We were correcting the papers for the Annual exams, as ours is Autonomous Degree College associated with Andhra university we have the liberty to design our own Curriculum and Examination pattern , and valuation. I found a place where I would not be disturbed, also the climate as well outside and inside the hall was too hot to bear. The whole gang of the staff members were hostile towards me again. We got some pay commission pay scale, so again and I was supposed to give some money as bribe.
That morning while I was signing in the staff attendance register, one senior Lecturer, Miss M ( another one who did not marry because she oathed her life to the same idol as Miss L, we used to call her as Meerabai and L as Radha bhai.. though they worship the same idol there was fire in between them. They became enemies at certain time which we were not aware of the reasons.
So as usual when i saw her at the Register I just wished her as ' Good Morning Miss" She had a very shriek and loud voice, and still raising it further, she shouted and said,
" What Good morning, are you a beggar? Tell me if you are a beggar all of us share the money you owe to us to spend in Hyderabad office. We will give our money for your work. Tell me Are you a beggar?"----
I was shocked, this is a very unexpected thing that happened, as she was looking at me straight away demanding the answer from m;, I had to answer her;
'No Mam, I am not a beggar, I do not ask you to pay for me even, please do not send my papers to AG office, I will take care of those papers myself."
And she was shouting very loudly in the corridor, all the non teaching staff were bewildered and looking at us perplexed.
My husband was waiting for me at the gate on some errand, so immediately I ran to him and told him what has had happened and how I was called by names.
He looked into my eyes and told me,
" Do not get angry , I will go home and pray."
I said,, 'no hubby I am not angry, I just want to tell u this.'
He told me later, straight away he went home knelt down and prayed for me.
And I went back to take some answer sheets from our Vice principal and Controller of Examinations
Sr. Marietta P.
She said,' Miss, if you want to sit in my room and correct the papers You can sit here"
I was shaken in my heart by the way I was shouted at, so her offer was a shield to me to protect me from others insults.
That was the last day , and some attender came to give me some papers to sign, I asked her what were those papers, she told me, " miss all lecturers signed these papers, I was searching for you, I did not know you are here, "
I signed the papers as those were the receipts of the amount of money we would receive after we finished the valuation.She told me all other lecturers also signed already.
The next day I finished the valuation of the examination papers, and went to receive the remuneration at the Controller room, where the sr. M was giving money to the staff.
When I went there she asked me to sit in front of her , there was a table between her and me, and she said to me,
" Miss, You cannot get any remuneration this time"
I was literally shocked and said,"
" How come? I did my duty and finished my work. sister!?"
The staff insisted that your remuneration money should be given to them to use it as part of the bribe they have to give in AG office, Hyderabad "
I was fully shocked, but I spoke slowly and steadily, took a deep breath, and said;
"Sister How can you give my money? I have to sign on the receipt, is it not?"
"Sorry miss, to say like this, You remember that you already signed the receipt papers before, and Sr. Principal also told me to give your remuneration money to the staff."
I was taken aback , my whole being was trembling with agony and shock, I said,
" Sister.. I believe you just cannot give my remuneration to any one without my consent, You have given that bribe without my consent, I have no part in it."
The tears were rolling down on my cheeks..my voice was low and steady, I added my words, like this.
" Sister , you know that I resigned my job as Air hostess in Air India just because they asked me to put bottu( tikka) on my forehead, this ...this is not greater than that. I am so sad.."
I found myself shivering and tears were rolling down. I took leave from her and went into the hall where my friend Miss Swarnakamala was correcting her Zoology answer sheets. I went to her, and she asked me whether I got my remuneration. I said ,
"No", seeing my condition she made me to sit on a chair nearby her, and elicited the matter that happened in the Controller room, she said,
" Leela you look devasted, please sit , and have this hot tea, and she poured out from her flask and gave it to me. I was so hot and shivering,.. and drinking the tea, at that moment an attender came and told me,
" Miss , Sister Principal asked you to meet her now"
I got up from the seat in the middle of my drinking the cup of tea, and went into the Principal room. There she was Sr. Winifred, with the remuneration receipts in her hand.
She said, Miss. The staff asked me to take your remuneration and give it to them to meet the expenses in the office work."
I said, now I am calm and quiet , I did not know what made me, like that but I was not trembling any more, my voice was steady and firm I told her,
' Sister , you have taken my remuneration without my consent, I have no part in this bribe."I found my voice was shivering while I was saying so.
She was looking at me and said,
" See Miss, the staff is saying that "Where is your consious, when you happend to come to college a bit late or go from the college a bit earlier than the college hours? What answer you will give them?"
( All the staff, including me were not taken into task by our kind principal when we go to college a bit late, that is , college is 9:30am but if we do not have the first period class, the register was available to sign till 10am. And so is in the evening, if we do not had class in the last period, we can go home a half an hour before the college closes.. esp mothers like me with little children were not taken into task)
So this point of breach was taken into blaming me by my friends, to find the flaw in me and point out at me and tell me that I am not a good in keeping perfect disposition.
Though I never expected this accusation on me, I could answer her,
" Yes sister, I am late to college and go from college a bit earlier. I accept it, but...... it is only a mistake, I can rectify it, but giving bribe is a crime. I cannot do it"
She as looking at me straight, ( even now when I think back about that answer I gave to my dear principal I am still amazed and for that beautiful answer,
----yes, when we were taken in front of the Authoritarians, " But when they deliver you up take no thought how and what shall you speak but it shall be given in that same hour what ye shall speak"Matt 10 19
God, only God had given those words to me then. Also I did something very strange which I never thought to do so, or contemplated to do so.
She was looking straight into my face, and I looked into her eyes and said,
" Sister hereafter I give a word to you that I will come to college on time and leave the college on time. If you want I will write it on paper and sign it and give it to you."
Saying thus immediately I took my journal which used to be all ways with me in my hand, opened it on a empty paper, and wrote like this, I put a Heading like this--
"FOR THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR 1990--1991"
I, M. Leela vathi give you in word, that I will be in college by 9:30 am and leave the college by 4:30 pm.
I signed my name
I tore the paper then and there and gave it to her.
Even now I did not know who made me to do so, why and how I did like that in an instant, it was not contemplated thing, or premeditated thing to do. In an instant I did it, and it was it.
I do not know why my sweet Godly sister Principal smiled at me, taking that piece of paper from me , but said,
' But Miss they would say, that you are money minded."
"They may say anything Sister, but you know what I am"
She took the money , my remuneration from the drawer and gave it to me.
I thanked her, and took the money and came out of her room; and walked fast to reach the staff room in the same corridor, there I saw Suzan the same sweet girl , and Psychology Lecturer sitting and doing some work, as soon as she saw me she asked me, What happened Miss?" I told her, she immediately got up and closed the doors, and told me to sit for awhile and take rest and you can go after some time.
While we both praised God and praying, Sister Principal peeped into the room through the slightly opened door and smilingly said, " Miss, sorry I disturbed, I gave you those receipt papers by mistake along with the money, can you take those and give in the office please.?"
I briskly stood up and said, Yes sister"
She went away telling me that.
suzan said, "Miss I will take those papers and give in the office, you go home now."
I wonder how beautifully God had arranged everything for me, why Suzan was there? I do not know.
I went home as usual children wait for me on the last day of my paper correction, because every year I take them to a hotel to eat.
It was the month of May, I started to pray, I knew that the next year, if I am late even one minute to college, I will not be forgiven , the whole staff will devour me, especially Miss R who was very particular about this issue will take me to task. I could not be at rest, So I started to pray about this issue. Every day I was praying the Lord, to give me strength to face the next year college timings. I was asking Him to give me proper help to face this situation. My husband was working in the AEN Railway office, it was the 12th year, of his shuttling from Eluru to Vijayawada every day of the these 12 years. Some times the passanger train he boarded in used to be stopped at the boarders of vijayawada , ie., SinghNagar, and wait hours together to get clearance from the Station Master. Though he was going from at 6am he was not able to go to office and sign in the register at 9:30 am, sometimes there used to be red mark at his signature place, and it means he has to apply leave and work, because he could not come home for that half day leave. We were praying the Lord to get a transfer for him to Eluru since three years by then. but my husband used to tell me that his Boss is a briber, and he would not look into any application or file unless he is given bribe. So what we can do? We used to pray and wait even though there is no scope for the transfer within near future, We trusted in Him who could do impossible things to be possible.
When I came home after the college last working day, I started to pour my heart at His feet. " Lord now you know the staff in the college would devour me if go to college one minute late. Because I had given a word to them through the Principal every one will have an eye on me. Especailly Miss R is very particular about this, and she challenged me many times, saying that she too had principles by giving divorce to her husband because he took dowry. What shall I do Lord please help me , Please help me.. I was in prostrate condition infront of His feet and begging Him pouring my heart to help me. I do not know for what I am asking but I could not contain the burden in my heart anymore, I need to tell Him what had happened and how I was committed to , While I was praying, in that month I heard a voice in that front room, at Chelamayya house, a rented house.
" You were asking for a helper, previously I sent Fridge in the form a helper, now Your husband will be your help , and you will fulfill your commitment to college"
"My hsubiand? How it could be Lord?"
" He will get transfer"
The voice was so clear and in that instant I knew I heard His voice and His voice I can recognize.. immediately. as the sheep knew the voice of its shepherd.
Then I remembered the promise I got in 1984 in Vijayawada When I asked for a helper he sent Yesumani to stay with the children to Eluru, then in 1985 he sent the Fridge by telling me that its a form of helper for me, and now this is the third time God was telling me that He is going to send His helper in the form of my husband, by he getting a transfer to my place where I am working.
for just little step of faithfulness , by not giving the bribe my Father in Heaven was so kind to give me the blessings in abundant.
you will read the miracle story of that transfer..in next episode. Remember that our Lord is living God, He promises and fulfills in miraculous way.. if only we give Him time to do so. Wait in Him.
That morning while I was signing in the staff attendance register, one senior Lecturer, Miss M ( another one who did not marry because she oathed her life to the same idol as Miss L, we used to call her as Meerabai and L as Radha bhai.. though they worship the same idol there was fire in between them. They became enemies at certain time which we were not aware of the reasons.
So as usual when i saw her at the Register I just wished her as ' Good Morning Miss" She had a very shriek and loud voice, and still raising it further, she shouted and said,
" What Good morning, are you a beggar? Tell me if you are a beggar all of us share the money you owe to us to spend in Hyderabad office. We will give our money for your work. Tell me Are you a beggar?"----
I was shocked, this is a very unexpected thing that happened, as she was looking at me straight away demanding the answer from m;, I had to answer her;
'No Mam, I am not a beggar, I do not ask you to pay for me even, please do not send my papers to AG office, I will take care of those papers myself."
And she was shouting very loudly in the corridor, all the non teaching staff were bewildered and looking at us perplexed.
My husband was waiting for me at the gate on some errand, so immediately I ran to him and told him what has had happened and how I was called by names.
He looked into my eyes and told me,
" Do not get angry , I will go home and pray."
I said,, 'no hubby I am not angry, I just want to tell u this.'
He told me later, straight away he went home knelt down and prayed for me.
And I went back to take some answer sheets from our Vice principal and Controller of Examinations
Sr. Marietta P.
She said,' Miss, if you want to sit in my room and correct the papers You can sit here"
I was shaken in my heart by the way I was shouted at, so her offer was a shield to me to protect me from others insults.
That was the last day , and some attender came to give me some papers to sign, I asked her what were those papers, she told me, " miss all lecturers signed these papers, I was searching for you, I did not know you are here, "
I signed the papers as those were the receipts of the amount of money we would receive after we finished the valuation.She told me all other lecturers also signed already.
The next day I finished the valuation of the examination papers, and went to receive the remuneration at the Controller room, where the sr. M was giving money to the staff.
When I went there she asked me to sit in front of her , there was a table between her and me, and she said to me,
" Miss, You cannot get any remuneration this time"
I was literally shocked and said,"
" How come? I did my duty and finished my work. sister!?"
The staff insisted that your remuneration money should be given to them to use it as part of the bribe they have to give in AG office, Hyderabad "
I was fully shocked, but I spoke slowly and steadily, took a deep breath, and said;
"Sister How can you give my money? I have to sign on the receipt, is it not?"
"Sorry miss, to say like this, You remember that you already signed the receipt papers before, and Sr. Principal also told me to give your remuneration money to the staff."
I was taken aback , my whole being was trembling with agony and shock, I said,
" Sister.. I believe you just cannot give my remuneration to any one without my consent, You have given that bribe without my consent, I have no part in it."
The tears were rolling down on my cheeks..my voice was low and steady, I added my words, like this.
" Sister , you know that I resigned my job as Air hostess in Air India just because they asked me to put bottu( tikka) on my forehead, this ...this is not greater than that. I am so sad.."
I found myself shivering and tears were rolling down. I took leave from her and went into the hall where my friend Miss Swarnakamala was correcting her Zoology answer sheets. I went to her, and she asked me whether I got my remuneration. I said ,
"No", seeing my condition she made me to sit on a chair nearby her, and elicited the matter that happened in the Controller room, she said,
" Leela you look devasted, please sit , and have this hot tea, and she poured out from her flask and gave it to me. I was so hot and shivering,.. and drinking the tea, at that moment an attender came and told me,
" Miss , Sister Principal asked you to meet her now"
I got up from the seat in the middle of my drinking the cup of tea, and went into the Principal room. There she was Sr. Winifred, with the remuneration receipts in her hand.
She said, Miss. The staff asked me to take your remuneration and give it to them to meet the expenses in the office work."
I said, now I am calm and quiet , I did not know what made me, like that but I was not trembling any more, my voice was steady and firm I told her,
' Sister , you have taken my remuneration without my consent, I have no part in this bribe."I found my voice was shivering while I was saying so.
She was looking at me and said,
" See Miss, the staff is saying that "Where is your consious, when you happend to come to college a bit late or go from the college a bit earlier than the college hours? What answer you will give them?"
( All the staff, including me were not taken into task by our kind principal when we go to college a bit late, that is , college is 9:30am but if we do not have the first period class, the register was available to sign till 10am. And so is in the evening, if we do not had class in the last period, we can go home a half an hour before the college closes.. esp mothers like me with little children were not taken into task)
So this point of breach was taken into blaming me by my friends, to find the flaw in me and point out at me and tell me that I am not a good in keeping perfect disposition.
Though I never expected this accusation on me, I could answer her,
" Yes sister, I am late to college and go from college a bit earlier. I accept it, but...... it is only a mistake, I can rectify it, but giving bribe is a crime. I cannot do it"
She as looking at me straight, ( even now when I think back about that answer I gave to my dear principal I am still amazed and for that beautiful answer,
----yes, when we were taken in front of the Authoritarians, " But when they deliver you up take no thought how and what shall you speak but it shall be given in that same hour what ye shall speak"Matt 10 19
God, only God had given those words to me then. Also I did something very strange which I never thought to do so, or contemplated to do so.
She was looking straight into my face, and I looked into her eyes and said,
" Sister hereafter I give a word to you that I will come to college on time and leave the college on time. If you want I will write it on paper and sign it and give it to you."
Saying thus immediately I took my journal which used to be all ways with me in my hand, opened it on a empty paper, and wrote like this, I put a Heading like this--
"FOR THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR 1990--1991"
I, M. Leela vathi give you in word, that I will be in college by 9:30 am and leave the college by 4:30 pm.
I signed my name
I tore the paper then and there and gave it to her.
Even now I did not know who made me to do so, why and how I did like that in an instant, it was not contemplated thing, or premeditated thing to do. In an instant I did it, and it was it.
I do not know why my sweet Godly sister Principal smiled at me, taking that piece of paper from me , but said,
' But Miss they would say, that you are money minded."
"They may say anything Sister, but you know what I am"
She took the money , my remuneration from the drawer and gave it to me.
I thanked her, and took the money and came out of her room; and walked fast to reach the staff room in the same corridor, there I saw Suzan the same sweet girl , and Psychology Lecturer sitting and doing some work, as soon as she saw me she asked me, What happened Miss?" I told her, she immediately got up and closed the doors, and told me to sit for awhile and take rest and you can go after some time.
While we both praised God and praying, Sister Principal peeped into the room through the slightly opened door and smilingly said, " Miss, sorry I disturbed, I gave you those receipt papers by mistake along with the money, can you take those and give in the office please.?"
I briskly stood up and said, Yes sister"
She went away telling me that.
suzan said, "Miss I will take those papers and give in the office, you go home now."
I wonder how beautifully God had arranged everything for me, why Suzan was there? I do not know.
I went home as usual children wait for me on the last day of my paper correction, because every year I take them to a hotel to eat.
It was the month of May, I started to pray, I knew that the next year, if I am late even one minute to college, I will not be forgiven , the whole staff will devour me, especially Miss R who was very particular about this issue will take me to task. I could not be at rest, So I started to pray about this issue. Every day I was praying the Lord, to give me strength to face the next year college timings. I was asking Him to give me proper help to face this situation. My husband was working in the AEN Railway office, it was the 12th year, of his shuttling from Eluru to Vijayawada every day of the these 12 years. Some times the passanger train he boarded in used to be stopped at the boarders of vijayawada , ie., SinghNagar, and wait hours together to get clearance from the Station Master. Though he was going from at 6am he was not able to go to office and sign in the register at 9:30 am, sometimes there used to be red mark at his signature place, and it means he has to apply leave and work, because he could not come home for that half day leave. We were praying the Lord to get a transfer for him to Eluru since three years by then. but my husband used to tell me that his Boss is a briber, and he would not look into any application or file unless he is given bribe. So what we can do? We used to pray and wait even though there is no scope for the transfer within near future, We trusted in Him who could do impossible things to be possible.
When I came home after the college last working day, I started to pour my heart at His feet. " Lord now you know the staff in the college would devour me if go to college one minute late. Because I had given a word to them through the Principal every one will have an eye on me. Especailly Miss R is very particular about this, and she challenged me many times, saying that she too had principles by giving divorce to her husband because he took dowry. What shall I do Lord please help me , Please help me.. I was in prostrate condition infront of His feet and begging Him pouring my heart to help me. I do not know for what I am asking but I could not contain the burden in my heart anymore, I need to tell Him what had happened and how I was committed to , While I was praying, in that month I heard a voice in that front room, at Chelamayya house, a rented house.
" You were asking for a helper, previously I sent Fridge in the form a helper, now Your husband will be your help , and you will fulfill your commitment to college"
"My hsubiand? How it could be Lord?"
" He will get transfer"
The voice was so clear and in that instant I knew I heard His voice and His voice I can recognize.. immediately. as the sheep knew the voice of its shepherd.
Then I remembered the promise I got in 1984 in Vijayawada When I asked for a helper he sent Yesumani to stay with the children to Eluru, then in 1985 he sent the Fridge by telling me that its a form of helper for me, and now this is the third time God was telling me that He is going to send His helper in the form of my husband, by he getting a transfer to my place where I am working.
for just little step of faithfulness , by not giving the bribe my Father in Heaven was so kind to give me the blessings in abundant.
you will read the miracle story of that transfer..in next episode. Remember that our Lord is living God, He promises and fulfills in miraculous way.. if only we give Him time to do so. Wait in Him.
