Rainy Day And Jolly

“Jolly…. Get up dear. It’s time for your school and if you still don’t hurry up you will surely be late to reach school in time”

Jolly literally jumped up hearing her Mom’s scream. It’s true. The clock displayed the time, it's six past forty-five. Time is running by and still, she had not got ready. The principal of the school Mr. Kerketta is a very strict person and she fears him the most. He stands beside the main gate of the school and follows everyone’s time of entry in the school. If anyone reaches after the first bell of the assembly he will surely make him or her stand there and ask the reason for being late.

Even the teachers don’t wish to fall in this adverse situation so everyone tries to come within time. Jolly hurried to the toilet to get refreshed. Then she came and wore her school dress and ran out of her room with her school bag. Her Mom was preparing her breakfast of milk and cornflakes. Jolly hates this very much but as Mom gives her tasty tiffin to eat at recess so she gulps down the breakfast without any hesitation. Then she wears her shoes and steps out of her home.

Suddenly she could feel cold water drops falling from above. She looked up at the sky and found grey clouds had covered up it wholly. It had started to drizzle. Her Mom had come near the gate to see her off and when she found it to be raining she asked Jolly to wear the raincoat. Jolly doesn’t like to wear raincoat but now she wore it without delay. The principal would be angry if he found her school dress getting dirty due to rain or splashes of muddy water.

She waved her Mom goodbye and walked down the lane towards the school. On the way there is a small canal over which there is a bamboo bridge. When Jolly reached the bridge the drizzling has turned to shower and she walked at a quick pace to reach the school fast. She set her foot on the bridge when she heard the whining of an animal. She was curious at the sound and so looked here and there but couldn’t see anything on either side. She felt maybe she is wrong but at the end of the bridge she heard the sound again; this time much more loud and clear.

She couldn’t ignore the sound and so walked down the bridge towards the edge of the water. Her shoes immediately got muddy but she did not care about them and moved forward. After a while, she found the source of the sound. A puppy was sitting in the bush just under the bridge and it was whining.    

Jolly looked around to see if its mother was nearby as she knew it won’t allow any human being to go near her pup. Her Mom had told her this. When she didn’t find its mother she slowly moved towards the pup. When she got very near she found out the reason of its crying. It had got hurt in one of its legs and it was bleeding. Jolly was sad. She felt she should help the dog as soon as possible. She bent down and took it in her hand. The pup was dirty too. She took it near the water and cleaned it off all its dirt. She washed off its wounded area too. Now she knew the wound must be dressed properly. She wrapped her handkerchief around the wound. The pup still whined. Now it was hungry. Jolly took out her tiffin box and found her Mom had given her sandwiches to eat. She gave the whole food to the pup. It started eating happily. Jolly saw it for a while and then turned to go to school. She hurried fast as she was aware the assembly must have begun and Mr. Kerketta must be in the assembly hall.

But the moment she reached the school she was stopped by the gatekeeper. The assembly was over and the school had started. He took her to the principal’s room. Mr. Kerketta was busy in his work when Jolly entered the room behind the gatekeeper. Mr. Kerketta was very angry when he heard she has come to school late. He looked at her sternly and said: “What is the reason of your coming late?”

Jolly said all that happened. He heard everything then said “I’ll believe you if you can show me the pup”

She nodded and said “Please come with me Sir, I’ll show you the pup”

They got out of the room and walked towards the main gate. Near the gate, the gatekeeper was shouting at something and trying to shoo it off. Mr. Kerketta asked, “Hey, what happened?”

The gatekeeper answered “Sir, a wounded pup is trying to enter the campus. So I’m trying to get him away but it is not interested in going and coming back again and again.”

Jolly moved forward and saw it to be the same pup. She looked at Mr. Kerketta and said “This is the same pup and see my handkerchief is still binding its wound” Mr. Kerketta asked the gatekeeper to open the gate and Jolly was allowed to go near it. It barked in joy when it saw Jolly. Mr. Kerketta said “I believe you Jolly. It’s your love that has made the pup follow you to the school. Bring it along and get it dressed with medicine properly”

Jolly was very happy. She thanked him and took the pup and walked towards the medicine room. After school, she took it along to her home. She knew Mom and Dad won’t discourage her if she wishes to keep it as her pet. She named it Julie when her parents said she can keep it as her pet.