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Tamil· 1 min read· Memory from 2002

Stealing case of Pigeons

A memory shared by Selvatheva Shelton · Mannar, Sri Lanka

Set around 2002-2003, this animated true story recalls a wildly chaotic and humorous incident among a group of teenage friends preparing for their A-Level exams. The narrator and his large group of friends used to spend almost all their time together at a vacant house, watching cricket and hanging out. One day, while planning a party, they realized they didn't have any meat for the meal. Without thinking it through, the narrator and another friend decided to secretly catch a chicken from the backyard of one of the boys in their own friend group—who was completely unaware of the plan.

Things took a hilarious turn when, in the darkness, they accidentally stole a bag full of pigeons instead of chickens. Some of the pigeons were of a rare breed, so instead of cooking them, they decided to give the best ones to another friend to raise and cooked the rest. During the daytime party, as they were eating, someone casually complimented the "pigeon bones," causing the friend whose house was robbed to instantly realize what had happened. This led to a frantic series of cover-ups, including swapping the stolen birds with fake ones, the involvement of a friendly local police officer, and an accidental arrest of one of the boys' fathers. Eventually, to resolve the escalating mess, the boys had to travel 20 kilometers to retrieve the original pigeons, returning them along with ten extra birds as an apology. The narrator concludes with a valuable life lesson: if you make a mistake, it is always better to admit it and resolve it immediately rather than trying to cover it up and making the situation worse.

Selvatheva Shelton

Mannar, Sri Lanka

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