Page 45 - English Reader - 8

6 6 The Neighbours

The Neighbours

Warm-Up
Warm-Up
Having a good relationship with neighbours is very important for our well-being. In times of
calamity, the first ones to come to your rescue and solace are our next-door neighbours. In
fact good relationship with neighbours is so important that even Jesus spoke about it and
said in his second commandment that we must love our neighbours as ourselves. Let us read
this wonderful story about how cleverly a young man comes to the rescue of his neighbour.

The mob came down the road; it came—a group of infuriated men—roaring, dancing, kicking at
everything in their way. The men cried, “Get them all! The cowards have to pay with their blood.”
Many of them were drunk. They did not know what they were doing.

The girl heard them come towards the house. She was scared. She knew that her old Grandfather
could not protect her. “Nobody could help them,” she thought, “Nobody, but God.” She closed her
eyes and began to pray, but the words of the familiar prayer would not come to her mind.

“Grandfather,” she whispered, “Grandfather?”
The old man turned towards her. In the darkness of the room, she could not see his face and groped
for his hand. The old man took her little hand and pressed it reassuringly. Then he pulled her towards
him and put his frail arms protectively around her small shoulders.

“Don’t worry, bitia-rani,” he whispered, “God is with us. Whatever happens, it is His will.”

The girl felt a tight knot of fear rise in her throat. Tears sprang into her
eyes. She wiped them off with the back of her hand and cried out, “It
is not fair, Grandfather, it is just not fair. Why do they come for us?
We have done them no harm. We are not responsible for what
happened at the other end of the town. Why do they harm us?
We are their neighbours, their friends.”

The old man sighed, “These men out in the street tonight
are neither our neighbours nor our friends. They are
ruthless, misled fanatic, driven by frustration and by personal
grievances against society or the government or a community.
They start this insurgent, looting, and killing. Today it is us,

tomorrow someone else.”
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