Page 86 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

From the next day, Mr. Tengyel stopped coming to the office. And later, he stopped attending meetings.
I tried hard to figure out. “What could be the reason? Have I done something wrong?”
But I bequeathed to his will. A month later, a young man came to the office.
“I am an apprentice teacher,” he said.
“I am glad you are joining us,” I said. “Your name, please?”
“Keltsho.”
“Welcome, Mr. Keltsho. We are now four.”
After a long conversation, he said, “Which subject should I teach?”
“Um, your choice. What subject are you supposed to teach?”
“Social Studies and Mathematics.”
“Teach any grades you want.”
“Um, fifth and sixth?”
“All yours.”
A few months later, Mr. Keltsho, too, stopped coming to the office. And the NFE Instructor took recurrent
leave on health grounds. She would return after weeks.
“Excuse me, miss,” I said, one day. “We must talk, can we?”
“Why?” she asked.
“I think you should return on time the next time you go on leave.”
She frowned. “I was sick.”
“I am sorry I must tell you this. Hope you’ll understand.”
Red in her face, she stomped out of the office. “I am sorry.”
I shook my head.
When three didn’t come to the office every day, I paced around, lost in contemplation. “Am I upsetting them? Is
something wrong with my administration?”
One day, I asked the caretaker to call them to the office. After one hour, they walked in and sat across from each
other.
“Sirs and miss, it has been brought to my notice that you all have been away from this office every day this week,
why is it so?” I glanced at Tengyel. “Sir, can you tell me why?”
He shot me a cynical smile. “Nothing.”
“Don’t resist the urge of your virtuous opinion, please. I am open to suggestions.”
Mr. Tengyel cleared his throat and cut to the chase. “Um, you shouldn’t have scolded that old man. He is my
grandpa’s friend.”
For a moment, I couldn’t reply. “Oh, I am sorry about that. I didn’t know he was your grandpa’s friend, but we
must respect the school policy, too, don’t you think so?”
He smirked away.
I tapped on the table. “Mr. Tengyel, how come you never helped me cyclostyle question papers? You saw me
doing that, didn’t you?”
Mr. Tengyel huffed and protruded his chest. “I am not Buddha. How would I know?”
“How you wouldn’t know? You are a full-fledged teacher. You’re supposed to help me with school
administration.”
He turned away, grunting.
“Now, Miss? Your opinion, please.”
She shook her head, grinning.
“Mr. Keltsho?”
He hung his head.
The school looked uninhabited with only me in the office every day. In class, Mr. Tengyel sat on the chair and let
students do self-studies. The NFE Instructor left the school on medical grounds and never returned.
A few months later, a new NFE Instructor joined the school. He worked beyond the call of duty. Mr. Tengyel
and Mr. Keltsho reported to the office on time.
The following year, we received a grant from the World Food Programme. And a cook arrived before the school
reopened. I handed over the WFP charges to Mr. Tengyel. All forty-seven students received mid-day meals from the
school.
And misapprehension between the staff and Mr. Tengyel resolved. Even with village folks.
I bore no grudge against anybody, as long as there was no interference in school.

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