Winner of hearts

The little boy in first grade sat patiently, waiting to hear his name called out for a prize during the annual day celebrations at his school. The boy had diligently participated in all the school competitions as his father cheered him on. The father, a farmer in our village, had coached the little boy to walk to the stage, receive the prize, bow to the audience, and return to his seat with his head held high. There remained a glimmer of hope for the boy to win a prize, as some results were yet to be announced.

Nearly five decades ago, school annual days in the coastal rural areas were all-night affairs. The entire village participated in the event to make it a success. Speeches by high-profile dignitaries left a strong impact on the villagers, and the cultural programmes with a rich local flavour, including Yakshagana by students, alumni, and staff, provided great entertainment. Villagers talked about these experiences for days to come. The events hosted great personalities, such as Jnanapeeth Awardee Dr Shivaram Karanth. Naturally, it meant a lot to the father if his son were to receive a prize and go on the stage.

As the event progressed, villagers poured in. They arrived at the school grounds amid the colourful decorations of mango leaves and paper bunting glowing in arrays of tube lights. Petromax lamps were on standby near the stage in case of electricity supply interruption. The size of the audience grew by the minute. Students sat on the front benches, with the village elders and their families seated on taller desks at the back. Those who wanted to be more comfortable settled down on the ground with their young ones in tow.

The headmaster, a few teachers, and school management committee members were seated on the stage with the chief guests. They had put in their best efforts to showcase the school's achievements. Prize distribution and speeches had to conclude before the cultural programmes began, lest the young ones in the audience fall asleep.

The boy continued to wait patiently and enthusiastically as the winners in category after category were called. Eventually, they covered all the competitions, but the boy’s name was not announced. Although he was not a winner, he stood up and walked to the stage with a straight face, showing no trace of disappointment. He bowed to the audience and greeted them with a namaste, repeating the gestures to the people on the stage.

Even before the teachers could react and find a prize that could be given to him as a consolation, he had returned to his seat with a sense of achievement. That was his tribute to the efforts of his father. While some in the audience applauded, others sniggered. But the boy had won many hearts.