The present that remained a present in three lifetimes

Lifetime One

Kron went about his daily chores. He saw his neighbour Tam.

"Hello Tam, good morning!"

Tam probably did not hear him. Tam was a war veteran, 80 years old. Occasional loss of

memory plagued him. Kron knew this and did not wait for a reply from Tam.

Kron met Granny Te at her small tea stall. He asked for his usual iced tea and waited patiently. It

was the weekend. Granny Te arrived with his tea and said "It is Tam's birthday tomorrow"

Kron thought about Tam and wondered what he would surprise him with. Any conversation with

Tam ended with war related memories. Tam was happiest when he related about the time, he

got an award for his bravery. All knew the story.

However, for the last few months Tam was bitter as he could not relate the story, and Tam could

no longer remember details so easily.

Kron was an expert artist and a great exponent of the kamishibai way of telling stories. Since he

had heard the story so many times, he felt he would give the best gift to Tam.

Kron prepared the kamishibai box. A sturdy wooden container with nice polish and grooves for

putting in the cards and removing them as needed and a very dainty door too!

The next day…

Tam dressed in his best sat outside his house. Kron went across to Tam's house with an

ordinary-looking box.

Tam said, "Hello Kron , good morning"

"Happy birthday to you Tam"

As he continued his conversation, opened his box, and set up the story prop. He told the story

of Tam to Tam and presented him with a gift and ensured that Tam would be in his award-

winning present all the time.

Lifetime Two

Tam died. He was ninety. Kron had left to find a job in the city a few years earlier. Tam’s

grandson had come home for the funeral of Tam and to dispose of the home. Tam’s grandson

Kim was from the city.

Kim notices the kamishibai. It seemed to be in a good condition even though it was chipped and

scratched in places. He looked into it and found the story cards, faded and torn in places. He felt

it could be restored and probably would fetch a decent price in the correct market.

 

As Kim sorted out the story cards an envelope fell out from between. Inside the envelop Kim

discovered a note written in deliberate handwriting. He read the note and realized it was written

by a person named Kron and it related the story of Tam, his grandfather.

Back in the city, Kim gets the kamishibai restored and a new card was added describing Kron’s

role in the story of Tam.

At the local bar, Kim used the kamishibai to entertain the visitors with his tale and earn some

money.

Lifetime Three

Ten more years went by. Kim, now no longer interested in the kamishibai gave it away to the bar

owners to use it for their use on some weekend parties.

During one the weekend night, as the story was told by the barkeep, a man inn his fifties

enquired about Tam in the kamishibai story.

He offered to purchase the kamishibai for a princely sum. The barkeep readily agreed. He was

getting tired of the story telling.

The elder gentleman, whose name was Chen, paid the money and took away the kamishibai. In

his house he put up the kamishibai in a very grand manner and called in his family members

and said, “At last I have the memories of Tam, the soldier who saved me from certain death.

Prof. Eswaran Narasimhan