" exclaimed an excited mother of our protagonist. He replied in the same way as had been doing for the past two weeks. A silly smile and a nod that meant absolutely nothing. The hotel had a pretty small entrance, that lead to a well lit dinning room. There were several small tables spread evenly across the room. The group further split and took 2 different tables. It was quite busy with mainly tourists and devotees who had come to visit the temple. Our protagonist settled in a table with his parents and a distant relative. Right opposite to his table was a group of possibly locals sitting.
It was not the family or the country side that irritated him the most. It was the people, that put him off the most. They were so rustic and behaved in an ungainly manner. He could never stand their dirty clothes, rude words, and utter disregard for personal hygiene. While he was having his food, which was quite tasty to his surprise, he was disturbed by sounds the person sitting in the opposite table was making. He could have been a local farmer, dressed in a traditional wear. He had a thick mustache and beard. He was munching his meal making gangling sounds and postures. "They have absolutely no courtesy and manners. How can they develop if education has no meaning ?" Raghu asked himself the rhetoric question .
After the meal, he went ahead to wash his hands. To his pleasant surprise, he found liquid soap solution on the wash basin. He opened the tap and washed his hands. Then he squeezed the liquid soap solution and started cleaning his hands further. In the mean time the same man who was sitting opposite to Raghu, walked up behind taking raghu by surprise. He pushed raghu to the side and starred at him. " Are you from the city?" he grumbled. Raghu nodded still trying to understand what was happening. He closed the water tap that was open full, "Do you know how much scarce water is in the village. You waste it as if its your grandfather's property." Saying so he started mumbling, "The people from the city have no courtesy and manners. What is the use of the education?" Courtesy and manners are so subjective. Is it not?
He was finally thrilled as the 2 week long stint in this pre-Neanderthal place was coming to an end. There was a nearby temple to visit, followed by lunch in a local hotel and then leave for the city, which is an 8 hour drive from the place. It was the entire family going to the temple, with a headcount of over 20. Our protagonist being the youngest amongst a clan of cousins, did not have anybody in his age group. Meeting the family was fun for the first few days. But he was rather glad it was all coming to end. The temple visit was quite normal. Only thing that interested him was an elephant that was giving its blessing for free when offered a banana. Once the temple visit was over, the group divided into two and a group of around 8 people went for the lunch in a local hotel.
"The lunch in this hotel is simply not to be missed. Raghu, do you know it has not changed a bit since my childhood?" exclaimed an excited mother of our protagonist. He replied in the same way as had been doing for the past two weeks. A silly smile and a nod that meant absolutely nothing. The hotel had a pretty small entrance, that lead to a well lit dinning room. There were several small tables spread evenly across the room. The group further split and took 2 different tables. It was quite busy with mainly tourists and devotees who had come to visit the temple. Our protagonist settled in a table with his parents and a distant relative. Right opposite to his table was a group of possibly locals sitting.
It was not the family or the country side that irritated him the most. It was the people, that put him off the most. They were so rustic and behaved in an ungainly manner. He could never stand their dirty clothes, rude words, and utter disregard for personal hygiene. While he was having his food, which was quite tasty to his surprise, he was disturbed by sounds the person sitting in the opposite table was making. He could have been a local farmer, dressed in a traditional wear. He had a thick mustache and beard. He was munching his meal making gangling sounds and postures. "They have absolutely no courtesy and manners. How can they develop if education has no meaning ?" Raghu asked himself the rhetoric question .
After the meal, he went ahead to wash his hands. To his pleasant surprise, he found liquid soap solution on the wash basin. He opened the tap and washed his hands. Then he squeezed the liquid soap solution and started cleaning his hands further. In the mean time the same man who was sitting opposite to Raghu, walked up behind taking raghu by surprise. He pushed raghu to the side and starred at him. " Are you from the city?" he grumbled. Raghu nodded still trying to understand what was happening. He closed the water tap that was open full, "Do you know how much scarce water is in the village. You waste it as if its your grandfather's property." Saying so he started mumbling, "The people from the city have no courtesy and manners. What is the use of the education?" Courtesy and manners are so subjective. Is it not?
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