A Doctor of Ants

A  Doctor of Ants

                                                                                                              -  Gopi Krishna Dhungana

It was 9 o’clock in the morning. Riyaj, as usual, was waiting for the school bus sitting on the brick platform around the house. His father also was with him. Riyaj looked around, and saw a cordon of ants. Some of the ants crawled on his legs and others on his hands. He began shaking the ants    off his hands and legs.

After a while,Riyaj began to poke the row of ants with a twig. He was enjoying it. Most of the ants were moving on a queue. The morning sunlight was warm. Riyajasked,“Daddy, where are these ants goingto?” Teasingly, his father said,“Might be going to school as you do.” The first grader Riyaj again curiously asked,“Do ants have schools too? How about their school bus?” His father laughed and responded, “May be they are going to play some games or might be in search of food in group.”

Riyaj wished to play with them when he saw many ants. He began poking them. Those ants dispersed as he poked them. They started running hither and thither. Some of them whispered by joining their mouth together. “Riyaj! Why are you poking those creatures? They are trying to hide themselves thinking that their enemies have invaded them. We shouldn’t trouble them during their hard times,” Father said.

As Riyaj stopped prodding them, the ants, in single file, walked along their path. The frolicking Riyaj, oncemore, disturbed the ants’ movement. Father tried to convince him, “ Riyaj! Don’t disturb them. They might bite you”. In reality, Riyaj is not a mischivious boy at all. Nevertheless, an urge came from within to goad those ants that were walking on a line like students singing national anthem in school. His habit is to do the things that he likes. Once again, he goaded those ants. The ants dispersed.

An ant climbed over his hand. Riyaj didn’t notice it in the beginning but only then when it reached to his throat. He touched the little insect. A nasty sting it gave to Riyaj as it was perturbed. Riyajshouted out. His father, who was talking to a neighbor, frantically asked, “What happened to you Riyaj?” Riyaj took the ant out of his neck, put it on his hand and said, “This ant stung me”. “I had already reminded you not to disturb the ants’ movement. You didn’t obey,” Father said.

The school bus had not arrived yet. There is a regular coincidence that the bus arrives late when Riyaj is on time and the bus is early when he is late. Never ant-bitten earlier, Riyajwept bitter tears of pain. Saliva from mouth and mucus from nostrils did flow. The dispersed ants were moving around. The neck- touching small Riyajwas furious. He gave a kick to an ant with his leather shoes. The wounded ants began fidgeting about. But the ant didn’t produce any sound of weep. “Why hasn’t the ant cried?” Riyaz asked. “Why have you trampled the ant underfoot?” Father asked. He further said, “Ant doesn’t weep as human beings. But, see, he is feeling extreme pain. He doesn’t have father as you have to soothe him. Now, he can’t walk anymore”.

The injured ant alone fidgeted in pain for a while. Then his friends saw him. One by one they came to him, touched him and went away. But nobody could soothe him. They neither took him with them nor stayed together with him. Riyaj’s heart was overpowered with love to see everything that was going on. He tried to touch that injured ant with love. But he did retreat his hand back that he recalled its sting some minutes ago. Father said, “Riyaj, see this ant is under severe pain. What happens if he dies? Where do his children find their loving father?” Riyajbegan to weep when he heard everything from his father. He frantically asked, “What shall we do then, father?”

As father kept mum, Riyaj found a wayout, “Dad! Can’t our doctor uncle treat perfectly to this ant? Let’s take him for treatment”. “Doctor applies treatment to animals but not to ants”, father said. “Dad! I will never tread on ants today onwards”, Riyajmade a promise with a sense of regret. The ant was wriggling about on the brick platform around the house. Riyaj felt sad to see the ant fiddling about.

Riyaj went on asking questions as follows- “Which hospital do ants go to when they fall sick? Which medical do they buy medicine from? Do ants possess an ambulance?” Riyaj grew apathetic about going to school that he was sentimental about the ant’s agony. He insisted, “Dad! Let’s take this ant to consult the ant’s doctor.” In the meantime, the bus blew its horn. Father said, “Mydear child! Nowhere there is ant’s doctor. Human beings should protect and look after all creatures. See, the ant, you had trampled, died. Forget that ant. Your bus arrived. You ought to go to your school.”  But Riyaj had no interest at all to go to school.

Translated by Suresh Hachekali