Wallet

[Guest guest]

A ticket collector in a train found an old worn out wallet in a

compartment full of people. He looked inside to find the name of its

owner. There was no clue. All that there was in it was some money

and a picture of Krishna.

 

He held it up and asked, 'Who does this wallet belong to?' An old man

said, 'That's my wallet, Sir, please give it to me.'The ticket

collector said, 'You'll have to prove that it is yours. Only then I

can hand it over to you.'The old man, with a toothless smile,

said. 'It has a picture of Krishna in it.' The ticket collector said,

'That is no proof; anyone can have a picture of Krishna in his wallet. What is

special about that? Why is your picture not there in it like most normal people?

'The old man took a deep breath and said, 'Let me tell you why my picture is not

there in it. My father gave this wallet to me when I was in school. I used to

get a small sum as pocket money then. I had kept a picture of my parents in it.

When I was a teenager I was greatly enamoured by my good looks. I removed my

parent's picture and put in one of my own. I loved to see my own face and my

thick black hair. Some years later, I got married. My wife was very beautiful

and I loved her a lot. I replaced my picture in this wallet with a picture of

her. I spent hours gazing at her pretty face. When my first child was born, my

life started a new chapter. I shortened my working hours to play with my baby. I

went late to work and returned home early too. Obviously, my baby's picture

occupied the prized

position in my wallet. 'The old man's eyes brimmed with tears as he

went on. 'My parents passed away many years ago. Last year my wife too

left her mortal coil. My son, my only son, is too busy with his

family. He has no time to look after me. All that I had ever held

close to my heart is now far, far away from my reach. Now I have put

this picture of Krishna in my wallet. It is only now that I have

realised that he is the eternal companion. He will never leave me.

Alas! If only I had realised this before. If only I had loved the Lord

all these years, with the same intensity as I loved my family, I would

not have been so lonely today!'The ticket collector quietly gave the

wallet to the old man. When the train stopped at the next station, he

went to a bookstall at the platform and asked the salesman, 'Do you

have any pictures of God? I need a small one to put in my wallet!'