Bindu Udagedara had just returned from school. He looked worried. "Thaaththa", he told his father Percy. "I want to resign..."
"Resign?" Percy asked," from what?"
"As Vice Captain of the cricket team..."
"But why? You know how difficult it was to get there..."
"But, thaaththa, we lost one match in Kandy last week..."
"But why should you resign because of that?"
"You see, thaaththa, this match was a very important one. Everybody knew the other team was strong and that they would want to beat us in Kandy..."
"And then?"
"And yet we lost this match, after such a long time in the history of our school..."
"Then what happened?"
"The Old Boys who value the traditions of the school called it a disgrace..."
"But why should you take the blame?"
"They say I didn't play well. And some boys who couldn't get into the team staged a protest at school today, demanding my resignation..."
"But will it help the team if you resign?" Percy wanted to know. " "I know about that" Bindu said, "but it will help me..."
"How can that help you?" Percy was puzzled.
"You see, thaaththa, now everyone is blaming me for losing this match, but it will be very different if I resign..."
"How?"
"Because we have lost many matches in the past but no one has resigned. So, if I resign I become a hero..."
"But you wouldn't become vice-captain again..." Percy argued.
"No, I will" Bindu retorted.
"How is that?" Percy was more puzzled now.
"After I resign, I will get a few friends to carry posters and stage a protest in school asking the Captain not to accept my resignation..."
"How can you be sure they will do that for you?" "I'll buy them a lunch packet and they will do anything..."
"What about the Captain?" Percy asked.
"Oh, the Captain knows all about the plan. Why, it is good for the Captain also because, if not for me all the blame will be on the Captain..."
"So the Captain knows that this 'resignation' is only a trick?"
"Yes, then, after my friends stage the protest at school, the old boys will also have no choice but to ask me to reconsider my resignation..."
"But what about those boys who staged protests against you demanding your resignation?"
"They can't say anything then, can they? When they were in the team they also lost many matches, but none of them resigned..."
"But" Percy argued, "What happens if the Captain appoints someone else?" "Ah" Bindu laughed," the truth, thaaththa, is that there is no one else for the job. In fact, after I resign and become a hero, my reputation will be so high that I will be the automatic choice to be the next Captain..."
"Bindu" Percy asked, "have you thought about the other team that beat you?"
"Why?" Bindu asked, "What about them?"
"Won't they be laughing at you, Bindu? They have beaten you in the past, they beat you last week. And, every time they beat you, you start arguing among yourselves and demanding each other's resignation, instead of getting together to beat them..."
"That's the way it has been for the past fifty years thaaththa," Bindu conceded.
"And" Percy said sadly, "I suppose that's the way it will be for the next fifty years..."
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