The Lesson from the Shining Black Shoes

The Lesson from the Shining Black Shoes :

Having put his shining black shoes on for the class with the First-Year Students, Ron was reminded of the only time he begged for a pair of shoes from his late eldest brother, someone he lovingly addressed as 'Barda'. Remembering Barda Ron knew that he would always be proud of his eldest brother. A self-made man, Barda taught him the value of self-reliance from early on. 

In a middle-class family of five brothers and a sister, Barda was the eldest while Ron, the youngest.

Barda had left for higher studies at Manchester when Ron was a mere teenager. The whole household was so proud of his achievements. He had a lucrative offer from the U.S.A. after his Ph.D in Economics. From America to New Zealand to Australia, Barda kept shifting to innumerable countries before finally deciding on settling down in Sidney, which in his opinion, is the most wonderful city in the world. 

Every year Barda made it a point to come up to his native place, Kolkata, during Christmas. He was married to Edna by then. On some evenings, Barda would ask Ron to take his Baudi (Sister-in-law) for an evening walk to the nearby Park Circus Maidan.

"Go out for a stroll with Baudi, Ron. Try your English on her. This way you'll have a fair deal of competency in speaking in English." He would chuckle.

On such walks, Ron found his Baudi vastly knowledgeable. As Ron was trying to major in English then, he would listen spellbound to her, a postdoctoral degree holder in History, talk about the Shakespearean Plays and Characters- Lady Macbeth, Desdemona, Portia, and a few more immortal ones. 

Ron knew that Barda had his best interest in mind. So, when Barda asked for a pair of shoes, Ron wasted little time in bringing home someone from the Shoe Factory behind their house. Barda, very impressed with the shoes, looked dashing in them when he went out to address a seminar at the prestigious Presidency College. 

It was time for Barda and Baudi to return to Australia. The day before they were to board the flight, Ron was helping them pack up. Ron had been coveting the shining, black shoes since the day Barda bought them and couldn't resist from blurting out :

"Barda, can I have your black shoes, please?" After all, what good was the pair of shining shoes once Barda returned to Australia? They were destined to get rusty and dusty. 

Barda, the most generous of all the people he had known, didn't look happy at all. On the contrary, he got upset and replied rudely, "Try to get rid of this habit of asking for things. I just fail to see why you people can never have enough."

Ron bit his lips to somehow hold back the tears. Of course, he didn't know then that Barda bought it exclusively for that purpose, the purpose of teaching a dear, younger brother to refrain from the habit of begging even from the people close to you. 

It was much, much later that he realised the lesson Barda wanted to teach him that day.

No matter what, however poor you may be, it is always best not to beg, borrow from others.

Ron never forgot this lesson taught by a dear brother ever in his Journey through Life.