WHO IS TO BELL THE CAT?

Hi friends,

I remember it was 1980 or 1981. I was working in Chennai. The office hours were 9-15 to 5-30 with 30 minutes lunchtime between 1 and 2. I never used to eat anything outside like my father. I carried lunch and came back home in the evening for coffee.

After the office, I walked up to Beach railway station, took an electric train to Mambalam and from there I went to my house in T.Nagar. The train was cheaper than the bus, more comfortable and lesser travel time.

My colleague, also a close friend, used to join me both in the morning and evening. He came from Ashok Nagar. He was elder and senior to me. I was 36 and he was 46. I had two kids and he had three. I was drawing at 1000 pm and he was getting 1300. 

I had to be very economical since I was supporting my father and also constructed a small house on loan. When we return from office, he used to take tea daily in a shop. It was 25 ps per cup. When he offered me, I rejected it because I did not want to spend and I had to get him on the next day.

I used to wait for him until he finished his tea to proceed further. He compelled me to take the tea but I refused due to self-respect. One day another colleague but not my friend joined us. He was senior to my friend and also his friend. He was about 52 and drawing more salary than my friend.

He was well to do, had a house at chrompet but was a miser. When my friend offered him tea, he accepted it but never came forward to pay or to buy on the next day. It was happening daily and my friend continued to pay for both. Some people have a tendency to live at other's cost. I was a silent spectator.

I knew my friend was suffering from three kids. Unable to resist my sympathy for him, one day when we were coming together in the morning, I asked him why he was paying daily and why he could not make his friend pay at least on an alternate day.

He said, Kanna, he should come forward to pay if he had self-respect. How could I ask him? I could not stop taking tea nor tell him not to come with us. He had to realize. I said he was fooling around you. I didn't want to be a witness. I would not come with you hereafter. Am I correct?