And Silence Was My Response Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

Discourteous cousin

This eldest cousin was with us sometime

Probably that was beginning of summer
I was studying in grade two

Classes in the school used to start early
I would have some kind of breakfast
In the form of a wheat flour porridge
There would be a tiffin break in the school
Around eleven pre noon

My cousin, who was on a vacation stay in our house
Was sent to the school
With a curd rice in a small stainless steel vessel
With an appropriately shaped piece of banana leaf

He would come to the school before it was eleven
And was waiting for me
I would come out looking for him
Get the curd rice carrying container
Finish hurriedly and return the vessel after washing

I knew he was not at all comfortable
With this arrangement
I noticed his grimace a number of times
And never expressed this to him or to my mother
This was going on for some days

That day he was waiting
But I reached him late
Because I was deeply engrossed in completing
An interesting homework in the class itself
Unmindful of the time

When I located him
He was visibly angry
He handed over curd rice
With a shout at me to finish it quickly

First ever time I too got anger
Took the vessel to a corner
Where we used to eat
But, decided against eating
Angrily served food
Despite the fact I was hungry

Came out immediately to the wash basin
Kept outside the school
Emptied the vessel
Throwing away the food to a waiting dog nearby
Washed the vessel
Returned the same to cousin
With a murmur
I too can get angry

What is happening?
Was his loud query
And silence was my response