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Cheers Dears
By Augusto Pinto
The Boy Who Cried Lobo
Dears,
Whenever I meet Tinu we tittle tattle about our fellow villagers. The
subject of our conversation at the Club on Sunday, was naturally the
Birdbrain who the village was furious with for playing an inane practical
joke.
He told many villagers there was a Gram Sabha that morning, and a certain
activist was going to be accidentally assaulted by the Sarpanch. When people
tried to enquire no one seemed aware of any Gram Sabha being scheduled that
Sunday and thus everyone was annoyed with Elroy the Birdbrain for trying to
trick them.
I asked Tinu,"Why does Birdbrain behave like this?" "Gusto, it runs in the
family. You see, his people who hail from Cuncolim were the Portuguese
speaking type. So they ruled the roost because the mostly illiterate
villagers had to beg them for favours whenever some application had to be
written in Portuguese. These favours had to be returned in kind. However
because of the inbreeding they indulged in to prevent property going out of
the family they started becoming eccentric. By the time Birdbrain's great
great grandfather Cyriaco was born they were definitely going downhill
mentally."
"This Cyriaco was nicknamed Pompous by the villagers. Although he dressed
like a dandy, and pontificated in a Konkani peppered with Portuguese and
Latin phrases - he was actually a fool. Nevertheless, because of his
illustrious ancestors, he had a lot of powerful family friends whose
influence got him appointed to important posts in the village. He was the
Regedor of the village and the Presidente of the Communidade and the
Secretário of the Clube Amigos de Portugal de Cuncolim." I said,"Huh Tinu!
Things haven't changed much, have they? Connections are the key to the Good
Life."
Tinu continued,"But after getting all these important positions, Cyriaco
proceeded to dishonour himself and his family - not out of cupidity or
greed like our politicians today, but through sheer stupidity. For, if
anyone flattered him with a Bom Dia, O Senhor Doutor! and sagely nodded his
head in agreement when Pompous pontificated, he would be duly rewarded with
favours - at the expense of the institutions he headed. Cyriaco himself did
not gain much besides some petty saguades like fish and bananas and onions."
"What's this to do with Birdbrain's behaviour, Tinu?" "Gusto, it has more
to do with his only son Elroy after whom Birdbrain is named. Elroy spoke
Portuguese but otherwise was the village idiot who did simple chores for
Pompous Cyriaco. One day there was a meeting of the Communidade which
everyone wanted to attend as the agenda was to discover who was swindling
the Communidade. The Communidade Presidente Cyriaco told Elroy to look
after the villagers' cattle so that people could attend.
But after a while Elroy got bored minding the cattle on the hillside and to
amuse himself started yelling, "Lobo! Lobo!" [Lobo means wolf in
Portuguese.]
The villagers came rushing up the hill to drive the wolf away. But when they
reached there, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at their angry faces.
"Don't cry 'Lobo', Elroy," said Cyriaco, "when there's no Lobo!" The
villagers went grumbling back downhill to continue discussing who corrupted
the Communidade.
After a while Elroy cried out again " Lobo! Lobo!" Again the scene repeated
itself. The villagers sternly told Birdbrain,"Don't cry 'Lobo' when there is
no Lobo!" But Elroy just sneered at them as they went back to try to
discover who the crook in the Communidade was.
But a little later Elroy saw a REAL wolf attacking the cattle. He screamed
out as loudly as he could, "Lobo! Lobo!" But the villagers thought he was
trying to fool them again so they ignored him.
At sunset, everyone wondered why Elroy hadn't returned with their cattle. So
they went up the hill to see what happened. They found Elroy weeping. "There
really was a Lobo here! One cow is killed and the rest have scattered helter
skelter! I cried out, "Lobo! Lobo!" Why didn't you come?" The villagers
said,"Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"
Just then Elroy the Birdbrain sauntered into the Club and said,"Why didn't
you come for the Gram Sabha today?" Tinu and I stared at each other and in
one voice cried out,"GRAM SABHA!! Was there a Gram Sabha TODAY?"
Said Elroy, "Of course there was a Gram Sabha today! Where were you?" We
were speechless.
Till next time then...
Cheers (ENDS)
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The above article appeared in the November 19, 2008 edition of the Herald,
Goa
