Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

8
A BORING PLACE
I
t was evening: dinner time. I was sitting by Father's side as
usual, leaning against his knees, relaxed <strong>and</strong> comfortable.
The rest of my family was chatting. The house was in a
tumultuous state. Father took three half-used pencils <strong>and</strong> a new
notebook from Brother's schoolbag <strong>and</strong> put them in a new small
bag which he had just finished sewing. I wondered what he was
doing <strong>and</strong> who would use the small bag since Brother already
had one.
Father stroked my head with his warm h<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> said,
"My youngest, dear Kondro, you will go to school tomorrow.
This is your schoolbag. You have to use this bag temporarily.
When I go to Diebu County Town, I'll buy a nice Chinese-style
bag for you. Your brother will buy a pencil box <strong>and</strong> some new
pencils for you tomorrow."
I could not believe it! If it were true that I would go to
school, why should I care about my bag? I hugged Father's neck
with both arms <strong>and</strong> kissed him excitedly. I was happy <strong>and</strong> said
gratefully, "Oh, thank the Three Jewels! At last, I'm old enough
to attend school!"
I do not know why I thanked the Three Jewels instead of
someone else. Perhaps it was Gr<strong>and</strong>mother's influence. She said
that everything we did <strong>and</strong> everything that happened to us was
arranged <strong>and</strong> determined by the Enlightened One.
Father entrusted me to Brother, who had started school
some years earlier. When we got into bed that night, Father
hugged me <strong>and</strong> said to Mother, who slept in the same bedroom,
"Kondro is our youngest child. I don't want him to be alone in
school. School is surely a good place for children but I just can't
imagine how my dear youngest one will deal with a new
environment among so many strangers."
Mother murmured something I did not underst<strong>and</strong>.
Maybe Father heard it, for she was sobbing under her quilt. I
wanted to console my parents with some words of comfort, but
I did not know what to say, so I kept still. My parents loved me
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