606. Murugan's Classmate

"You are not looking for a job. You have been sitting at home, whiling away your time. After having a good sleep in the night, you sleep during daytime too. Now and then, you sit on the pial of our house, invite people walking on the street for a chat and chat with them. If this is going to be your way of life, how will you come up in life?" Muthulakshmi asked her son Murugan.

"Dad has left me properties of considerable value. Why should I go for a job?" countered Murugan.

There is a proverb, 'If one has no earnings and keeps consumes his assets, even a mountain of assets will be reduced to a plateau, through.'"

"It will take a long time for a mountain to be exhausted. Let me see, after the mountain is reduced to a plateau."

Murugan did not pay heed to his mother's repeated pleas. After he got married, his wife Uma also echoed his mother's views. But, Murugan didn't make any attempt to change his ways.

One day, a fleet of cars entered the street in which Murugan's house was located. The cars halted in front of Murugan's house. With a number of cars arriving at the street and stopping, a screeching sound was heard over the street, making many residents come out of their houses, to find outwhat was happening.

Hearing the sound made by the cars, Uma also came out of her house, driven by a sense of curiosity and anxiety.

Two police officers got down from the cars in the front. Someone opened the rear door of the third car. 

Uma was dumbstruck seeing the person, who got down from the third car. 

It was the Chief Minister of the state.

The Chie Minister greeted Uma, by folding his palms and showing his respect to her and asked her, "Is this Murugan's house? Is he there?"

"Yes, he is. Please come in, sir" said Uma, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes. 

As Uma entered her house, the Chief Minister and two police officers followed her into the house.

Murugan, who came out from his room, hearing the voices, looked at the Chief Minister and exclaimed in astonishment, "Hey, Selvam! You are visiting me!"

"Yes, Murugan. How are you?" inquired Chief Minister Selvam and hugged him.

The Chief Minister then looked at Uma and said, "Murugan and I studied together in the primary school in a nearby village. Subsequently, his family moved to this place. Your husband would have told you about me. We were close friends in the school. We are, even now."

He then looked at Murugan and asked him, smiling "Aren't we?"

"Of course, we are!" said Murugan.

The Chief Minister conversed with Murugan for a few minutes and then departed. 

While taking leave, Selvam told Murugan, "Contact me for any help you need. I will tell my personal secretary that whenever I get a call from you, he should connect the call to me."

He then looked at Uma and said, "I came to Kumbakonam, to attend a function. I remembered that the place where Murugan has been living is nearby. I decided to visit him and came down here. My visiting your home with no prior intimation may have caused you inconvenience. The coffee you gave me was very delicious. Best Wishes. I take leave." 

After Selvam had left, Uma asked Murugan, "You didn't tell me that the Chief Minister was your classmate!"

"I didn't think it was important" said Murugan, tersely.

Uma reflected on the Chief Minister's words, 'Contact me, for any help you need.'

If Murugan were to start a business, he can get help from the government. Even if he weren't, the fact that the Chief Minister was a classmate of Murugan, which was just made known to people living in the village, would enhance Murugan's esteem and create a favourable impact about him on others.

But Uma knew that the prospects of Murugan making use of such a favourable image and impression, by working towards taking his family forward in the path of progress were not very bright.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 606 (in Tamil):
padi udaiyAr paRRu amaindhak kaNNum madi udaiyAr
mAN payan eydhal aridhu.

Meaning:

The lazy man will not be able to gain any benefit, even if he gets the acquaintance of the ruler of his country. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'muruganin naNbar' by the same author.) 

Verse 607 (Soon)
Verse 605