Who would choose to miss an opportunity to meet an old friend? When one of my friends invited me to his family function, I immediately decided to attend. My plan was to attend the function and then head straight to work. There is a special feeling in meeting friends after a long time. Even though our time together was brief, it was enough to bring back old memories and it made the present a pleasant one. It was morning 8 O’clock and as I walked towards the bus stop, I noticed a bus that I could catch if I sprinted a few meters. My flip-flop thought differently, smiled through the thong that had come off, and ordered me to walk slowly.
No worries. I knew what to do - find a shoe repair shop and get it fixed temporarily. I walked for 100 meters on either side but to no avail. A thought about my schooldays’ “Hawai” chappals flashed, those that I could put the thongs back in a few seconds. Maybe I could use a safety-pin, but where could I find one? I spotted an open shop ahead, and although I initially assumed it to be a mini-bakery selling cookies and chocolates, I decided to give it a shot. After all, it was my only option. Upon entering the shop, I purchased a chocolate and, while paying, I asked the shopkeeper if he sold safety-pins as I didn’t want to be cursed further for the day by making him say “NO” in the morning, a sentiment I learnt in my schooldays.
As I was pondering my next move, three buses had arrived and that made it clear that there was no point in thinking any further from there. How lucky I was! The third bus that had arrived was almost empty. As I got onto the bus, the thong of my flip-flop refused to cooperate and came off completely. I realized I needed to pack it. I took the front window seat so that it would be easy for me to look for a shop.
My eyes were scanning for a shoe repair shop. I imagined it being a cobbler sitting under a tree or a small blue coloured stall. I was also looking for a store where I could buy a new pair of flip-flops. There was an option to go home as well, but I was determined to take the next option - to walk barefoot for the entire day. My whole focus at that moment was on this single task, and I felt like multiple clones of myself were working in tandem, each exploring different possibilities while one clone watched on calmly. It was fun, especially because I was already happy to take the worst case scenario, the barefoot.
Hurray, there he was, the God sent God for me at that moment, just as I was about to lose hope, I spotted a man sitting at a bus stop, surrounded by shoes and sandals. I got off from the bus immediately, happily. Oh, wait… he was an old man, was he a beggar, I wondered? The place was dirty, full of dried leaves and dust. Okay, he was the one!
I was wondering whether he could do the work. He was too old and his whole body was too weak. Could he handle the needle? He had to do the work for some reason, regardless of whether he actually could do it or not. The moment he started mending, for the briefest moment, I felt a sudden sense of sadness. It was heavier than usual. As if several clones of me were feeling the same sadness and one more clone was feeling the sum of all. I couldn’t pinpoint one exact reason as it was the feeling created by the combination of thoughts varying from psychology to physiology to sociology to whatever I knew, in the quickest time possible.
Once I left the place, I was like as if it had not happened. I reached the office using our office cab. Took the bicycle, quickly crossed the empty juice stalls and entered my work building. Had a glance at the items in the pantry and then settled into my work. I knew I would take a tea in another ten minutes, and the rest of the day would be pleasant and comfortable.
Comments