Compassion against expectation

Rohan looked tenderly at his distressed teacher and told her that he was not hungry. He said that he suffered from colitis and so he felt better when he did not eat. He did not have an appetite and suffered from nausea. His teacher gazed mystified at the behaviour. Rohan was compliant, bright, diligent and above all well mannered and courteous, an apple of the teacher’s eye. Rohan a fourteen years old  was lean and lanky. A healthy boy with a positive attitude .Adolescence is a period of rapid growth and when Rohan was indifferent to consumption of food, his teacher was apprehensive.

She hastily skimmed through the dictionary as she was an economics teacher and words like colitis sounded Greek and Latin.

Accordingly she understood that colitis was the inflammation and sores of the colon accompanied by bleeding and pus in the large intestine. She read that the specific cause was unheard of but could be caused due to emotional distress. It is caused in people with an abnormal immune system but the reason is unclear. It pained her but she was sure that Rohan had got this ailment due to the fretfulness caused by the separation of his parents. At first Rohan’s was a joint family with his grand parents living with them.  It was an emotionally unwavering home with a wonderfully accomplished grand son Rohan.

As years went by Rohan’s parents got separated due to mutual consent. His mother was posted at Mumbai and so his father took care of him. He managed his needs to his best but Rohan’s lunch was a huge endeavour as his parents had gone back to the village. Rohan was a mature child who never let his pangs of hunger known to his father. He at times felt it was better to stay with his mother who had no one else other than Rohan. He missed the affection of his mother and the scrumptious food she cooked. Many a times he would not have his lunch and so felt the strong shooting pain of hunger. He found his teacher a great source of solace. His teacher was a Gandhian who believed in the principle of control of palate which emphasises a restrain on quantity and quality in diet, thought and speech. Rohan knew that his teacher would be at leisure during the lunch break. He would rush to her to chat and forget his troubles thus they grew closer to share Rohan’s woes and joys. Rohan many a times craved he had a mother akin to his teacher. A few years back Rohan’s mother got a transfer back to Pune and took charge of Rohan. When the initial fervour of caring for Rohan enthused she began neglecting Rohan. She found it difficult managing Rohan. During one of the Parent teacher meet the teacher warned his mother about Rohan’s failing health both bodily and psychologically. It aggrieved the teacher that Rohan was being subjected to an emotional stress with both the parents tossing the child like a neglected pebble. Rohan’s parents began afresh with the teacher’s advice but God had destined other wise. Rohan had been diagnosed with colitis. He felt better when he did not eat. His teacher was upset as Rohan was a wonderful boy regardless of all the hitches in his life. Rohan earnestly was happy to spend the supplementary time with his teacher as they skipped lunch, one due to spiritual restrain and the other one due to bodily constraints. It was a unique bond of love and compassion against expectation.

“When we truly love others without condition, without strings, we help them feel secure and safe and validated and affirmed in their essential worth, identity and integrity” Stephen R Covey