The young man's impulse

“Vasu, please hurry to the hospital.The blood bank wants six units of blood that your grandpa would need for his heart surgery.There was a call last evening.Find out whether any of your friends are willing to donate.I will be going to hospital after the chores in the house.Do not wait for me” his mother was loudly telling from the kitchen
Vasu knew she was very much tensed about her dad’s health.Grandpa is staying with them after grandma’s demise a few years ago.A disciplinarian with traditional values grand pa was generally critical of Vasu’s carefree and leisurely ways.Vasu liked to sleep on holidays till 10 am but grand pa would come from 7 am to his room and make noise to wake him up.He believed in the dictum ‘Lie with the lamb and rise with the lark’ and in early morning baths while Vasu took his bath in the later afternoons after lunch on holidays.Nothing that he did was acceptable to his grand pa.There were constant clashes when mom would intervene and tell her dad to leave the young Vasu alone.As far as possible Vasu kept away from grand pa though he could not stop him from coming to him.
When Vasu reached the hospital, he saw in grandpa’s cabin his uncle talking to the chief cardiologist.He waited till the doctor left. It transpired that on second thoughts the doctor would not recommend surgery keeping in mind the latest reports showing some new development in his health and would instead try just medication for some months.
His uncle told Vasu “I do not see the need for blood.You may go to blood bank and cancel your appointment for their drawing your blood.You may come here thereafter and relieve me so I could go home.”
When Vasu went to the blood bank and had the appointment cancelled, he saw an old lady in conversation with the nurse in charge.She did not look affluent and appeared drawn from lower middle class.The nurse said “Your husband would need minimum eight units of blood.His blood group is also not the common variety.Kindly arrange to bring some donors.Otherwise you may have to buy the blood and this may be costlier than others.”’
I have only a daughter who herself is not well off.I do not know anyone who would be willing to give blood.I asked some of my neighbours .They are reluctant I think though they are not refusing openly.I really do not know where to go for help” she started sobbing.
Vasu who has never experienced any difficulty in life was moved at the pitiable plight of the old woman.He went on an impulse to her and said “Patti (grandma), do not worry.I will give my blood right now. I came to give my blood for my grand pa.What if, if the blood is not for him but for another grandpa?”
He asked the nurse to draw the blood.To her surprise Vasu’s blood group matched the old man’s unusual group.After the formalities and blood was drawn he took leave of them.He rushed to his uncle but did not tell him why he was held up.
The story did not end there.The next day the same elderly nurse at the blood bank was surprised to see in the morning Vasu standing before her with seven friends of his and asking her to draw blood from them on the account of the old lady for whom he had given blood the previous day.All the youngsters in fine health were beaming with smile at the new experience of donating their blood.
She said” I have seen people bringing relatives and friends to donate blood for their relatives who are patients.This is the first time I see a young man bringing with him a gang of his friends to give blood for someone whom he does not know, whom he has not seen and whom he may not see.I am so happy with you.Your mom is indeed blessed to have a son like you.I will tell the old lady when she comes here.You have wiped the tears off her eyes.”
"The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all"