“Raam Raam, Lamp Post!” called out the milkman.
“How’s the weather up there, Mr. Lighthouse?” chuckled the carpenter.
“Arrey, who let the giraffe out of the zoo?” teased the blacksmith.
Lamburam didn’t reply. He hurried past them, his head hung low. You see, he was tall. Taller than boys his age. Taller than grown-ups twice his age. Taller than everyone in the village. The only thing taller than him was the water tower. He hurried down temple street to his father’s puja stall.
“What took you so long?” Baba snapped, looking cross.
“Sorry, Baba.” Lamburam joined his father behind the counter. “Masterji asked me to stay back after school.”
“Did he need a ladder?” tittered Shambhu Kaka.
“Or did he want you to clean the ceiling fan?” smirked Kishore Mama.
“Perhaps he wanted you to fix the leaky roof?” sniggered Lalita Mausi.
Lamburam winced. “Who asked you to grow as tall as a tree? You know what everyone calls me? ‘Ladder’s father’. Bah!” Baba said, as if it was all Lamburam’s fault.
***
illustration for _YW talespin Illustration: Sreejith R.Kumar | Photo Credit: sreejirkumar
That night, Lamburam did something unimaginable. He smashed his clay piggy bank against the floor. He had been saving up forever. But he couldn’t take the taunts and the sneers of the villagers anymore. He carefully counted the money, slipped a few notes under Baba’s pillow, stuffed the rest into his kurta pocket and tiptoed past a snoring Baba. He sneaked out of the house and ran all the way to the bus stop.
***
“You ran away from home?” asked Piddu the midget. Lamburam nodded. “I came to the city and joined the circus.”
Piddu and he didn’t just share a tent; they shared their food, stories and dreams with each other. They were the funniest, whackiest, clumsiest, and cutest clowns in The Great Travelling Circus.
“What else could someone like me do?” Lamburam sighed.
“There’s so much more you can do,” Piddu chided. But Lamburam didn’t believe him.
***
Lambu-Piddu were on stage, clambering up the rope ladders, delighting the audience. The acrobats were swinging from one trapeze to another, when a cry rang out, “Watch out!”
The circus tent had caught fire! People started running helter-skelter; coughing, as smoke filled the tent and screaming as they tripped and fell over each other in their hurry to get out.
Lamburam was making a run for it when his eyes fell on Piddu, who was sliding down a rope ladder. Suddenly, the rope snapped! Piddu screamed as he swung wildly. He was going to crash to the ground! There was no safety net below!
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lamburam dashed across the floor. He made a flying leap and grabbed his friend, just as the rope gave way!
***
The next morning, Lamburam woke up to find huge crowds at the circus grounds. Media vans, a team from the Limca Book of Records, and a long snaking queue of people. “There’re here for you,” Piddu beamed, showing him the newspaper.
Lamburam gasped when he saw his photograph. The journalists were waiting to interview him! People were queuing up to take his autograph, click selfies with him and shake hands with him. He was a star!
***
Lamburam had left his village in the dead of the night like a thief. He returned a hero. “Forgive me, son,” sobbed Baba. “I’m so proud of you.”
“You’ve made our village famous,” said Shambhu Kaka, garlanding him.
“Now, you’re going to America to play basketball,” clapped Kishore Kaka.
“How does it feel being the tallest man in the country?” asked Lalita Mausi.
Lamburam smiled. “Told you there’s so much more you can do,” Piddu said.
This time, Lamburam believed him.
