Highly Commended Story - A Blind Beggar

“A Blind Beggar” by Arham Jigar Poladia, Rustomjee Cambridge International School, India, is the Highly Commended story in the sub-junior category of the second biannual Short Story Contest 2019.

Arham is as brilliant as he is restless, as bright as he is active, as lovely as he is challenging, as full of joy as he is full of energy. He is an avid reader and is also crazy about movies. Arham’s great passions are Space, travel, parks, and sports. He is kind hearted, generous and has good observation.

A Blind Beggar

Every day when visiting our temple with my father, I used to see a poor blind man begging outside the temple. He always had his daughter along with him to take the money and food that people used to give. He appeared very strong and muscular but shabby man with long grown beard, untidy hair, dirty and torn clothes. One day, I felt pity on them and asked my father to give some money to the girl. My father readily gave rupee 5 coin in my hand and asked me to give it to the girl. The girl took it smilingly and gave it to her father. I was happy to see the smiling face of the little girl.

I was so happy with that feeling that I decided to give something regularly. Next time, I took a packet of biscuit and gave it to the blind man. The beggar immediately opened the packet and shared half of it with his daughter. They were so hungry that they finished it very quickly. I felt happier by feeding them than giving them money and so I started giving them biscuits regularly.

One day when I visited the temple, I saw that the blind beggar and his daughter were not there. I became impatient and started looking for them nearby. They did not come for some days. Then again on one day, I found only the little girl outside the temple. I went to her, gave her the biscuit packet and asked “Where is your father? Why were you not coming for so many days?” The girl replied, “My father was sick and so we could not come”. “Now he will never come here again” she added. “Why so?” I asked. She replied that one good lady upon seeing her father offered him to go to school for blind. There he would get education and would also get work. For the work he would do, he shall get money in return. This way he won’t have to beg anymore and she would also be able to go to school.

My father and I were very happy upon knowing this.