Siya finally released the book, The Adventures of Birbal and Akbar that was previously clutched to her chest and started to skim the pages underneath her school desk, waiting for class to begin. The inscription in her book read:

 

Dear Siya Satya, Truth. As Birbal finds truth in his quests, may you have courage to do the same! Love you always, Dad

 

As Siya hid her book underneath her book bag, she questioned the inscription. Yes..her parents gave her the middle name "Satya" which meant "truth" in Sanskrit, but she knew she wasn't a truth-seeker or an adventurer like the Indian fictional hero Birbal. She did not want to probe or stand out. At her school, she was different enough just by being Indian!

 

It was Career Week in her homeroom class and Siya watched with admiration every day as parents came to class and taught the kids about their professions. Jaime's mother had helped deliver a baby! Ella's father had directed a pampers commercial! In their suits and doctors' coats, they all looked so glamorous as they presented.

 

"Siya," the teacher had asked. "What kind of job do your parents have?".

 

"My mom cares for me at home and dad works at an office. And I don't know if he could come," Siya softly replied.

 

"What does your Dad do in the office?"

 

"I don't know." Siya replied. Siya's ears turned hot. Were the other fourth graders staring at her? Did others think it was odd that she didn't know what her father's job was?

 

After school, Siya walked out to the car pick up lot feeling different. Something was nagging her. As Birbal finds truth in his quests, may you have courage to do the same!

 

Her father was waiting for her smiling broadly as always. Siya looked like her father. She had the same narrow eyes and large forehead and a big wide smile that took up almost half of his face. On the odd days of the week that her dad picked her up, they would go out to Frankie's for a falafel sandwich and banana milkshake. It wasn't necessarily her favorite food, but she loved the comfort of having this routine with him. As Siya slipped into the car's back seat, she noticed something odd that she never picked up on before. After seeing all the parents presenters impeccably dressed during Career Week, she started to turn her attention to her dad's clothing. He was dressed in a brown tweed jacket, blue crisp shirt and brown pants that flared a bit at the ankle. The tweed jacket was a staple item he wore every day, but his pressed shirts would change daily between a white, blue and olive-green shirt. He always carried a brown leather suitcase that had gold-plated fastening clips on the top and made a sharp "click, click" sound every time it opened and closed.

 

As they sat down with their falafel pitas, she thought she would go ahead and ask.

"Hey Dad?".

 

Yes," he said setting down across from her.

 

"What do you do in your office? What company do you work for?".

 

"I work at the Tomka Toy office...and you know, do office things".

 

"Yeah, but...".

He cut her off. "Ok chaku let's finish fast so I can drop you off at Ms. Anna's place for math."

----

 

At dinner that evening, Siya could barely eat. She kept glancing up at her dad seeing the reflection of herself in so many ways physically. He would smile back at her, but she could sense a strain in his voice and smile. After dinner, Siya was passing the hallway entrance to head to her room when she noticed her Dad's brown briefcase.

 

Would he notice if I open it and could I close it without him knowing?" she wondered. Truth-seeker, right?

 

She anxiously looked around and then quickly stowed away in the closet with the briefcase. As she heard the familiar "click, click" of the latches coming undone, she opened the briefcase. She was not expecting what she found. Inside the briefcase were not papers but an olive green neatly pressed jumpsuit with the inscription on the right lapel "Murphy".

 

Murphy?

 

Her father's name was Murthy so she knew this was not his jumpsuit.

She quickly returned the jumpsuit to the briefcase.

--

Before she went to bed, Siya's father stood at the entrance and with a faint smile asked if they could talk. He sat next to her on her bed and then showed her his hands. He turned them back and forth and then put her hands in his and clasped them hard.

 

"These hands are hands which do not type at computers chaku" he whispered. "These hands clean floors and collect trash and shovel snow". She must have had a quizzical look on her face because he let out a deep sigh and clasped her hands tighter.

 

"I DO work for the Tomka Toy Company but I work in their office...as a janitor".

 

Siya let out a small gasp without realizing it. A janitor? Siya felt as if she had been struck with a lightning bolt. After the shock subsided, Siya felt the tears streaming down.

 

"Dad. I'm so upset!". Siya bawled. "Why did you tell me you worked in an office?!?". Siya felt betrayed and ashamed at the same time.

 

"Chaku, there is nothing wrong with being a janitor. It's good work and it's what keeps food on our table. Plenty of good honest people do the important work that gets overlooked. But yes, I didn't want to tell you because this was never my expectation." He then unclasped their hands and softened his posture.

 

"You were born in Calcutta, as you know. We had a good life in Calcutta. I had a very high appointment with the federal government as a geologist. I earned my PhD and your mom had a finance degree. I was given an opportunity to move to the United States on a professional visa

thinking I would be offered a full-time job, but that job never happened. You were five years old. When we moved into your uncle's home, I had to start all over in my career because this country did not recognize my PhD. Your mother and I first worked at the Tomka toy factory in the assembly line, but they paid us very little money. The assembly manager would yell at us because we didn't understand him well. Mom decided to quit, and I applied for an opening as a janitor at the Tomka corporate office next door."

 

"I have been with the company now for three years and I am not yet where I want to be". His voice trailed off at that point.

 

Siya suddenly remembered the jumpsuit. "Is that your jumpsuit in the briefcase...the one that says `Murphy'?". Her father looked at her surprised. His face then softened. "Yes. No one ever could remember the proper pronunciation of my name, so they would call me Murphy instead. I stopped correcting people and I just figured I would be "Murphy" at work. I would change out of my uniform at work and then pick you up, but I never had time to wash up. Frankie and I became friends over time and he always allowed me to clean up in his staff washroom at the restaurant while you ate your falafel." He chuckled embarrassingly.

 

Siya didn't want to be angry but she was. She was always lectured to tell the truth above all else. The hypocrisy of it all! Yes, she was mad. She was embarrassed. She felt bad about herself that she was mad at the person she loved the most... her father.

 

As she chose to be mad, her father quietly left the room. As Siya sobbed feeling sorry for herself, she caught the sight of The Adventures of Birbal and Akbar. The chapter she opened up to described King Akbar's fury as he discovered that Birbal, his faithful subject and advisor, had been lying to him. Upon discovering his lies, King Akbar banishes Birbal from his kingdom only later allowing him to return recognizing his true intentions. The story gave Siya comfort. But she couldn't decide who she was. Akbar or Birbal. As she contemplated the story, she looked up and saw her father at the doorway...smiling as usual. But this time with a questioning look.

 

Standing by the doorway, he opened his arms. Siya ran in for the hug of her life.