STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Last night, I was waiting for an auto to come home. There was a bad traffic and I wasn't finding an auto to come home. Just them, a man came running towards me and said in Hindi that his ‘Saab’ was calling me. I obeyed the instruction. Some hundred meters ahead, a car was waiting. Apparently, the ‘Saab’ was someone I had, always, admired and lived in our own complex. He had spotted me, but, due to the traffic, he could halt his car only at such distance. He had sent his servant to fetch me…

When I got into the car, my ‘thank you sir’, came straight from the heart… My admiration for this gentleman shot up by another few notches!

I have known this man for close to seven years now. He is a respected business man, but brutally simple and unassuming. He has a small car, but, you will always find someone from our colony in his car… both when he leaves the colony and when he returns. He is on a look out for those of us who do not travel by cars… He makes it a point to ferry us through… And, he has been doing it, quietly, for all these years I have known him!

Last night, when this gentleman had stopped his car, some hundred meters ahead, and sent his servant to fetch me, it must have been the hundredth time that he was doing it for me!

We had barely moved another few hundred meters from there, the gentleman politely said, “Sir, please bear with me for two minutes.” The car stopped; the servant went across the road, where there was a large tree by the busy road. Beneath the tree stood two huts, all erected out of plastic sheets, bamboo and some tin sheets. A young girl and two little children came out to collect the packet from the gentleman’s servant. When I asked him about it, I learnt that it was the night’s supper for the two families lived in those shanties!

I also learnt that he had first seen them six years ago… and, ever since then, he had been doing this act on every Tuesday and Saturday night. Besides, his daughter has been taking care of the books and uniform of two little ones in those huts!

Now, what made me froze was this: 

I passed by those huts everyday for fifteen years

now… But, it was only last night, 

I realized that they existed there all this time!

When, we were some distance away from our colony, the car, once again stopped. “Excuse me sir,” the gentleman said, once again, “Just give me another two minutes.” This time, he relieved his driver and along with the other servant, walked into the nearby cobbler. I saw the servant trying the size and settling for one particular pair. I learnt that this servant had just come from his village and he needed footwear!

For rest of the distance, the gentleman drove me!

At our own gate, the car stopped for the fourth time… When the window glass rolled down, another packet went into the waiting hands… This time, it was the watchmen who were to guard us through the night!

I have been the Hon. Chairman of our Society for the last four years… Yet, I did not know that some one – just one of our ordinary members - quietly did this kind of compassionate act for so many years!

Leave alone me doing such deeds!

Twenty meters from there, the car had to stop, again… This time, it was for me. “Sorry sir, for the inconvenience,” the gentleman stretched his hand, “Good night.”

I gave my hand… but, found no words to offer!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Abhishek Iyer