Once when Prabhat was a fourteen year old boy he along with his parents was standing in line to buy tickets for a circus. Finally there was only on family between them and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on Prabhat. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. One could tell they didn’t have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive but they were clean. The children were well behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by two behind there parents. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, elephants and other acts they would see that night. One could sense they had never been to a circus before. It promised to be a highlight of their young lives.
Their father and mother were at the head of the pack, standing proud as could be. They were eagerly awaiting their turn to come so that they could buy their tickets and go to their seats in the circus.
The tickets clerk asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly responded, “ I want to buy eight children’s ticket and two adult tickets so I can take my family and my brother’s children to the circus”.
The ticket clerk quoted the price.
The man’s wife let out a gasp, her head dropped and the man’s lip began to quiver. The father leaned a little closer and asked, “How much did you say?”
The ticket clerk again quoted the price.
The man didn’t have enough money.
How was he supposed to turn and tell the eight children that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus?
Seeing what was going on, Prabhat’s father put his hand into the pocket, pulled out a Rs.50 note and dropped it on the ground. He then reached down, picked up the note, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me brother, this fell out of your packet.”
The man what was going on? He wasn’t begging but certainly appreciated in a desperate, heartbreaking, embarrasing, situation. He looked straight into Prabhat’s father’s eyes, took his hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the Rs.50 note, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, replied, “Thank you, thank you, friend. This really means a lot to me and my family.”
Prabhat and his parents (who weren’t rich themselves) went back to their house in a bus, as they were left without enough money to buy their tickets, but as a young boy, Prabhat had seen the best circus of his life.
Their father and mother were at the head of the pack, standing proud as could be. They were eagerly awaiting their turn to come so that they could buy their tickets and go to their seats in the circus.
The tickets clerk asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly responded, “ I want to buy eight children’s ticket and two adult tickets so I can take my family and my brother’s children to the circus”.
The ticket clerk quoted the price.
The man’s wife let out a gasp, her head dropped and the man’s lip began to quiver. The father leaned a little closer and asked, “How much did you say?”
The ticket clerk again quoted the price.
The man didn’t have enough money.
How was he supposed to turn and tell the eight children that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus?
Seeing what was going on, Prabhat’s father put his hand into the pocket, pulled out a Rs.50 note and dropped it on the ground. He then reached down, picked up the note, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me brother, this fell out of your packet.”
The man what was going on? He wasn’t begging but certainly appreciated in a desperate, heartbreaking, embarrasing, situation. He looked straight into Prabhat’s father’s eyes, took his hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the Rs.50 note, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, replied, “Thank you, thank you, friend. This really means a lot to me and my family.”
Prabhat and his parents (who weren’t rich themselves) went back to their house in a bus, as they were left without enough money to buy their tickets, but as a young boy, Prabhat had seen the best circus of his life.
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