Watchman Nicodin

Tea estates are a talent pool for sports , I say it with assertion due to my enriching experience of a life in tea. The young tribal youth are excellent footballers, born runners and supreme archers . 

Inter estate football tournaments were an annual fixture. Friendly matches between the management and workers always helped in fostering better work environment. The girls had their own soccer teams and played as well as the boys. A girl from our bungalow complement was a talented centre forward herself. If only authorities knew where to look for talent. 

Our postings in the estates brought home to us the reality of sheer tribal strength, so also their simplicity. Their courage and loyalty remain distinctive of their character. A veteran tea planter was heard saying , " If they like you, they can cut their heads off for you and if they don't, you can be on the receiving end!" 

Yet, they have a unique sense of humour and the estates abound with instances of such hilarity. 

During one of our postings in a picturesque estate in the Dooars, the deputation of a new watchman in the Manager's bungalow, created a bit of a buzz among our bungalow staff. For starters, we found his name , Nicodin, interesting. So, watchman Nicodin was a tall man in his forties probably. His legs began where his chest ended and his vision was more aerial than anyone else's in the estate. A brick red, fitted pullover, deep brown trousers and worn out black, slightly undersized sandals; this was the ensemble I remember him in. 

Anyway, the reason why Nicodin aroused interest and curiosity among his peers could be attributed to the fact that he was the only man in the estate who could shoot three arrows at time! His skill in archery was put to test and soon, we found the act a source of great entertainment too. Often, acts of imitation ended in embarrassment with one arrow shooting out while the other two failing to escape the bow strings! Thus, Nicodin earned a place of pride for himself. 

I remember how we learnt archery or at least tried to, when the bungalow staff made bows and harmless arrows for us. My sister and I would spend some afternoons practicing archery in our lawns . 

In all these years, I am yet to come across an archer as unique as Watchman Nicodin, the man who shot three arrows at a time, and guarded us while we slept peacefully on our king sized beds .