Running Away from Dad - 2

We can take ourselves out of the sakati .....

....but we cannot take the sakati out of us! The sakatis are still live in our memories.

I have been unable to write for two weeks but I am sure many of you will want to know how the issue of the accidental kicking of a football into Mrs Chana's dinner was resolved.

It was simple. Dad went quiet for the next two days but every single moment in his presence was tortuous. When was he going to ask me to explain my bad behaviour? How was he going to deal with me?

After the fourth day, his silence began to trouble me. I was concerned - why was he not asking me to explain my bad behaviour? He must know that it was a serious case of misconduct. After another two days, I decided that I may have to remind him of the incident! He must deal with it. His silence was punishing me. After another few days, he called me to his room. I decided that the time had come for me to prepare myself for a beating. I knocked at his open door, something I had never done before. He turned around, looked at me and said," I am going to see a film. Do you want to go with me?" I knew then that he had no intention of discussing that issue! Who would want to miss the chance of seeing a film? It was 'Ben Hur' and dad decided that it was important for me to see it for educational reasons.

I have never forgotten the day we saw that film. Ben Hur had intervened. He had saved me from a pasting.