Car

"Father! Father! what a lovely car" said the little one pointing at the dazzling brand new hatchback  parked next to their vehicle.
"Yeah sure son, it is beautiful" said father holding him within his palms and putting him down on the ground from the crossbar of his bicycle.

"Why don't we buy one too? Why do we have to use this bicycle?" asked the little one looking straight into the eyes of his clueless father who quickly tethered the bicycle to a tree guard near a car not realising it was partially obstructing the co driver's door.

"Let's go quickly else the gate will be closed" he replied putting the water bottle around his son's neck and the school bag across his shoulders.

They started to walk hurriedly towards the entrance of this missionary school that allowed few seats in every class to the underprivileged.

"Are you blind?" Screamed someone from behind, "Do you have no sense? Remove this cycle from here"
Father turned around, "One minute Sir, I am coming" he replied gently pushing his son inside the gate and hurrying back towards the car.

The little one could see his father handling the situation humbly from across the school fence while the car owner continued to look down upon him in arrogance.

A while later father boarded his cycle, apologized and rode on with a humiliated yet smiling face and moist eyes that so many people were looking at, including his teary eyed son. 

Father soon disappeared into the traffic. 'Good that my son was not there to witness what happened' he thought trying still to contain himself.

'If this is what becomes of people, let us have the cycle only O God, I don't want the car anymore', the little one prayed in his heart wiping his cheeks as he walked slowly towards his classroom •••