A House for Mr. Biswas - V.S. Naipaul [160]
‘My children! My children!’ Shama said. ‘Well, the example set. They just following.’
The next day Mr Biswas wrote an angry article about the lack of warning notices at Docksite. In the afternoon Anand came home from school a little more composed and, extraordinarily, without being asked, took out a copy book from his bag and handed it to Mr Biswas, who was in the hammock in the back verandah. Then Anand went to change.
The copy book contained Anand’s English compositions, which reflected the vocabulary and ideals of Anand’s teacher as well as Anand’s obsession with the stylistic device of the noun followed by a dash, an adjective and the noun again: for example, ‘the robbers – the ruthless robbers’.
The last composition was headed ‘A Day by the Seaside’. Below that the phrases supplied by the teacher had been copied down: project a visit – feverish preparations – eager anticipation – laden hampers – wind blowing through open car – spirits overflowing into song – graceful curve of coconut trees – arc of golden sand – crystalline water – pounding surf
–majestic rollers – energetically battling the waves – cries of delirious joy – grateful shade of coconut trees – glorious sunset – sad to leave – memory to be cherished in future days – looking forward in eager anticipation to paying a return visit.
Mr Biswas was familiar with the clarity and optimism of the teacher’s vision, and he expected Anand to write: ‘With anticipation – eager anticipation – we projected a visit to the seaside and we made preparations – feverish preparations – and then on the appointed morning we struggled with hampers – laden hampers – into the motorcar.’ For in these compositions Anand and his fellows knew nothing but luxury.
But in this last composition there were no clashes and repetitions; no hampers, no motorcar, no golden arcs of sand; only a walk to Docksite, a concrete sea-wall and liners in the distance. Mr Biswas read on, anxious to share the pain of the previous day. ‘I raised my hand but I did not know if it got to the top. I opened my mouth to cry for help. Water filled it. I thought I was going to die and I closed my eyes because I did not want to look at the water.’ The composition ended with a denunciation of the sea.
None of the teacher’s phrases had been used but the composition had been given twelve marks out often.
Anand had come back to the verandah and was having his tea at the table.
Mr Biswas wished to be close to him. He would have done anything to make up for the solitude of the previous day. He said, ‘Come and sit down here and go through the composition with me.’
Anand became impatient. He was pleased by the marks but was fed up with the composition and even a little ashamed of it. He had been made to read it out to the class, and the confession that he had not struggled with laden hampers into a car and driven to palm-fringed beaches but had walked to common Docksite had caused some laughter. So had the sentences: ‘I opened my mouth to cry for help. Water filled it.’
‘Come,’ Mr Biswas said, making room in the hammock.
‘No!’ Anand shouted.
But there was no one to laugh.
Mr Biswas’s hurt turned to anger. ‘Go and cut me a whip,’ he said, getting out of the hammock. ‘Go on. Quick sharp.’
Anand stamped down the back stairs. From the neem tree that grew at the edge of the lot and hung over into the sewerage trace he cut a thick rod, far thicker than those he normally cut. His purpose was to insult Mr Biswas. Mr Biswas recognized the insult and was further enraged. He seized the rod and beat Anand savagely. In the end Shama had to intervene.
‘I can’t stand this,’ Savi cried. ‘I can’t stand you people. I am going back to Hanuman House.’
Myna was crying as well.
Shama said to Anand, ‘You see what you cause?’
He said nothing.
‘Good!’ Savi said. ‘All this shouting and screaming make this house sound like every other house in the street. I hope the low minds of some people are satisfied.’
‘Yes,’ Mr Biswas said calmly. ‘Some people are satisfied.’
His smile drove Savi to fresh tears.
But Anand