Children's Story - 5

Tommy the Robot

The robot was a surprise gift to Kala from her pen-friend.  Kala had told all her friends about this gift, and everybody was waiting to see her robot.  Each one had an expectation.  Chandu wanted a robot that would play chess with him.  To Mini, the robot should be the best story teller.  Suresh had told Kala that he would take the robot for a walk everyday.  Shiela’s dreams were simple, and domestic.  She wanted the robot to help her mother in cooking.  Kala knew that with her robot, she would be the much wanted girl in her school.  Her expectations were practical and slightly mischievous.  She wanted the robot to do her home work and bully those teachers who punished her.

Kala was busy feeding the commands and teaching new things to the robot.  She wanted it to be helpful to her and to her friends.  It was Shiela who came running first to Kala. 

            “Is your robot ready?  My mother is not well.  I want to take the robot to our kitchen.”

            “I am sorry. Tommy is doing my homework now,” replied Kala.

            “So you have named him Tommy” asked Shiela.

            “Tommy, do you  know who has come? – this was Kala.

            “Please don’t disturb me.  I am doing serious work,” – this was the voice of Tommy.

Tommy became the hero of the locality. Kala’s homework was neat and complete.  The teachers started wondering how Kala could attain perfection.

Mini was telling everybody that Tom was a good story-teller.  Chandu in fact did not enjoy playing chess with Tommy as Tommy was always the winner.  To Suresh, Tommy was a proud companion every evening when he went for a walk.

In the evening children would come running to Kala’s house, and Tommy would have a chat with them holding their hands.  The children checked the answers for their Mathematics homework.

In the school’s science exhibition, Tommy was the star attraction.  Chandu had taught him the nicknames of all the teachers.  When Tommy squeaked those nicknames all the children laughed.  His pranks were learnt immediately by all the children.  Tommy enjoyed playing in the school field.  Flying kites was his passion.

One evening Shiela came running to Kala’s house.  When she called Kala, there was no response either from Kala or from Tommy.  “Where can she be?” thought Shiela.  To her surprise, she found Tommy in deep sleep and Kala was missing.  Shiela did not know the command to wake Tommy up.

Shiela suspected that Kala was kidnapped.  Suresh was the only person who knew a bit of command to be given to Tommy.  Shiela went running to Suresh.  He collected all the friends and rushed to the house of Kala.  Using a a command, he woke Tommy up.

            “Where is Kala?” everyone asked.

As from a doze Tommy shouted,

            “Kala is kidnapped … kidnapped”. Kala’s friends didn’t know what to do.  They had no time to wait for Kala’s parents. Suresh gave another command to Tommy when Chandu ran up to police.  Tommy was seen making some calculations.  He informed Suresh that Kala was moving towards the next town by road.

The police jeep with Inspector Ram reached Kala’s house.

Children said,

“Inspector Uncle, Kala is on her way to the next town.  The kidnappers are taking her by road.”

 “How do you know?” asked Inspector Ram.

“That’s what Tommy has said,” was the reply.

“Tommy the robot! Where’s he?” asked the Inspector.  Tommy came there saluting,

“Good morning, Sir.”  The Inspector was surprised.

Inspector Ram put Tommy  in the jeep and Chandu also got into the jeep.  The jeep started moving fast.  It was Tommy who was all the time giving  the direction.  To Chandu and Suresh, it was like a real thriller.

They at last spotted a van and the jeep managed to overtake it after a long chase.  Quick was the action of Inspector Ram.  The three kidnappers wee arrested and Kala was rescued.

In another hour, they were back in Kala’s house. The anxious parents hugged Kala, and thanked Inspector Ram.

            “You have to thank Tommy and not me,” said Inspector Ram.

“Welcome, welcome” said Tommy.