My Kindergarten Bus Driver

When I recently visited India after 7 years, one day I had to go to Jaipur's Transport Office to get my driving license. Me and my mom filled in the paperwork and the guy who was getting my driving license ready gave us some fresh juice and asked us to wait on a bench in a small garden right outside the office.

We were having a good time together and two old men were staring at us for a long time. They were sat across the garden on a different bench. Around 20 mins later, one of them approached us and said to me - 'You are Kunal right?'

I was surprised and I asked - 'Yes, how do you know me?' He replied - "I used to drive you to school when you were 3 years old. You used to run with her (pointing at my mom) almost every morning to catch the bus. You have grown up to be such a big boy and it is great to see you two still together. Wow!"

It's really shocking how he remembered me after 25 years !! We then talked about each other's lives for a few mins, I told him I live in Poland, just visiting India and that my mom lived with me in Poland for 2 years but she will stay in India for now. We had a good chit-chat and then my mom clicked a photo of us together.

Soon, it was time for me and mom to go home. I hugged him, we both wished each other's family well but what he said to me in the end is stuck with me since.

He said to me - "I am no one, I am just a bus driver. I am in no position to tell you what to do or what not to do. Just remember that this woman (pointing at my mom) has been through hell and was fighting with the world alone just to raise you. When your dad died, she still got you ready for school everyday, she still prepared your lunchbox every morning and she still used to run with you in her lap every morning to catch the bus. While driving, I saw her eversmiling face turn into tears through the mirror. Be with her until the end because you were too little to even understand how she raised you. Me? I was already married and old enough to see her sacrifices every single day. Just don't forget the hands that raised you."

Me and my mom almost had tears in our eyes, then we called an uber and the whole ride we were just silent. Probably she was remembering those times.

That's all from me this week.

© 2023 Kunal Dutt.