Vyshnoo

Casket robber

My father worked at a casket shop down the street. He made a very small amount of money that would only suffice our basic needs. In order to make enough money and send me to school, he started playing a little foul.
He fitted hinges under the coffin, that created an opening through which the corpse could be let out. He went to the graveyard to make some connections with the workers there. He bribed them to keep quiet and went every week to collect the coffin. He made a good amount by selling at a local market, which was 5 blocks away from the place he worked.
Eventually, he saved up enough money and sent me to school.
I was 5 years old when I first went to school. That night, my mother took me to Uncle Tanmay where she worked as a maid. She told him that she was going to send me to school and she needed some supplies. Uncle immediately got his son’s old supplies and gave it to me and said, “Study well and make your mother proud”. We started to leave and uncle handed us an umbrella as it just began to rain. We thanked him and rushed home to wake up early, the next morning.
It was time and I was excited to go to school.
I still remember my first day. My father had tears in his eyes as he dropped me to school. I had a great time and learnt ABCs at school. On the way back, I saw Uncle Tanmay wave to me from his window. He asked me about my day. I told him how wonderful it was and left home!
On reaching home I heard my mother, asking my father if he was going to sell more coffins in the market. My father told her that it was only next year he would do it again if needed as this year’s school fees was cleared.