Life story: What a five-paise reward taught writer Vasudhendra about not being wasteful

I don’t know why these childhood memories are lingering in my mind today. That year I’m remembering, two little kids had come to stay in our house for some time from a faraway town. They were distant relatives of Appa’s. The older one, Pranesha, was about 10 years old. His sister, Sudha, was about seven.

Pranesha and Sudha came from an indigent family of modest means. As they were of the same age as Akka and me, respectively, Appa had invited them over to our house so that the four of us could enjoy our vacation together.

Both Pranesha and Sudha were sharp and active. As soon as they came to know about the water scarcity in our town, they started accompanying us to the tap pit with brass pots to help us fetch water, saying, “We are quite adept at carrying water, as we have the same problem in our town as well.”

Sudha used to sit with Amma and help her sort the lettuce. She was very well-behaved and never threw tantrums about missing her parents. Dressed in a red skirt and a yellow top, Sudha would move around the house, filling the air with her giggles and the jingle of her...

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