#26 The singing astrologer

I was nervous when I entered the house. I was 10, but I knew copying in exams was considered a crime. At least among parents. I did not study for my math test and turns out I sat next to a smart kid. And, copying wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. At least not in 4th grade. Things became difficult after 7th grade though.

I was happy about the test but also felt bad about copying in the exam. I wanted to do the right thing and tell the truth but got reminded of my father’s unusually large palms. One slap and I would be done. So, I swallowed the idea as I stepped into my house.

I was sweaty and was trying not to make eye contact. As I walked to my room, I heard someone singing in our house. It was not the TV or the radio. It was coming from a person. My dad peeped out of the dining hall and called me “Karthik...come on in here”.

I walked in and saw a person singing something that sounded like a folk song. He was wearing a white full-sleeve shirt, white dhoti and wore sandalwood paste and kumkum on his forehead. After he was done with the song, I asked my dad “Who is this, pa?”

“He is an astrologer. He tells truth and your future through songs.”

“Wow! Interesting” I said, wondering what happened to my dad. An astrologer? Really?

The singing astrologer said he had one more song and started singing. It sounded nice. It rhymed well, he had a great voice and, as I heard him finish the song with the words “Kaapi adichan paiyan” (your boy copied) I was shocked.

He then told my dad “Your son copied in a test”

My dad looked at me and I looked at his unusually large palms that were resting on the dining table. I told both of them they’re wrong and walked out of the room. Since then, I stopped believing in astrology.