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One Good Deed Please!*
>> Sunday, November 25, 2012
One Good Deed Please!*
A Short Story By G.S.Vasu Kumar
*Based on a true incident.
One Monday evening, Keerthana came home from school with the weekly assignment. The assignment was that one of her parents had to perform one good deed in the next six days. Each of the students of her class had to write down this good deed in a note book and read it before the entire class on the next Monday morning.
Keerthana gave the assignment notebook to her father when he came home that evening. Narayana M, her father went through it patiently.
‘What good deed could I do, my dear?’ He asked her.
‘Well, dad, you have six days to do one small good deed. Just be ready, your opportunity may come anytime!’ eight year old Keerthana replied, with a smile on her face.
Narayana was a college drop out, and has been an auto driver for the past fifteen years. He remembered he had returned back a smart phone to the customer, who had forgotten and left it behind in his auto rickshaw. Another driver would have kept it for himself or sold it off for good money. Honesty was the best policy, which he had learnt from his late father. But then, this had happened long time back. He needed to do something now for his daughter, Keerthana.
‘You don’t have to be someone special to do one little good deed, dad!’ Keerthana said, as if reading his mind.
‘I know, my dear.’ He said, smiling at her.
Next morning, he told his fellow auto drivers about the assignment which the class teacher had given to his daughter. They all laughed and made fun of him.
‘Has the teacher gone crazy or what?’ asked one of them.
‘No, my dear friends, the teacher is right! We need to do good little things every now and then. Whatever goes from us comes back to us in some way or the other, and I strongly believe in this!’ Narayana replied.
‘It is bullshit!’ said another driver.
‘Fine, leave it!’ Narayana said, shrugging his shoulders, with a smile on his face.
For the next three days, Keerthana eagerly waited for her dad to return home after his day’s work. She was curious to know if he had been successful in performing that one good deed.
‘Sorry, dear. I didn’t get an opportunity today.’ was the reply he gave her for the next three days.
He felt sad to see disappointment on her face after hearing his reply. He prayed silently to God to provide him with an opportunity to help someone, so that he could make his little daughter happy.
On Friday morning, Narayana was waiting for his customer at LIC Colony, III Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore, when a senior citizen aged about 80 years old approached him. When he started from that place, little did he know that it would be one of the longest drives with a single customer, Venkat Rao.
The customer could not remember his address and kept repeating his name and mumbling something to himself. Narayana soon realised the man was suffering from memory loss, but he nevertheless went around Jayanagar for hours, hoping to find the elderly man’s home. The old man had neither any identity card nor money with him, but Narayana ignored the running meter and other potential passengers as he drove around.
After more than four hours of search, Narayana took the man to a police station in Tilaknagar, hoping to get some help there. But the police refused to help. They said it was common a case and to take the man to Nimhans. He then took him to the Jayanagar police station where he got a similar response. He had no choice but to take him back to the place from where he had picked him up in the morning.
The spot was where he used to station his auto and look for customers every day. During the last few months, he had also befriended one local person called Raghunandan. Narayana informed Raghunandan what had happened so far.
Raghunandan could not offer any clues to the man’s identity. By then it was dusk, and the immediate thought that came to Narayana’s mind was to leave the elderly man at a temple for the night. Just then the words of his daughter, Keerthana came to his mind.
‘You don’t have to be someone special to do one small good deed, dad!’ She had said a few days back.
He had a smile on his face and took the old man to his home.
‘Who is he, dad?’ Keerthana asked, looking at him.
‘He has given me an opportunity to do my good deed, my dear.’ He said, with a smile on his face.
He narrated what had happened since morning to his wife and daughter. His wife offered him food.
Initially he refused to eat, saying he wasn’t hungry, but eventually he had some ganji (gruel). He ate the food and then slept peacefully. While Narayana stayed awake, wondering what would his next course of action be?
The following day, Raghunandan spotted a missing advertisement in Vijaya Karnataka, Bangalore Mirror’s sister publication. The man in the picture, Venkat Rao, was Narayana’s fare. Raghunandan immediately called the number that was published in the paper.
Rao's son-in-law, Raghavendra Vellore, residing at Thyagarajanagar, rushed to the spot. Raghavendra revealed that his father-in-law had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for the last three years.
‘My father-in-law had retired as a gazetted officer from the state government. He often went out for walks every morning and returned early. This was the first time he lost his way. He was missing for four days. We even approached the Thyagarajanagar police station, but the police hardly paid any attention and asked so many details that we gave up,’ Raghavendra said.
‘Subsequently, we put a missing advertisement in Vijaya Karnataka newspaper. I don’t have enough words to thank you, Narayana sir. My wife and kids haven’t eaten properly for last few days..Please keep this money…’
‘No, Sir, I didn’t do this for money…my goal was to reunite your father-in-law with his family. I think I have finally done my good little deed for my daughter’s sake. It has given us immense happiness. What more can I ask for?’ Narayana said, refusing to take the money.
‘..for your daughter’s sake? I didn't get it?’ Raghavendra said, scratching his head and looking at them confused.
Keerthana explained everything to him.
A Short Story By G.S.Vasu Kumar
*Based on a true incident.
One Monday evening, Keerthana came home from school with the weekly assignment. The assignment was that one of her parents had to perform one good deed in the next six days. Each of the students of her class had to write down this good deed in a note book and read it before the entire class on the next Monday morning.
Keerthana gave the assignment notebook to her father when he came home that evening. Narayana M, her father went through it patiently.
‘What good deed could I do, my dear?’ He asked her.
‘Well, dad, you have six days to do one small good deed. Just be ready, your opportunity may come anytime!’ eight year old Keerthana replied, with a smile on her face.
Narayana was a college drop out, and has been an auto driver for the past fifteen years. He remembered he had returned back a smart phone to the customer, who had forgotten and left it behind in his auto rickshaw. Another driver would have kept it for himself or sold it off for good money. Honesty was the best policy, which he had learnt from his late father. But then, this had happened long time back. He needed to do something now for his daughter, Keerthana.
‘You don’t have to be someone special to do one little good deed, dad!’ Keerthana said, as if reading his mind.
‘I know, my dear.’ He said, smiling at her.
Next morning, he told his fellow auto drivers about the assignment which the class teacher had given to his daughter. They all laughed and made fun of him.
‘Has the teacher gone crazy or what?’ asked one of them.
‘No, my dear friends, the teacher is right! We need to do good little things every now and then. Whatever goes from us comes back to us in some way or the other, and I strongly believe in this!’ Narayana replied.
‘It is bullshit!’ said another driver.
‘Fine, leave it!’ Narayana said, shrugging his shoulders, with a smile on his face.
For the next three days, Keerthana eagerly waited for her dad to return home after his day’s work. She was curious to know if he had been successful in performing that one good deed.
‘Sorry, dear. I didn’t get an opportunity today.’ was the reply he gave her for the next three days.
He felt sad to see disappointment on her face after hearing his reply. He prayed silently to God to provide him with an opportunity to help someone, so that he could make his little daughter happy.
On Friday morning, Narayana was waiting for his customer at LIC Colony, III Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore, when a senior citizen aged about 80 years old approached him. When he started from that place, little did he know that it would be one of the longest drives with a single customer, Venkat Rao.
The customer could not remember his address and kept repeating his name and mumbling something to himself. Narayana soon realised the man was suffering from memory loss, but he nevertheless went around Jayanagar for hours, hoping to find the elderly man’s home. The old man had neither any identity card nor money with him, but Narayana ignored the running meter and other potential passengers as he drove around.
After more than four hours of search, Narayana took the man to a police station in Tilaknagar, hoping to get some help there. But the police refused to help. They said it was common a case and to take the man to Nimhans. He then took him to the Jayanagar police station where he got a similar response. He had no choice but to take him back to the place from where he had picked him up in the morning.
The spot was where he used to station his auto and look for customers every day. During the last few months, he had also befriended one local person called Raghunandan. Narayana informed Raghunandan what had happened so far.
Raghunandan could not offer any clues to the man’s identity. By then it was dusk, and the immediate thought that came to Narayana’s mind was to leave the elderly man at a temple for the night. Just then the words of his daughter, Keerthana came to his mind.
‘You don’t have to be someone special to do one small good deed, dad!’ She had said a few days back.
He had a smile on his face and took the old man to his home.
‘Who is he, dad?’ Keerthana asked, looking at him.
‘He has given me an opportunity to do my good deed, my dear.’ He said, with a smile on his face.
He narrated what had happened since morning to his wife and daughter. His wife offered him food.
Initially he refused to eat, saying he wasn’t hungry, but eventually he had some ganji (gruel). He ate the food and then slept peacefully. While Narayana stayed awake, wondering what would his next course of action be?
The following day, Raghunandan spotted a missing advertisement in Vijaya Karnataka, Bangalore Mirror’s sister publication. The man in the picture, Venkat Rao, was Narayana’s fare. Raghunandan immediately called the number that was published in the paper.
Rao's son-in-law, Raghavendra Vellore, residing at Thyagarajanagar, rushed to the spot. Raghavendra revealed that his father-in-law had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for the last three years.
‘My father-in-law had retired as a gazetted officer from the state government. He often went out for walks every morning and returned early. This was the first time he lost his way. He was missing for four days. We even approached the Thyagarajanagar police station, but the police hardly paid any attention and asked so many details that we gave up,’ Raghavendra said.
‘Subsequently, we put a missing advertisement in Vijaya Karnataka newspaper. I don’t have enough words to thank you, Narayana sir. My wife and kids haven’t eaten properly for last few days..Please keep this money…’
‘No, Sir, I didn’t do this for money…my goal was to reunite your father-in-law with his family. I think I have finally done my good little deed for my daughter’s sake. It has given us immense happiness. What more can I ask for?’ Narayana said, refusing to take the money.
‘..for your daughter’s sake? I didn't get it?’ Raghavendra said, scratching his head and looking at them confused.
Keerthana explained everything to him.
‘I’m really proud of you all. I am very much indebted to you all. How could I ever repay you all for what you guys have done for us?’ Raghavendra asked.
‘Uncle, it’s simple. Just do one good deed to someone who is in need.’ Keerthana said, smiling at him.
‘Sure, my dear child. I would be waiting for my opportunity.’ Raghavendra said, smiling at her.
Next Monday morning, in the class room, Keerthana narrated the good deed, which her father had done. The whole class including the class teacher listened to her story in pin drop silence.
Keerthana concluded, ‘I am really very proud of my father. He had given his all to reunite the old grandpa with his family. Anyone else would probably have abandoned him.’
Everyone started clapping after she concluded her narration.
The class teacher, Ms. Vimala gave an autograph book to Keerthana and said, ‘I would like to have autograph of your dad! He has become a hero for everyone to follow.’
‘Sure, Ma’am,’ Keerthana said, smiling at her.
The End
Author’s note :-
Alzheimer’s disease had held my interest from a long time. I wanted to write a story on this subject, but couldn’t find a suitable idea till now. Finally, this true life incident which appeared as cover story in Bangalore Mirror, 25th November 2012, gave me the opportunity to write this story. I also feel fate wanted me to tell this story to everyone and it made me to buy the
Bangalore Mirror edition of Sunday. I rarely buy this newspaper.
I felt everyone needed to know about this incident. Most of us, including me have less faith in auto rickshaw drivers of Bangalore. Narayana went on to prove that our opinion was wrong. There are indeed some good Samaritans’ like him.
How to handle Alzheimer’s :-
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and usually affects people over 65 years of age. The most overwhelming symptom is loss of memory. Radha Murthy, managing trustee and founder of Nightingales Trust, says it is important for family members of one suffering from the disease to be understanding and patients should always carry identification and their address on their person.
“Quite often, such cases are neglected by the police and missing persons are often not located,” Murthy said. “Police also need to be more sensitive to the issue.”
To report such cases, call the Elders Helpline on 1090 or 080-1090 (toll-free).
Bangalore Mirror edition of Sunday. I rarely buy this newspaper.
I felt everyone needed to know about this incident. Most of us, including me have less faith in auto rickshaw drivers of Bangalore. Narayana went on to prove that our opinion was wrong. There are indeed some good Samaritans’ like him.
How to handle Alzheimer’s :-
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and usually affects people over 65 years of age. The most overwhelming symptom is loss of memory. Radha Murthy, managing trustee and founder of Nightingales Trust, says it is important for family members of one suffering from the disease to be understanding and patients should always carry identification and their address on their person.
“Quite often, such cases are neglected by the police and missing persons are often not located,” Murthy said. “Police also need to be more sensitive to the issue.”
To report such cases, call the Elders Helpline on 1090 or 080-1090 (toll-free).
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