I did not have breakfast and started to office. I usually take a route that is not with much traffic. On the way, I usually find people selling tender coconuts on bicycles and today also I saw one person selling tender coconuts and stopped by his side to get one. I parked my bike in side-stand as I knew it would take only a few minutes to drink the coconut water and start form there. So the bike was parked slanting a little.
I pointed to a larger coconut in his bicycle and asked the coconut seller to give me that coconut. He told it would cost me 12 rupees. I asked him the reason for the increase by 2 rupees and he told me it was because the coconut was larger. I did not want to argue with him and I just expressed my dissatisfaction about the price and asked him to give that same coconut.
There was a small boy who was standing next to me and watching me getting the coconut and drinking the water. After drinking the coconut water, I gave the coconut seller, the shell, to break it for me to eat the coconut inisde. I saw this boy watching me for a long time and I thought he would want a coconut and asked him whether he wanted to drink one. He shook his head in a way meaning he did not want.
I did not ask the boy out of generosity. I asked him because, I have heard people saying 'If you make a person watch while you are eating, you will get stomach ache'. So I did not want any stomach aches :) . Through this I just wanted to inform God, that I was not the one who is not giving the coconut to the boy, but it was the boy himself who declined the offer I made, so that God would not give me any stomach aches.
While I was eating the coconut, the coconut seller asked me to give him the money so that he need not wait for me and he could go on with his job. I was having the cocnut shell in my hand and I was searching a place to keep it. I could not keep it on my bike seat for it was slanting. So I just pushed down the helmet lock that was fit to the seat handle in the back, and tried to keep it next to it so that the lock would save it from falling down.
I could not fit the shell in the available place even though i tried the same for two three times. Then the seller suggested me to pull the lock upwards and keep the shell under the lock. I had a doubt whether that will work but tried it and it worked. So after keeping the shell there, I took out my hand kerchief to wipe my hand to take out my purse.
By the time I took out my kerchief, the coconut seller sarcastically smiled and said, "Abhi thoda dimaag bhi kaam karna padega sir!!" ("Now your brain also should work a little sir!!" - for those who can't understand this Hindi statement). After he told this, I was looking at him and looking at myself. I was wondering how this could have happened. A person who (looks like) does not even know how a school campus would look like, is advising a person who had 14 years of education in school from K.G , 4 years of PROFESSIONAL education in an engineering college, and a few years of job in a software company, to use his brain. I could not tell anything in reply and I was laughing inside, thinking about the funny part of the incident.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
My Son Died
I met the doctor and was waiting for my test reports to come. There was an old lady in her early 60s lying on a bench in the clinic. She was obviously moaning of some pain. My mom was sitting next to me in a chair. The old lady some how managed to get up and sit, with some difficulty. She looked at me and asked me the time. I told her the time and she told that she wanted to catch the bus that goes to her place, on time.
She then told why she was there to meet the doctor. She was stung by a scorpion on her right toe, and after taking some first aid, she had gone to a local doctor in her place. He had given her some tablet which was not doing its job on her. So she had come down to meet this doctor. Seeing her condition, my mom asked her why did she come alone. Her face turned sadder than before and she started to tell her story, fixing her eyes on the floor.
"I have 3 sons. They were caring for me a bit before their marriage and after their marriage, i have become worthless to them. The first two sons don't even remember or don't even want to remember that their mother is still alive. My last son is the one who was affectionate with me and my bad luck he passed away recently, leaving his wife and one year old son. I asked 200 Rupees from my sons for the treatment and for that they were fighting with each other to make the other give the money. Finally each of them were kind enough to give me some money which when put together came up to 180 Rupees. Still 20 Rupees short of what I asked for my TREATMENT.".
Telling this, she almost broke down to tears, and looked at my mother and asked, "Now you tell me which of them should I have taken with me?". I felt very sorry for the lady and I was extremely angry over her sons. She then continued, "The doctor has prescribed medicines for 4 days and I have money only to buy for 2 days. Now I have remaining 10 Rupees for the bus to go to my place." Saying this, she managed to get up and walked out of the clinic with great difficulty. After she left I told my mom that she could have given the old lady some money so that she could have had food outside. My mom told that she also felt the same but then the lady was already out of the clinic. I guessed that the lady could not have walked too far so I went outside to find her if possible, and give her some money.
Luckily she was sitting outside the clinic, so I rushed back in and told my mom that she is outside the clinic and asked my mom to give her some money. My mom went out and found her sitting on a stone outside and handed her some money. She took the money.
When my mom was about to turn and get back in to the clinic, the old lady sighed and said, "Hmmmmm...... I too was helping others like this and MY SON DIED!!" I could not stop laughing at those words but my mom's face turned angry and she immediately came into the clinic as she was very sentimental. She was telling me later that she will not be helping any one in her life hence forth. :)
She then told why she was there to meet the doctor. She was stung by a scorpion on her right toe, and after taking some first aid, she had gone to a local doctor in her place. He had given her some tablet which was not doing its job on her. So she had come down to meet this doctor. Seeing her condition, my mom asked her why did she come alone. Her face turned sadder than before and she started to tell her story, fixing her eyes on the floor.
"I have 3 sons. They were caring for me a bit before their marriage and after their marriage, i have become worthless to them. The first two sons don't even remember or don't even want to remember that their mother is still alive. My last son is the one who was affectionate with me and my bad luck he passed away recently, leaving his wife and one year old son. I asked 200 Rupees from my sons for the treatment and for that they were fighting with each other to make the other give the money. Finally each of them were kind enough to give me some money which when put together came up to 180 Rupees. Still 20 Rupees short of what I asked for my TREATMENT.".
Telling this, she almost broke down to tears, and looked at my mother and asked, "Now you tell me which of them should I have taken with me?". I felt very sorry for the lady and I was extremely angry over her sons. She then continued, "The doctor has prescribed medicines for 4 days and I have money only to buy for 2 days. Now I have remaining 10 Rupees for the bus to go to my place." Saying this, she managed to get up and walked out of the clinic with great difficulty. After she left I told my mom that she could have given the old lady some money so that she could have had food outside. My mom told that she also felt the same but then the lady was already out of the clinic. I guessed that the lady could not have walked too far so I went outside to find her if possible, and give her some money.
Luckily she was sitting outside the clinic, so I rushed back in and told my mom that she is outside the clinic and asked my mom to give her some money. My mom went out and found her sitting on a stone outside and handed her some money. She took the money.
When my mom was about to turn and get back in to the clinic, the old lady sighed and said, "Hmmmmm...... I too was helping others like this and MY SON DIED!!" I could not stop laughing at those words but my mom's face turned angry and she immediately came into the clinic as she was very sentimental. She was telling me later that she will not be helping any one in her life hence forth. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)