David Leaves School – synopsis
The fiction piece ‘David Leaves School’, written by AK, was originally published as a two-part fiction in the News Todayin 1995. The story set in the West, revolves around an orphan boy desperately seeking to establish his identity, and his relationship with his sponsor as they struggle to hold on in a relentless society. The narrative piece won great reviews and appreciation when originally published.
Chapter I
In about two weeks, my final exams would be over, after which I shall leave this orphanage school, forever. I feel sad at the thought of leaving Father Mathews and all others of this orphanage with whom I had been for about fourteen years.
“Time waits for none”, I’ve heard Father Mathews say. Fourteen years back, when I was about four years old, I was brought to this orphanage and now it was time for me to take leave. I’ll never forget this school, my friends, the fun we’ve had in the box room and in the mess.
Although I keep preparing myself for the final parting, I am aware of what the future has for me. It’s going to be the start of a new life, a life I had been longing for, life with Aunt Rachel and Lady Ashford.
I don’t know much of my life before orphanage school and all that I know, I owe to Aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel now in her late forties was more than a guardian to me. All these years, she had cared so much for me that its time for me to repay her, the only person I know outside the orphanage boundary. She kept visiting me regularly, at least once a month and spent a couple of days in the orphanage. Anything I wanted, I only had to tell her and I had it during her next visit. I had a clock and a small radio in my room, things that no other students had. She had a constant eye on my studies, my habits, my spending, in short, everything. In fact she had molded a large part of me, of what I am today. Every time she advised me not to spend much, she gave me more money.
Aunt Rachel had such affection and control over me that her presence or absence was immaterial. Her frequent letters addressed to me or to Father Mathews substituted her well, during her absence. Father Mathews had to give me his special attention for he knew that Aunt Rachel would question him for his role in my failures. She was a wonderful person and she loved me so much that at times I feel sad, that Aunt Rachel is not my real aunt. Yes, she was no relation of mine and was well paid for all these services by Lady Ashford, with whom she stays.
I remember Aunt Rachel telling me that Lady Ashford had picked me from the streets when I was about four years old. I was alone and crying for food. Lady Ashford took pity on me and ordered Aunt Rachel to put me in an orphanage and take a special care of me. Since then Aunt Rachel was every thing to me and I never heard from Lady Ashford. She only sent her occasional greetings or messages through Aunt Rachel. I too wrote to her thanking her for her kindness and all these messages reached her through Aunt Rachel.
I’ve always wanted to see Lady Ashford and let her know personally that I am indebted to her, forever. But Lady Ashford is not interested in seeing me, for she is so busy looking after her property. She manages her estates all by herself as she trusts none and has chosen to remain unmarried all her life. She donates generously and has over a hundred girls and boys like me under her sponsorship. It was therefore natural that she was very far from me. But Aunt Rachel saw to that, that this distance did not affect me in any way. Seeing my yearning for Lady Ashford, she accepted my request and gave me a photograph of the Lady.
In that photograph, I saw the Lady for the first time. She was old, very old, probably in her seventies with a round, wrinkled face and a gentle smile. I gradually began to realize that the face in the photograph was not very far from the face of the God, I worshipped. This face had given me a new life, provided me with every thing, does not expect any thing from me and lives in a world, I know very little of. Anyway, I would be seeing Lady Ashford; very soon I take leave of this school. I’ll ask her for employment in her estate which she will surely give and I’ll tell Aunt Rachel that’s its time for her to retire and for me to take care of her. I’ve already spoken to Aunt Rachel about these plans of mine and she had replied that she would discuss it with the Lady and let me know during her next visit.
I was anxiously waiting for the visit like never before and finally, one fine morning I saw Aunt Rachel entering by the orphanage gates. She now had my future with her. As she approached me, she asked me, in a low and calm voice, “Hello son, how are you?”.
I remained silent and she understood that I was eager to hear more.
“I am sorry, but Lady Ashford has different plans for you. She insists on you to go for higher studies and I am to continue my services for you”.
I was shocked to hear this. All my dreams of leading a different life suddenly seemed to be far off. Higher studies would mean boarding life again and I was already tired of studying, not to mention the boarding life. I didn’t like this idea a bit.
Chapter II
I realized for the first time that I must have a say in my future. Looking up at Aunt Rachel, I said, “I am not interested in studying any further. I am going to work and live with you. If Lady Ashford won’t employ me, I can always find some work somewhere else. Maybe you too should cut off from the services of Lady Ashford and we’ll together thank her for her kindness and help she’s done to us, particularly me and we’ll look for a house and we’ll live together”.
“No”, Aunt Rachel shouted even before I could finish; “How could you ever imagine cutting off from Lady Ashford, forever?. If you ever feel indebted to her, respect her wishes and act accordingly. It’s for your good; she wants you to study further”.
I thought for a while; if I could only meet the Lady, I can explain everything to her. “I’ve got to see the Lady”, I said, “She’s got to see me if she is really interested in me, maybe it’s the first and probably the last meeting, but it will help me when I explain”.
Aunt Rachel immediately cut in, with a strange calm voice, “David, listen carefully, you are always welcome to send messages and she’ll consider each one of them carefully, but forget meeting her”.
I was terribly upset with this and didn’t like a bit, the manner in which Aunt Rachel was acting; must be she’s benefited in not bring us together. I lost all my control when I started, “I understand, you don’t want me to see the Lady. You are surely benefited by this and scarred that a possible meeting would expose you. How can I believe my messages to have reached her all these years, when I didn’t send it directly? Its strange I hardly thought of this before”. I paused a little and then continued, “I know what I’ll do, I have none in this world and I trust none; so I’ll live alone, the way I like and you needn’t visit me anymore”. As for the kindness and help, you and Lady Ashford have shown to me, this orphan is ever indebted to both of you. Please pass this last message of mine to Lady Ashford”.
I stopped, and there was silence for a considerably long time. Aunt Rachel looked at me, her face gone pale and her eyes filled with tears. I starred back at her with a blank mind as she came close to me and placed both her hands on my shoulders. “Things cannot be postponed any further”, she said with a same calm voice, “You’ve grown a lot these fourteen years and nothing can stop you from getting what you seek. You got every right to question about your own welfare and each of these has to be answered. You can meet Lady Ashford at this address soon after your exams”.
She then scribbled something on a notebook which I didn’t bother to look. Listening to Aunt Rachel now brought back memories of the fourteen years with her. She was at my bedside for days together, when I was sick. I can’t think of a single occasion when she was hard with me, at least not half as hard as I’ve just been. Why did I ever speak like this?; I felt ashamed.
“ I am sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken like that”.
“Its alright son”, she said clearing her tears, “Maybe you can see me too when you visit Lady Ashford, but now its time for me to leave”; and she prepared to leave. It was strange that she wanted to leave so soon for she had never done like this before. I picked the notebook and read the address and as I raised my eyes from the notebook, I saw Aunt Rachel starring at me through the closed gates. Seeing me, she waved her hand and I waved her back.
My exams came to an end on the fourth day of Aunt Rachel’s departure. I spent these days with a troubled mind and had a great difficulty in preparing for my exams. Several thoughts ran through my mind; I must be a distant relative of Lady Ashford, if not, why does she be so kind to me and yet want to avoid seeing me. Why did Aunt Rachel permit me to see the Lady for the first time in fourteen years and that too without her consent?. The more I thought of this, the more desperate I was to know something. But I’ll have to wait till Sunday, the day I plan to leave the orphanage and seek the Lady and Aunt Rachel. I’ve informed Father Mathews of this and fixed up Friday for his ‘Parting advice’.
If Father Mathews knew more about me and my links with Lady Ashford, he’ll surely tell me on Friday for ‘parting advice’ is a service where the Father not only gives his advice on your future, but also tells you everything about your past, to the best of his knowledge. There is very little chance of Father Mathews knowing Lady Ashford for I’ve never heard him mention that name or make any reference to her. He would probably not be able to give me a hint for this is surely beyond the limits of a person who maintain the histories of about a hundred boys each year. I didn’t look upon Friday as being important.
It was Friday. My friends had already started leaving the orphanage after meeting Father Mathews. Many of them had succeeded in finding work or getting sponsorship for higher studies while a few had decided to serve the orphanage. I dressed up and proceeded to Father Mathew’s room. He was busy writing something when he saw me; and said, “Come in David, sit down”. I went up to him and occupied a chair on the other side of the table, facing him.
Chapter III
“Well, the time has come for you to leave”, he said, “You’ve been a good boy all these years. Ah! I should tell you something important”, he said and rose from his seat only to come back with a bible, which he kept, on the table between us. “There are certain things, about you that I should let you know”, he said in a low voice, looking serious.
I was shocked; Father Mathews seemed to know more of me than I thought.
I came closer to the table and starred at him. He continued, “Fourteen years back, you came to this orphanage for the first time with Mrs. Rachel. You were alone and looked so miserable that she thought you’ve been abandoned for at least a day. Who your parents are, where you came from, we know nothing of these. Well, after coming here you became one of us and Rachel used to visit you whenever she had time. You had a sweet voice and looked innocent for the mischief’s you did and she loved watching you, watching you laugh, watching you argue, watching you cry. Gradually she became more and more interested in you and her visits increased”.
Father Mathews continued “She brought you many things and to be with you for a longer time, she even stayed in the orphanage for a day or two, whenever she came. Everything went on well for about a year or so when the trouble started. You didn’t like the orphanage and you wanted Mrs. Rachel to take you along and let you live with her. She didn’t know what to do and she came for my help. I considered the situation and in the interest of all, made up a ‘Lady Ashford’ story. Yes David, there is no one like that, no one by that name for you. I know we misled you, but then there was no other way”.
I was shocked to hear that, Lady Ashford didn’t exist at all!. I lost all my senses for a moment and it took sometime to get back. “But if she was so interested in me, why didn’t she take me with her?”, I asked Father Mathews.
“Well for the kind of life she led, she didn’t want you to be with her”, he said, “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you her story, as she told me”.
“Rachel broke away from her family to marry the man she loved. She was about twenty then, when she eloped with this man, Mr. Andrews and came to the south where he said, he had found a job. Rachel dreamed of a happy married life, which would soon begin. They stayed for two days in a lodge, and on the third morning, she discovered that Andrews was missing, and so also was all her cash and belongings. She had nothing left with her except for the clothes she was wearing. She continued staying in the lodge and thought of a solution”.
“Rachel had to settle the lodge bills and she didn’t want to contact her parents. It was at this time, a man unknown to her, who had probably heard her story from the lodge owner, came to her room. He offered to help her out at a price no respectable woman would agree. Rachel was shocked at first, then considering her position she realized she had no other choice and offered herself”.
“From that day, she called herself Mrs. Rachel Andrews and entertained clients. She kept making money and never once thought of quitting her profession until eight years later, when she met you. She felt it was time to call it a day and start a different life somewhere far, and bring you up. But unfortunately for her, she was in the hands of such men who were always prepared to talk on her price, but never let her quit and live in peace. Thus she was forced to put you up in an orphanage and when she finally succeeded in getting rid of these men, you had grown up with a strong attachment to Lady Ashford. Mrs. Rachel wanted to tell you the truth, but couldn’t. She kept postponing it out of shame and maybe fear too, until today when I’ve told you everything”.
I was quiet and unusually calm. I could neither think nor imagine anything, except for Aunt Rachel smiling at me; when Father Mathews began, “Now that you know everything, your attitude will decide the person in you”.
He stopped for a while, and then continued, “Your Father Mathews too, is an orphan like you and in his six decades he has had everything he wanted, except for some love and understanding which he had craved for. In her, I saw a mother care and in you, the joy of being loved. There are many in this world whose great qualities earn a name for themselves and there are also a few others like Mrs. Rachel who exhibit greater courage, determination and patience and are yet forced to be in the dark. As for you David, I’d suggest you to go for higher education and be with her, or work if you must, but never make her live alone”.
“I understand Father”, I said, “I’ll act with gratitude”.
Chapter IV
Saturday was perhaps the longest day I’ve ever had. It was as if Sunday would never come. It kept me thinking of Aunt Rachel; her sufferings and her sacrifices. I thought of myself, a kid abandoned on the streets, with people all around me and yet none to help. It was then that someone came with a helping hand, and did more than a help to me in these fourteen years, to put me back into the mainstream of life, once again. Despite all her efforts to bring me up, she had pained herself to remain in mystery to me. Perhaps she felt, I’d walk out of her, if I came anywhere near the truth. Why did she ever think like that and suffer from her own stupidity of miscalculating me.
It was Sunday at last; I packed up all my belongings and bade farewell to Father Mathews and all my remaining friends. With two baggages, one in each hand and a large bag across my shoulders, I left the orphanage. I soon reached the railway station and took the train to Bridgetown.
I reached Bridgetown on Monday morning, about an hour earlier than expected and hired a cab to 48, Richardson Street, where she lived.
It was quite a big house but looked considerably old. The garden seemed to have been uncared for a long time. I waited by the broken gates for someone to show up, although the place looked desolate. I then went up to the door and knocked. The door opened slowly and I saw a short old man. I starred at him for a while, then asked, “Is this the place where Mrs. Rachel lives?”.
He thought for a while, and asked, “You are from the orphanage I think”.
I nodded and he asked me to come in, and showed me a seat. He sat opposite to me, “I am lawyer Billmore”, he said in a low voice, “I am sorry, Mrs. Rachel died on Friday and we buried her only yesterday”.
It was another shock. I was screaming –– “No—No—No—”.
Mr. Billmore placed a hand on my shoulder and continued, “It was after she visited you that she developed a chest pain and had a mild heart attack. She recovered from this and wrote a letter for you and also made her will. However on Friday, she had a massive attack again from which she couldn’t survive and we had her buried yesterday. Since then I have been looking for your arrival here all alone”. He then gave me a letter that I tore open and read silently.
“Dear David, I write this to you in case, you never see me again. There are a few things I should let you know before I die; only then shall my soul, rest in peace. It’s all my fault and I shouldn’t have done this at all. But it was my love for you and fear of losing you that I went into hiding this truth and diverted your attention to something that wasn’t there.
My personal life and way of living was so low that no respectable person would like my acquaintance. Probably it’s my fate and not merely circumstances that forced me to be in the dark. It is for this same reason I tried to keep you far and yet close to me by bringing in Lady Ashford. There is actually no one by that name, and I did all this with the help of Father Mathews. Forgive me if you feel I’ve wronged you, but please never think that I tried to take advantage of your position.
As for me, I have none other than you in this world, as my own. I would therefore like you to inherit all I have – a hundred and fifty acre farm, this house and all my cash. Mr. Billmore my legal advisor will give you more details. You need not look for a job, as you would require all your time in looking after your farm.
This is all I have got to tell you. Take care of yourself and start a new life on your own, and live happily.
Your loving Aunt Rachel”
Concluded
