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Showing posts from June, 2020

Abnormal is normal

Her name is Rosy. That is how she was fondly called. From the day I remember, I have seen her walking in a different way. She had an abnormality while walking and wore slippers at home. She had two pairs - black and white; white was used at home and the black while going out which was very rare indeed. They were custom-made slippers with a heel lift in one. Does it mean her two legs are structurally unequal? Was it congenital or due to any leg fracture? She sits on the floor in a different posture. Does she have a hip injury? Or does she have any terminal illness? Somebody said she fell down when she was ten years old and was hospitalised for a year and after which Rosy’s walk changed. Someone else said Rosy woke up one day with high fever with serious infection after which she lost her walk. And yet another said Rosy was given two choices either to possess a normal walk and depend on others for her work or have an abnormal work and do her chores on her own. Rosy chose the la

Tender Coconut and tender heart

I was walking with my eight-year-old son in the street. My son wanted to have tender coconut as it was a very hot day. As there is no one best time to have coconut water, I agreed. A person was selling fresh tender coconuts in a rickety cart. I asked one with full water and was curiously observing how he effortlessly cuts the coconut with a sickle. While he was speaking incessantly to the neighbouring vendor while chopping, he had a minor cut in his finger and immediately blood was dripping. He was least bothered about it and wiped in his lungi.  For him, the sale of the tender coconut counted rather than the minor cut. He then handed us a straw. As soon as I paid, my son was ready to drink it. I told him to have it later. My son was puzzled about my firmness in having it later. After moving far away from the cart selling the coconut, I saw a poor man begging on the streets and I gave the tender coconut to him. He was happy to have it and blessed us. My son was about to thr