Silent Gratitude

One day when I was in Grade 4, I had been to school at the usual time. Only after reaching the school, I got to know that our class is being taken for a picnic at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam. Each student is supposed to pay Rs 10/- towards picnic expenditure. Don’t know how was I not aware of the message (maybe I was absent on the day when the announcement was made or I might not have paid attention when the announcement was made). I realized to my dismay that I was going to miss the picnic. My class teacher had asked all the students of the class to stand in a queue. She started collecting Rs 10/- from each student and helping them board the bus. I do not how did it happen but one of my classmates had come to say that he would pay Rs 10/- on my behalf. My happiness knew no bounds and he also gave me Rs 1/- for buying ice cream/chocolate in the Zoological Park.

Even after thirty-five years, today I still cherish this experience and express my gratitude silently to the friend who made my day. Wherever he may be today, I dedicate this story to him. Perhaps he is one of those few good friends in my life who proved that ‘A simple act of kindness creates an endless ripple.