MADAM RIDES THE BUS (First Flight)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vallikannan is the pseudonym of R.S. Krishnasamy (12 November 1920 – 9 November 2006), a Tamil, writer, journalist, critic, and translator from Tamil Nadu, India. He wrote a total of 75 books in his life - novels, novellas, poetry collections, plays and essay anthologies. In 1978, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for his critical work on modern Tamil poetry Pudukavithaiyin Thottramum Valarchiyum (lit. The birth and growth of Modern Tamil Poetry). 

1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside. There were no playmates of her own age on her street, and this was about all she had to do.
2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back. The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. She had a strong desire of riding the bus at least once.
3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?

The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. This meant that she could take the one-o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back home by about two forty-five These are the details which Valli found out about the bus journey. 

Over many days and months Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus, and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way . 

4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
On and on went her thoughts as she calculated and recalculated, planned and replanned. Valli decided to ride the bus definitely one day.
5. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?

The conductor called her madam because her behaviour was too matured for a young girl of eight. Moreover a girl of eight normally does not travel alone. 

6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now? 

Valli devoured everything in the bus with her eyes. But when she started to look outside, she found her view cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind. 

The bus was going along the bank of a canal. The road was very narrow. On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields as far as the eye could see. That was all so wonderful for Valli. 

7. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Sitting down, she looked to see who had spoken. It was an elderly man who had honestly been concerned for her, but she was annoyed by his attention. She told the old man that she was not a child. She has also paid thirty paise the full fare for the trip as an adult does.
8. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive because she had big holes in her ear lobes, and such ugly earrings in them! And she could smell the betel nut the woman was chewing and see the betel juice that was threatening to spill over her lips at any moment. Moreover the woman was more curious about knowing the whereabouts of the girl. 

9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her? 

She had thriftily saved whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like, and finally she had saved a total of sixty paise. It was not easy for her to resist her temptations. Particularly that day at the village fair, but she had resolutely stifled a strong desire to ride the merry- go-round. even though she had the money. 

10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Suddenly Valli saw a young cow, tail high in the air, was running very fast, right in the middle of the road, right in front of the bus. The bus slowed to a crawl, and the driver sounded his horn loudly again and again. But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and the faster it galloped just right in front of the bus. Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.
11. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?

The bus reached the bus station and Valli was amazed to see a busy, well-laid-out shopping street and, turning, entered a wider thoroughfare. Such big, bright-looking shops she has never seen in her village. Glittering displays of clothes and other merchandise and big crowds was very new to her. Dumb struck with wonder Valli gaped at everything. But she decided not to get down because she was too scared on seeing the crowd, she had the fear of getting lost. 

12. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her? 

Valli did not want to go the stall to have a drink because she was not having enough money for the drink. She did not even accept the offer made by the conductor she maintained her self- dignity although she was small she knew that she must not spend anything more than her pocket allows and was very firm in refusing anything offered free to her. This shows her wisdom and strong mindedness. 

13. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?

On the way back home suddenly she saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside, just where it had been struck by some fast-moving vehicle. That was the same cow that ran in front of the bus on her trip while coming to the town. The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted her, dampening her enthusiasm. She no longer wanted to look out the window. 

14. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”

Valli’s mother said that many things happen around us, but we are usually unaware of them. Valli had gone on a bus ride to town, all alone, and had come back without any harm. She did all this without the knowledge of her mother. Hence, she agreed with what her mother said. 

15. Character sketch of Valli.

Valli (Valiyammai) is a very intelligent, sensitive, clever, self-respecting, fast-forward and courageous girl. She is only eight years old but looks more mature than her age. She has curiosity about things. She meticulously planned her ride on the bus. She exercised caution during her bus ride while talking to the co-passengers. She displayed a quality of firmness and was never mislead or carried away by anything that came across her way.

Click for the Poem included in Unit 9 of First Flight