The Red Post Box

“Wow, it’s so beautiful. I will also send my drawing to tatha” Anu rushed to her room, to bring her drawing book.

“Which one should we send Amma?” she started browsing her book.

“I will get you a sheet of paper. Why don’t you draw something new? Then we can send it “her mother gave her an idea.

Couple of days later, Anu came up with a drawing. It wasn’t a beauty, but for an effort of a 10 year old, it seemed wonderful.

“How can we show this? We will not go to Bangalore until my exams are over” Anu had started sulking

“Why are you sad? We can just post it darling” Her mom

“Post! What’s that?” and that is when Anu came to know about the postal system and how being so far away from her grandparents, she could still share her thoughts and her drawings with them.

The next day, Anu and her mother went to the nearest post box and dropped it in the red box. This post box was located opposite Anu’s school.

In 2 weeks, when Anu went back from school, her mom had great news for her. She had a letter in her hand.

“Is it for me? Did you read it?” Anu was extremely excited.

“I haven’t read your letter dear. I thought you should open your first letter, especially from tatha”. As she opened the blue inland letter, she read slowly

Dear Anu,

I am proud of you my dear girl. Your drawing is very beautiful When you come to Bangalore, I will teach you more. Keep up the good work. I have showed your drawing to everybody in the house. Pati is also very happy. I even showed it my friends. And everybody loved it. For this I give you 4 golden stars.

Lots of Love,

tatha

Anu was extremely happy that she got a letter from her grandfather. She wanted to reply to it immediately. She got the inland letter from her mother, took out her pencil box, sharpened her pencil, and wrote a long letter. Her mother helped her in getting the letter to be posted. Anu volunteered to post the letter as she knew where it had to be done. Her mother allowed her to since it was on the way to school.

Months passed by, and the chain of letters between the them continued.

One day, Anu’s mother came to pick her up from school. She had a letter to post. As they were nearing the post box, Anu pointed elsewhere and said “But, there is where I usually post it amma”. She was pointing it to a letterbox in one of the houses.

Her mother was shocked, “Anu, But that’s a letterbox”.

“But its red in colour Amma. You said I should post it in the red box”, reasoned Anu.

Both of them went to the post box, and dropped the letter, and her mother explained to Anu, the difference between a letterbox and a postbox.

Anu realized her mistake and told her mother that she wanted to apologize to the people in the house for the inconvenience she had caused. Her mother took her to their house, and explained why they had come to the lady of the house.

“So you are the little one, whose posts we were receiving. Its ok my dear, we realized it was a mistake and put all your letters in the post box. Hope your grandfather got all those precious letters” the lady patted Anu’s back.

“I am sorry once again Aunty” Anu was embarrassed and they left from there. Her mom smiled and at her and said that it was ok, and that Anu had learnt her lesson very well.

And it was true, Anu always remembered this phase of her life, everytime she came across a red post box or a red letter box.​