(Ctrl/Cmd+V)Rohan Bisht. Word count: 1700
Short Story
By Rohan Dmitri Bishtianonovesky
One Evening at the café
By Rohan D. Bishtianonovesky
One Evening at the Cafe
Whenever my children asked me about my school life,that if I was an intelligent student or not.My face got flushed and I thought how could I tell them that their father (me) was an average student and not a bright student,who are popular in their class.they were keen to know about my school life.But whenever they asked me this question I prevaricate,but,how long could I do this.
One evening, I was returning from office and abruptly,saw an old cafe and it was there since my schooldays and I started to reminisce the moment when I graduated from my high school and visited this cafe with my friends.School days were really good.It was an old French café, and the coffee I drank was amazing(I do not have any words to describe its taste,so good it was).Usually,I don't drink coffee but that evening I decided to drink a coffee.
So,I entered the cafe and took a seat in the corner of the cafe.I put my hands on the table and I was glancing the interior of the cafe.The interior was eye-catching,on the walls there were beautiful paintings hung.After glancing, I took the menu and began to read the names of every beverage.while I was choosing my coffee, a waiter came and stood beside me and asked,"what will you have,sir?"
I had listened that voice before,I did not know who he was and where I had listened.But suddenly,a name came into my mind(but I was not sure that I was correct).I,then,moved my head to my left to see who that person was.
I was startled to see,that he was my old classmate,James.I could not believe my eyes and I wanted to be sure that I was right. "Perhaps, I was mistaken",I thought.I asked him,"James, is it you?"
"yes, it is me" he said.
"How do you know me? Have we ever met ?"he asked me. I was astonished that he did not remember me.
"I am your high school classmate, now you remember?"
"Oh! Yes! Yes Now I remember you, Pardon me I forgot you"
"I am surprised, why are you working here as a waiter?"asked I. I think I should not have asked him this but it was my abrupt reaction. No one should asked this type of question to anyone. But he was not enraged by this question and answered me plainly: "It is a long story, I will tell you some other day"
I was not contented with his reply, I do not know if I requested him or obliged him to tell me the back story of his but at last, he was ready to tell and I was ready to listen his story.
He sat on the chair beside me and put his hands on the table and clasped them and told me his story as follows:
"I was an intelligent student in high school, as you know, all teachers were fond of me. I felt so lucky, I was considering myself a royal blood and I considered everyone who got marks below me as idiots, fools and to be candid, I also saw you as a fool. Forgive me for that, let us come back to the topic. I topped in our last year at high school and after graduating from there, I went to the big city for my higher education. I studied hard there and got above 90% and my name was on top list. I wanted to become an English teacher, an eminent teacher. I wanted to teach children and wanted my pupils to like me and to become successful in their life. So, after completing college I became a school teacher in a middle school. I was so happy on getting my job, the first few months were very good. At first, I had an excellent experience; I thought teaching was easy and simple but I was wrong, teaching is never so easy. Not everyone can become a teacher.
'Two years after becoming teacher, my life was becoming boring day by day. It was like I had trapped in a loop: same things happening again and again and I was doing the same things day after day, month after month. I was bored of of teaching the same things again and again; first to this class and later, to another class. I was living like a nihilist, I forgot the meaning of life and the importance of happiness. I was a body with no soul.
'Although my life was empty, I decided to marry. I thought my wife would help me to overcome my sadness and we would be a happy couple. But I was also wrong in this case, we were not happy with each other, like we used to before our marriage. We bore only one child, a girl. After her birth, I thought now our relation would change but, I think you have already guessed it, it never changed. Whatever I have thought, till now, never happened. I thought one day that whatever I had chosen in my life, whether it was my education, college, subjects, job, or even my life partner was wrong. Every decision I took was either ill or wrong. I was Depressed and Desperate, desperate because I had no other choices left, I had to continue with my teaching job, whether, I liked it or not. I was always brooding that what would happen if I lost my job and what if my wife divorced me. I was constantly worrying about these things. And a smart person would never let these things to seize control of him. But by getting good grades you cannot become a smart person. I was not so smart as I used to think. The thing, which I was most fearing and brooding, happened. My school Headmaster was not contented with my lethargic teaching and fired me. I was jobless, I should not have thought of losing my job. But what had happened, happened and we could not change the past. My another worry, of being divorced from my wife, also became true. The same week, in which I had lost my job, she demanded a divorce. I failed to become a good teacher and also failed in becoming a good husband. I had nothing in the city neither my job nor my family. I also had no money left, I tried to find a job but was rejected everywhere I went. A time came when I had nothing to eat, my friends in the city, all turned their backs to me. In city, there are no friends but people's interests. My health was waning and I was want of money to buy medicines. Then, I got a job in a factory. But, who wants to work in a factory. I started to detest the big city, the big cities are "Big" only by their names. The small workers live in poverty and hardship while the rich people live a luxurious life. Whatever I studied about the big cities: that there is equality and job opportunities, was a lie!! In spite of being a topper in High school and in college I was a failure in my life. There was nothing left in the big city for me So I decided to come back to my hometown. Finally, I was in my hometown where my life began and I think it will also end here. All need money to live in this world, So do I. There was no job I could get in this town, so with no options left, I took a waiter's job in this cafe. I think you are bored of listening to my story but I told you that it was a long story. Now, I think you have comprehend the real meaning of education."
He stopped and drank a glass of water, that was kept on the table. I was feeling bad for him, such a good student he was and he could be successful man in his life but his life ended up in a cafe as a waiter. I was sad for him but I was happy for myself, that my life was not like his.
"If your children wants to do something, let them do", he advised me and then, stood up from his chair and he said,"I did not mean that those who score good grades will not succeed in life but the fact is that it is too rare. Even if they get a high post job in a big city, they live a sad life, there is no happiness in their life. Because they never give any importance to their life, they just study and study like a machine. Those who were not intelligent in school is now more famous than we are and are successful."
Golden words!! He did say right, you should do that in which you are good at. That one evening at the cafe was very long and that,very, one evening at the cafe changed my way of seeing the life. Since that evening I have no shame in saying that I was a mediocre, I was an average student in school and college. I am the intelligent student of my life. I am happy with my wife and children and I am living in tranquility. I do not have any problem, what my children want to become. It is their life and they know what is good for them. That one evening at the cafe taught me a big lesson that:
"Learning is to know yourself and to know in which thing you are good at"
Short Story
By Rohan Dmitri Bishtianonovesky
One Evening at the café
By Rohan D. Bishtianonovesky
One Evening at the Cafe
Whenever my children asked me about my school life,that if I was an intelligent student or not.My face got flushed and I thought how could I tell them that their father (me) was an average student and not a bright student,who are popular in their class.they were keen to know about my school life.But whenever they asked me this question I prevaricate,but,how long could I do this.
One evening, I was returning from office and abruptly,saw an old cafe and it was there since my schooldays and I started to reminisce the moment when I graduated from my high school and visited this cafe with my friends.School days were really good.It was an old French café, and the coffee I drank was amazing(I do not have any words to describe its taste,so good it was).Usually,I don't drink coffee but that evening I decided to drink a coffee.
So,I entered the cafe and took a seat in the corner of the cafe.I put my hands on the table and I was glancing the interior of the cafe.The interior was eye-catching,on the walls there were beautiful paintings hung.After glancing, I took the menu and began to read the names of every beverage.while I was choosing my coffee, a waiter came and stood beside me and asked,"what will you have,sir?"
I had listened that voice before,I did not know who he was and where I had listened.But suddenly,a name came into my mind(but I was not sure that I was correct).I,then,moved my head to my left to see who that person was.
I was startled to see,that he was my old classmate,James.I could not believe my eyes and I wanted to be sure that I was right. "Perhaps, I was mistaken",I thought.I asked him,"James, is it you?"
"yes, it is me" he said.
"How do you know me? Have we ever met ?"he asked me. I was astonished that he did not remember me.
"I am your high school classmate, now you remember?"
"Oh! Yes! Yes Now I remember you, Pardon me I forgot you"
"I am surprised, why are you working here as a waiter?"asked I. I think I should not have asked him this but it was my abrupt reaction. No one should asked this type of question to anyone. But he was not enraged by this question and answered me plainly: "It is a long story, I will tell you some other day"
I was not contented with his reply, I do not know if I requested him or obliged him to tell me the back story of his but at last, he was ready to tell and I was ready to listen his story.
He sat on the chair beside me and put his hands on the table and clasped them and told me his story as follows:
"I was an intelligent student in high school, as you know, all teachers were fond of me. I felt so lucky, I was considering myself a royal blood and I considered everyone who got marks below me as idiots, fools and to be candid, I also saw you as a fool. Forgive me for that, let us come back to the topic. I topped in our last year at high school and after graduating from there, I went to the big city for my higher education. I studied hard there and got above 90% and my name was on top list. I wanted to become an English teacher, an eminent teacher. I wanted to teach children and wanted my pupils to like me and to become successful in their life. So, after completing college I became a school teacher in a middle school. I was so happy on getting my job, the first few months were very good. At first, I had an excellent experience; I thought teaching was easy and simple but I was wrong, teaching is never so easy. Not everyone can become a teacher.
'Two years after becoming teacher, my life was becoming boring day by day. It was like I had trapped in a loop: same things happening again and again and I was doing the same things day after day, month after month. I was bored of of teaching the same things again and again; first to this class and later, to another class. I was living like a nihilist, I forgot the meaning of life and the importance of happiness. I was a body with no soul.
'Although my life was empty, I decided to marry. I thought my wife would help me to overcome my sadness and we would be a happy couple. But I was also wrong in this case, we were not happy with each other, like we used to before our marriage. We bore only one child, a girl. After her birth, I thought now our relation would change but, I think you have already guessed it, it never changed. Whatever I have thought, till now, never happened. I thought one day that whatever I had chosen in my life, whether it was my education, college, subjects, job, or even my life partner was wrong. Every decision I took was either ill or wrong. I was Depressed and Desperate, desperate because I had no other choices left, I had to continue with my teaching job, whether, I liked it or not. I was always brooding that what would happen if I lost my job and what if my wife divorced me. I was constantly worrying about these things. And a smart person would never let these things to seize control of him. But by getting good grades you cannot become a smart person. I was not so smart as I used to think. The thing, which I was most fearing and brooding, happened. My school Headmaster was not contented with my lethargic teaching and fired me. I was jobless, I should not have thought of losing my job. But what had happened, happened and we could not change the past. My another worry, of being divorced from my wife, also became true. The same week, in which I had lost my job, she demanded a divorce. I failed to become a good teacher and also failed in becoming a good husband. I had nothing in the city neither my job nor my family. I also had no money left, I tried to find a job but was rejected everywhere I went. A time came when I had nothing to eat, my friends in the city, all turned their backs to me. In city, there are no friends but people's interests. My health was waning and I was want of money to buy medicines. Then, I got a job in a factory. But, who wants to work in a factory. I started to detest the big city, the big cities are "Big" only by their names. The small workers live in poverty and hardship while the rich people live a luxurious life. Whatever I studied about the big cities: that there is equality and job opportunities, was a lie!! In spite of being a topper in High school and in college I was a failure in my life. There was nothing left in the big city for me So I decided to come back to my hometown. Finally, I was in my hometown where my life began and I think it will also end here. All need money to live in this world, So do I. There was no job I could get in this town, so with no options left, I took a waiter's job in this cafe. I think you are bored of listening to my story but I told you that it was a long story. Now, I think you have comprehend the real meaning of education."
He stopped and drank a glass of water, that was kept on the table. I was feeling bad for him, such a good student he was and he could be successful man in his life but his life ended up in a cafe as a waiter. I was sad for him but I was happy for myself, that my life was not like his.
"If your children wants to do something, let them do", he advised me and then, stood up from his chair and he said,"I did not mean that those who score good grades will not succeed in life but the fact is that it is too rare. Even if they get a high post job in a big city, they live a sad life, there is no happiness in their life. Because they never give any importance to their life, they just study and study like a machine. Those who were not intelligent in school is now more famous than we are and are successful."
Golden words!! He did say right, you should do that in which you are good at. That one evening at the cafe was very long and that,very, one evening at the cafe changed my way of seeing the life. Since that evening I have no shame in saying that I was a mediocre, I was an average student in school and college. I am the intelligent student of my life. I am happy with my wife and children and I am living in tranquility. I do not have any problem, what my children want to become. It is their life and they know what is good for them. That one evening at the cafe taught me a big lesson that:
"Learning is to know yourself and to know in which thing you are good at"
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