Tears in Man's Eye

Thimphu has become the most busiest place in our country, and nobody can deny this fact. Well, this gives me a chance to claim myself busy too, as I also belong to this city. I am very young to this place. It hasn't been many years since I started working for my living. 

Ok, whatsoever it is, as I was saying, Thimphu has become very busy compared to what I haven been knowing about this place. More so, the increase in the imports of the cars in the recent time has left our roads crammed with vehicles. It has somehow changed everyone's schedules. Mine too. 

The morning rush hours are unimaginable. Sometimes, it become so intolerable to look at the line on the road that keep us waiting all the morning. So, just to avoid this very naughty and hard morning, I have found out a way to ply the road peacefully. No traffic congestion, no more frustration and no irritation.  I get on the road quite late. 

One late morning, as usual I got on the road quite late, just to avoid myself getting irritated by the traffic congestion. I saw an old man walking very carefully, watching his every step. He might have wanted to make sure that he wasn't any victim of the morning rush hour careless driver on-the-hit (which happens everyday). My car roared very carefully through the gentle slope that leads to Memorial Chorten, and it played a soft and gentle song on the tape. As casual as possible, I was singing along with the song, when my eyes caught the attention of that man again. Looked like, he badly wanted a good ride. But sadly, nobody gave any heed. The old man was trying to stop every vehicle that passed by, but in vain. Even the taxis, they seem to ignore the old man. Well, that was quite the scene there. 

Did they think the man would not have money for the fare? Did they have no slots empty? A lot of questions rambled in my mind. But even those without passengers were unwilling to stop. This gave me a clue - that all of them, precisely were thinking that the old man who wasn't even properly dressed wouldn't have money to pay. But, even if they dropped that man for free, that unpaid twenty bucks would not have really mattered anyone. 

Suddenly, I had another thought. Possibly, it was the old habit of the old man to wave to anybody that passed by. I was still in a big doubt, when suddenly I had a closer look at him. He was all different that I thought! He could barely walk, but thanks to the staff that carried him very carefully. His clothes were shabby. He wore an old pair of boot. His eyes were weak. God knows, but I couldn't just leave that man walking all by himself - in that hot weather. 

I stopped the car and watched him take careful steps forwards. He had that warmth on his face already. The cars behind made some noisy honks. They wanted me to move fast. And believe me, it didn't bother me a bit. I was all calm, giving that much needed man a ride. Finally I got him seated in the car. Of course he proffered to take the back seat. I was all okay with that. 

I looked at the man, through the mirror before me. And my heart sank to see him cry. The tears defined something that I didn't know any explanation. He wiped the tears that rested on his wrinkled cheeks. I felt sorry and asked, "Memey, are you okay?" But my Memey didn't answer. May be he didn't want to speak. I didn't push him too.

A moment later I heard a shivering voice, "Chorten ga delay (on my way to Memorial chorten). We rushed through the rough traffic below JDWNRH and I dropped him above the Memorial chorten. I opened the door for him and out went my big friend. The man didn't forget to thank me. He bowed before a little and said, "Namey samey kadrin chewa la". I said it's okay, and I was all smiles. 

I thanked him for being my guest, giving me a big day to serve him in the smallest possible way. I am pretty sure, I will get more like him who will give me a day to SERVE them.