It was in 1996 that I became a transformed man. From notorious, I turned to the path of service. But I had no idea when I began that a toothless smile would change my life. Three years after I started out, I got news on my pager that a baby had been left near a gutter. I rushed there and found a girl, only a year and a half with a couple of teeth just beginning to appear. I had only taken care of the old and ailing till then, and here was this child. Her clothes were old and torn, her left eye was so swollen it could not be closed, and her skin was covered by an infection. She was wailing. There were people all around her but no one had stepped forward to help. I borrowed an old sari, wrapped her around me and started the bike. A little while later, I realised that there was no noise from her. I stopped and peeped into the sling. I saw a smile – a toothless smile of pure joy. In that moment, we had a soul connect. I named her Gracy.
I took Gracy home, cleaned her and bathed her. She used to sleep next to me in bed and I’d spend nights waking up to clean her mess. Unfortunately the tumour in her eye kept growing and the doctors had to remove her eye. She ended up losing half the sight in her remaining eye as well. I tried to find her family, but to no avail. Those days I was not getting funded but I knew I would keep her no matter what.
I already was married with two kids and my wife was not happy with how much attention this child was getting. She wouldn’t come near Gracy and even accused me of having an affair and that the child was an illegitimate one. We used to have big fights but I never gave up on Gracy. After a few years though, she came around and succumbed to the girl’s charm. Today, they are best friends and gossip for hours on end!
Even till the time she was three, her legs remained thin and weak. She could not walk. She’d cling on to my leg as I walked and revel in the ride! I decided I would make sure she walked. Her first steps were with me, standing on my feet as I walked. Her first word was ‘Dada,’ unlike other kids who say ‘Ma’.
My children often say I never gave them as much love as I gave Gracy. My children had their mother’s love, but Gracy had only me. I showered her with extra attention. Like every parent, I am worried about her future. She studied only till Class 9 in the Kannada medium government school and is not very good with reading and writing. Today, this child takes care of sixty other children at my NGO. She is mischievous and tough, yet sensitive and gentle. Like every father and daughter, we have our share of ups and downs but she ensures that we resolve the issues the same day. I am proud of how she has
turned out. I cannot imagine a life without her.
I never legally adopted Grace. A piece of paper cannot define love. Being a real parent lies in the heart, not the DNA. Grace is a child of my own heart.
