My cousin Sushil came to our village to celebrate his 13birthday.
“I’m almost a man now!” he said proudly.
But three days later, he ran away. All of us were worried stiff till we heard he’d caught a bus and reached home safely.
Grandfather grumbled, “A MAN doesn’t run away like that!”
No one knew why he had left. Only I was silent, knowing I was responsible for his running away!
All hush-hush
I live in the most beautiful village in Kerala. It has a frisky river, which is our swimming pool except during the rains. And trees wherever you look: mango, jackfruit, coconut, wood apple and tamarind. So, of course, we’re always munching on something. The sun and wind turn the paddy fields into an emerald sea.
Cousin Sushil hadn’t visited us in years. This time Grandmother insisted, so he came during the summer holidays to celebrate his birthday. He told me of the wonderful city he lived in — the cars, movies, beaches and shopping malls. But summer in our village is full of mangos, climbing trees and swimming. He slowly changed his mind. “I wouldn’t mind living here!”
One day, we were playing, and Sushil ran smack into a rain tree. He lay sprawled on the ground under its huge green umbrella.
“You know what the rain tree is called?” I asked. “ Urakkam thoongi maram! ”
Sushil was surprised. “Really? Sleepy Tree?” I nodded, grinning.
Soon, we came upon a big, fat man sleeping on the grass in front of his house. “And that’s our Sleepy Headmaster taking in the sun,” I said.
“His moustache is huge!” Sushil said.
I laughed. “You don’t know his secret.”
“What’s that?”
I was about to tell him the Great Secret, but decided not to. I quickly made up a story. “He’s a monster, that man. He brings us to his room and tortures us. He says he’s a big rogue elephant and his moustache is as big as an elephant’s tusk!”
“Then we must cut off those tusks!” said Sushil. “In the city, we don’t allow such cruel headmasters.”
I thought he was joking, but Sushil ran up to the poor sleeping man and picked up the garden shears from the grass. He held it open and very close to the moustache as though he was going to chop it off. He looked up and grinned at me. I was shocked. It was only a joke! Headmaster is actually a nice, happy man, and all the students like him. I’d only made up a story. I waved frantically to Sushil.
But then everything happened too fast. Headmaster let out a loud sighing sound in his sleep which really sounded like a baby elephant trumpeting. Sushil gave a start, and the shears snapped shut on the moustache. He looked in horror at the fat face which had only half a moustache now. Like an elephant with only one tusk!
He threw away the shears and ran. Headmaster slept blissfully, unaware he’d been attacked.
I ran after Sushil, trying to explain to him, telling him there was no problem, he didn’t have to run away. I tried to tell him about the Great Secret. “Tusks may come and tusks may go!” I yelled. But he just kept running. He was too fast for me.
Sleepy tree
Two days later, to our surprise, back he came, escorted sternly by his father. “I’m really sorry, I don’t know what got into Sushil,” Uncle told Grandfather. “He left all his things here and fled. He won’t tell me why he ran away.”
When we were alone together, Sushil said, “Now I’ve had it! He’ll find me, lock me up in his room and torture me!”
“Our Headmaster? Why would he do that?”
“Because I left him with half a moustache!”
I laughed. “Okay, come with me!” I said.
We walked out, and past the small forest of trees. I smiled and pointed out the Sleepy Tree, but Sushil wasn’t in the mood. When he saw I was taking him to the Headmaster’s house, he tried to run away. I caught his hand firmly and dragged him there.
And there on the grass lay our Headmaster, fast asleep in the sun.
Sushil let out a gasp. “His moustache has grown back so fast!” he said. “It’s magic. I cut it off only two days ago!”
I grinned. “I told you. Tusks may come and tusks may go. Once, long ago, a student cut off his moustache. After that, he never grew another. He’s always clean shaven.”
“What do you mean? What about this one?”
“He has 10-20 moustaches in his cupboard.”
“False moustaches?”
“Yes! When one goes, out comes another. He thinks no one knows, but it’s the Great Secret. He says, an elephant should always be careful about his tusks, too many people want to cut them off. But we know he’ll always have his tusks with him. Don’t we, Sushil?”
Sushil gave a stupid grin. And then yelled at me and chased me all the way to the forest where I ran into the Sleepy Tree and lay sprawled below it.
