THE SMALL WHEEL
Nidadavolu Malathi
"The deeyivoo saar is coming."
The school peon Venkanna usually arrives at the headmaster's house at six in the morning. That day, he woke
up at midnight and started getting ready because the "deeyivoo saar" was coming. The "deeyivoo saar" was
the District Educational Officer, at regional level, who would inspection schools once a year.
Venkanna’s wife, Simmachalam, did not share his enthusiasm.
"Who cares whether it is the deeyivoo saar or his grandpa. They don't give a damn about you. Here you are
going nuts for over week now," she jeered, rolling over on the mat to the other side.
"How would you know," Venkanna said, pouting, as slipped on the shirt he’d gotten ironed last night. It had
cost him 12 paise. He saw his father in his mind, shaking like a cobra. Eight years ago, Venkanna had moved
to the city. At that time, his father had told him, "Hey, Venkanna! We are not going to raise a mansion by
ducking our duty and playing hooky. For us, the only pride is in working hard, even if it meant eating a measly
meal and sleeping under a tree."
That is why Venkanna raised a beautiful garden around the school although it was not in his job description,
and received no special allowance for it. The only reward he got was a nod and a cluck from the headmaster.
He recalled the events at the same time last year.
The schools inspector had come with his wife, and Venkanna had given her freshly blossomed marigolds on a
lotus leaf. She had received the flowers graciously and had said "lovely" in English. She had smiled kindly too.
Taking the hint from her, the Inspector asked him, "So do you do all the gardening?" There was a touch of
kindness in his tone.
Venkanna was ecstatic. "Yassaar," he nearly choked as he replied. Probably, a movie producer would feel that
elated if his very first picture had celebrated the 100th day after its release.
The garden feasted his eyes like a gorgeous woman at the prime of her life.
"That’s good. Our country prospers only when young people like you work hard, you know," the Inspector said.
‘"Yes yas. He’s very industrious ‘n sincere," Sarmaji, the headmaster, complimented with a smile.
Venkanna was thrilled one more time. He was also in the picture, taken at the end of the day. That picture was
still there in his hut, hanging low from the beam, and hitting Simmachalam on her forehead each time she
moved around; and thereby, receiving a few choice blessings from her.
Venkanna took the job at the school not because he had no life in his village; he took it because it was more
respectable. With this job, he would get a chance to see the elite with his very eyes, might exchange a word or
two with them, and so on. As far as he was concerned, this move had paid off.
Once, he had gotten a chance to see a movie star who had played the villain roles. He was not like a villain at
all! Everybody had complimented him for being such a gentleman. Venkanna had to agree. On another
occasion, a government minister had come for a visit. Wow! on that day, the hustle and bustle at the school
topped the big chariot festival in Mangalagiri. Venkanna was also in the photo taken at the time the minister
had laid the foundation stone for the building. The minister said a kind word to Venkanna also.
Venkanna could count such experiences on his fingers and toes too. Simmachalam did not understand all this.
"Why not stay in our village and cultivate the little strip of land we have," she asked several times.
"What is there in the farming? One flood is enough to wipe out our lives clean," Venkanna said. "Didn't my
brother say that we haven't had a grain in three years?" he added.
Simmachalam was skeptical. "And why should we believe him?"
"Well, because we have to believe a man or a God. Who said that? I think Jaggayya said that in some movie."
For Simmachalam, all the inner workings of school administration were beyond her comprehension. Poor thing,
Venkanna told himself, feeling a little sorry for her ignorance.
Simmachalam watched him as he left, whistling. Then, she also got up to go to work. A small smile spread on
her lips.
***
The headmaster Sarmaji hit the roof as soon as he spotted Venkanna at the gate. "I told you to be here at the
crack of dawn, and you show up now?". Then, he turned toward the kitchen, "Is the coffee ready yet?" turned
toward Venkanna again and said, "Go, go. Quick. Bring a cart, not the one with the wobbly horse. A snail is
better compared to that one. I know it belongs to your wife's brother's father-in-law, yet no good. Get
Virasamy's cart." Sarmaji continued issuing orders, fixing his dhoti pleats and slipping on a clean shirt—all at
the same time.
By the time Sarmaji finished his sentence, Venkanna was long gone. Sarmaji turned toward the kitchen again
and continued his monologue with his wife.
He was a nervous wreck for over a week now about this deeyivo saar’s visit. He got the entire school building
washed as if it was the Pongal festival time. He made sure that the cobwebs were dusted off from every the
corner. All the library books, which were scattered all over the town, were brought back. The walls were
whitewashed. The black boards received a new coat of paint. The falling fence around the garden was
repaired.
For each one of these jobs, he had to bellow like a small train engine. He told Elamanda to paint the dark
patches on the exterior wall. Elamanda brought a bucket of whitewash, went through a few gestures of painting
as if he was playing a role on the stage and disappeared behind the walls to smoke a beedi.
"If you keep disappearing like this, how can we get the job done," Sarmaji asked him, frowning.
“Just for a second, Saar, just for one puff" Elamanda said, looking scared.
Somehow, Sarmaji got him to pick up the brush again and turned around only to see that Venkanna was
nowhere to be found. He had told Venkanna in no uncertain terms that sprucing up the garden was not a
priority, but painting the black boards was. Assuming that Venkanna was in the garden, he sent Puttanna to
bring him back in to the building. He waited and waited. There was no sign of either of Venkanna or Puttanna.
Sarmaji grit his teeth and went to find them himself. He found them in the south wing where they were moving
the bookshelves at the command of the first Assistant.
A few weeks ago, the first Assistant had all the library shelves moved to the science lab since there were no
books in the library. He was using them to stock the science equipment and other stuff. Now, the library books
were being brought back to the library, the shelves needed to be returned to the library.
Sarmaji just about had it. "How come you need only these two idiots all the time. Didn't I tell you to put the lab
attenders to work also?" He said, swallowing his anger like a bitter pill and asking a question, which sounded
more like a command.
"Attenders, sir? Where are they? One of them went to fetch your children. And the other attender went to your
house. He said your wife told him to run an errand for her". There was a note of satisfaction in his tone—the
kind one would feel, after settling a long overdue score. The headmaster had not been letting the peons go to
the assistant's house and that had been bothering him for a long time.
"How long does it take to fetch the children? These fellows take two hours for a five-minute job. Why couldn't
you tell them to return quickly? Do I have to mention that detail as well? Of course. The world has to think me a
heartless despot and you all model citizens."
Sarmaji left, growling like a ferocious animal.
The first assistant was confused. He failed to see the connection between his words and the headmaster's
reaction. By the time the arrangements were completed almost all of them had the glum look of Shakespeare,
shown on book covers. No matter how attentive they were to details, there was always something still to be
done.
Sarmaji finished the coffee his younger daughter brought for him. He saw Venkanna Ramulu holding the
straps. Sarmaji got into the cart without delay. "How come it took so long," he said as if it was a matter of
formality; he had to say something.
"Viraswamy's cart broke. And you said 'not your brother-in-law's cart’. It took quite a while to track down
Ramulu," Venkanna said. He replied because it was his duty to reply. He was not sure if Sarmaji cared to hear
what he had to say.
Ramulu's horse had no physical disabilities but was not yet broken though. Ramulu and the horse were still
new to each other. Ramulu walloped his whip and jumped on to the cart seat. Protesting whatever she had in
mind, the horse completed on full circle right where she was. A few minutes of struggle, they all were at the
same spot still. Ramulu got down and started explaining the directions to the horse; and, the horse started
walking backward!
In Sarmaji's mind, the fear replaced anger. Panic struck and he started uttering several sounds expressing
surprise, anger, fear and frustration. The script went somewhat like this:
"Hey, hey, ho, ho.."
"Stop, stop"
"What is this? It is a horse or a donkey?"
"You brought this for the DEO sir?"
"Oh, God!, what did I do to deserve this?"
"Should I jump out or stay put?"
The last line was not spoken; the thought was in his head. Unable to decide, he stuck one leg out from the
back of the cart and the other inside.
Ramulu kept reassuring him that there was nothing to be afraid of. He said the horse was a pancakalyani . It is
only a matter of getting used to. Once she started, she could fly like a rocket ...
Venkanna could not decide whose side he should take—Ramulu’s or the headmaster’s.
Thus, while all the three of them were lost in their own monologues, they also managed to arrive at the railway
station. They felt better after learning that the train was running two hours late. They were also happy that the
coffee in the thermos stayed in the thermos. The horse settled down chewing the cud.
Finally, after two hours' waiting, the DEO, his youngest daughter Saroja, his personal assistant and their peon
got off the train. Venkanna felt great for being the first among the peons, to meet the DEO .
"Hey, why are you standing there like a flagpole. Get that suitcase and basket," Sarmaji yelled at him, turned to
the DEO and expressed his belief that they had a comfortable journey. Then, the party were lead to a kind of
waiting room. While the DEO and his daughter were freshening up, Venkanna felt lost since he was not sure
how he could serve the coffee for so many people. The DEO's peon did not offer to help Venkanna. He was
maintaining his status.
Venkanna was yanked out of his train of thought by Sarmaji's voice. He was cursing Venkanna for standing
there like a lamp post and ordered him to serve coffee.
Venkanna picked up the thermos like an accursed spirit. Still he did not know how to explain that there was not
enough coffee in the thermos for so many people.
Sarmaji looked at him, growling, one more time. There was a blame in those looks. Those looks were saying I
brought you because you are better than the others. They were saying "Oh, God! Why are you doing this?"
It was annoying for the DEO to watch Sarmaji and Venkanna stand there, staring at each other like two actors,
who had forgotten their lines on the stage. The daughter was annoyed for no reason. The first assistant
intervened. He gestured to Venkanna, "Serve it only to the DEO and his daughter."
The personal assistant pulled Venkanna to a side and asked, "Can't we get tea around here?"
Venkanna sincerely hoped that he could get tea for this gentleman but it was not possible. "No, sir. There is no
tea stall within 4 miles. However, as soon as we reach our village, I will make sure that you got first class tea,"
he said making the personal assistant sad and happy within same one minute.
Finally, each struggling with their own thought, they all managed to arrive at the guesthouse.
Sarmaji noticed that the DEO was not pleased with the room. He turned to Venkanna and said, "Didn't I tell you
to get this room cleaned first thing in the morning," and added as a compliment, "lazy buggers".
Venkanna was enjoying the moment—watching the daughter's pleasure at the sight of the red hibiscus flower,
which he himself put in the vase last night. So he was not upset by Sarmaji's anger. Instead, he convinced
himself that, "The saar is an officer of the system, and has his own problems and, obviously, forgot that
Venkanna was with him (Sarmaji) since the crack of dawn."
Sarmaji also was lost, thinking up an answer for some question the DEO had raised and then asked, "Cant we
get cigarettes here?" He wanted the Navycut.
Sarmaji could not tell the DEO that the only kind available in this village was Berkeley, or else, one would have
to settle for the beedis. So he ordered Venkanna, "Go, quick. Bring a tin of Navycut cigarettes. Should be back
as if you never left this place."
Venkanna jumped on to his bike like a fighter-cock in the ring. He was hoping to find one or two cigarettes, if
not a whole tin, in somebody's pocket. He was well aware that he could not get the full tin even if he had a
crystal ball. He was also thinking in that moment, how happy the saar would be if only he could find the
cigarettes of his brand.
By mid-day, he could find a half packet in some small store. "You took half a day to bring five cigarettes,"
Sarmaji yelled but there was no harshness in his tone. "Go home and get the carrier meals. It is getting late."
Venkanna hopped on his bike again and left. Madam, the headmaster’s wife, had the food ready but there
were no banana leaves to serve in. Venkanna had to hunt for the leaves for another hour. By the time he got
to the guest house, everybody there was boiling over with hunger and anger.
Venkanna scrambled and set the table as fast as he could. By the time, they all finished eating it was three in
the afternoon. Sarmaji told Venkanna to go home for his lunch and be back in five minutes.
Only Venkanna knew that he would not be able to reach his home in five minutes; God knows there was no
time to eat. So he went to the fruit stall at the bus stand, ate a bun and returned. It took ten minutes.
***
The headmaster announced to the staff that the DEO was resting for the day and would inspect the school the
following day. Venkanna was told to stay there waiting on the DEO.
The DEO's daughter wanted to see the garden now. So the inspection of the garden was scheduled for the
same evening. The daughter picked as many flowers as she pleased. The DEO looked at the fresh vegetables
with "approving" eyes. He pointed out his favorites without exactly saying so. He turned to Venkanna and said,
"Very good". His daughter said, "Beautiful". Venkanna nearly choked as he replied, "Namaskaaram, saar,
namaskaaram madam".
In the evening also, Venkanna brought the carrier (food) from the headmaster's home. It was 10:30 by the time
they finished eating. Venkanna had no permission yet to go to his home for his supper.
The DEO laid back in the easy chair comfortably, and lighted a cigarette and flipped the burning matchstick to
the area behind. The matchstick fell on the plastic table cloth. Instantaneously, it made a design on the plastic
table cloth.
Sarmaji flared up pretty much the same way as the table cloth. It was his table cloth. He got it from his home
just to impress the DEO. "You scoundrel! How many times I have told you to be alert. You will never learn. The
only way to teach you is to fire you. Alertness, you will never learn, I suppose." Then he turned to the DEO and
said apologetically, "I told him, sir, yesterday to bring an ashtray and keep it here. Shouldn’t he think of it,
when he brought the cigarettes at least?"
Venkanna did not say that he was never told about the ashtray.
The DEO said, sounding casual, "You must know how to handle these people. Fine him." He sounded as if he
was preaching some sort of a universal truth.
Sarmaji told Venkanna that he was fined five rupees. The reason, “Negligence of duty,” he was further told.
The next day, the DEO inspected the classes, the school building, the laboratory, and the library. He showered
praise: The school building was clean, the garden was beautiful, and the all the teachers appeared to be
respectful. He shook hands with the headmaster and the teachers, gave his blessings to the young and
advised them to work hard.
After putting the DEO and his party on the train, the headmaster took a deep sigh of relief. "Ah, gone, finally.
Performing the marriages of two girls would be easier," he told himself. He also hoped that the DEO would not
write a "bad report" after all this stress and strain.
That evening, Sarmaji relayed DEO's comments to his wife, feeling proud of himself, "I should congratulate
you, the DEO said".
At the same time, Simmachalam was serving food to Venkanna. She gave him a piece of pickle she had gotten
from the madam's house and saved for him. "You haven't eaten in a week. Now at least sit, relax and eat well,"
she said warmly.
Venkanna took a bite of the pickle with great relish and went on narrating all the wonderful things that had
happened at school. "Can you imagine how happy the deeyivo saar was to see the garden; he praised it so
much; he said ‘very good’. The young lady said ‘Oh, beautiful, lovely’ in English. The headmaster saar made
me pack a basket with flowers and two baskets with vegetables to send with them. It seems he'd kill for green
beans. And he also shook hands with the headmaster and all the teachers. A perfect gentleman! ..."
Venkanna was reporting the events zealously.
Simmachalam was watching him and listening, with a smile.
There was only one detail Venkanna did not mention to Simmachalam—that he was fined five rupees the day
before!
***
(The Telugu original, chiruchakram, won the first prize in Andhra jyoti ugadi short story competition in 1971
and published in Andhra Jyoti weekly ugadi special issue, April 1971. Translated by the author.)