The boy who made it to the Capital: A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus

The boy who made it to the Capital: A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus: This is a story from one of my earlier trips..!          We reached the bus stop early in the morning.   Had just come out of the Rai...

A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus

This is a story from one of my earlier trips..!

         We reached the bus stop early in the morning.  Had just come out of the Railway Station after a strict health check up.  But we were a bit too early for the next bus.  The bus stop lacks space as the on coming buses for Kozhikode and Kunnamkulam come almost to your toes.  One has to be careful here and paste oneself to the boundary wall not to get hurt.  And there are other travellers or those waiting for other buses.  Most of the people left for Guruvayur, a pilgrimage centre and to either Kunnamkulam or Kozhikode.  Now we were left with ourselves (my wife and I) and an elderly poor looking Tamilian lady.  As we could be spotted as travellers the auto rikshaw operators will come one after the other to  invite us as their passengers. We refuse. Next is the Guruvayoor Bus conductors.  We refuse them too as their route doesn’t suit us.  Then they would want to know where we are headed.  Out of courtesy we blurt out our destination.  They tell us as much guidance as a return courtesy.  Next was the old lady standing near us. ‘Where are you going?’ We feel we don’t have to. But don’t want to be counted arrogant, we reply ‘Enamavu’.  She explains we are too early.  The first bus in this route is six fifteen.  ‘I also take that bus ahead to Guruvayur’ .  A sudden feeling of closeness comes among us.  Now we are free to talk. But we don’t have nothing much to speak.So the lady continues by hearself: “I go to Guruvayoor everyday to sell jasmine flowers.” I reply to show courtesy ‘Oh..’   And she takes it as my interest and continues:  “I live here in a big house of a big officer. They never take any rent from me.  I can live there all my life”   “Oh….” I say again and she continue “But I shall never become a burden or trouble for them”  “I sell flowers in front of Guruvayoorppan.  He keeps me well in life”.  By my next Oh….the bus came and she hurried to the front gate of the bus as ladies enter through the front gate in buses  in this part of the country.  That kind conversation so ended.

        Even other wise a bus conversation  or a bus stop conversation does not go far or stay on.  These are chance meetings like the far flying cosmic objects passing near by.  Most satisfying little conversations lasting few seconds or minutes.  At times they make an impression, at times not and are forgotten.

I scrambled in with my two little suit cases and kept them behind the last but one seat where there is a little more space.  Once that was settled, I noticed the one going to be my seat fellow.  A fragile dark hued fellow in a blue shirt, most probably a Gentleman from a neighboring state, looking away through the side window of the bus..!  His fragile stature struck me…! Since he was looking away, I could view him closely.  For a moment I wondered if I have to sit there or in a near by different seat as there were plenty of free seats as it was an early morning first trip for the bus.  But then, it will be construed that I dislike a person who is not that good to sit with as he is poor!   It was time for the morning mass.  Had I been at mass, I shall be praying to Jesus who would have definitely asked me “Didn’t you see me when I was in the bus?”  That would be a question, I may not be able to answer.  That decided it for me. I sat in the seat along with him.    Once settled, my task was to fix my two little suit cases on the huge tyre placed behind a half seat.  Once it was being done the fragile man turned to me and was helping me adjust the boxes.!  Touching that was!  He was not thinking of me, perhaps.  He was only just helping a hand which was trying to adjust his luggage.  Now that was done!  I sat back. And the fragile man also sat back.  The Bus Conductor has started collecting the bus charge now and each one is now taking out the charges in their hand.  I took out the needed amount and kept ready.  My friend in the seat was keenly counting a lot of coins in his fragile hand.  Now the charges have gone up and most of the passengers give their charges in notes mostly.  But here this gentleman was counting a number of coins in his right hand.  He was counting them with his left hand.  In my old times my childhood there was a time when we used to keep small coins in the ‘gullocks’ (piggy-banks) and open it during our festivals to buy possible guddy-guddies.  By the time my friend finised counting the conductor was near us and he gave his coin stock and the conductor counted it at a glance and simply told the old man “The amount is two rupees less” for which my friend did not give any reply.   The conductor did not linger on it, he quickly turned to me.  I paid our charges and he moved away.   Now I was free to inter-act with my friend.  I asked him: “Where are you going?”  “Guruvayoor” he replied.  “Do you have family and other members?” I asked.  “Yes, at Vellaloor”  He was fragile but his answers were simple and straight forward.  “Where is this place” I further blurted out.  He said “Near Kadalur” .   “Oh…I got it, it was near Kadalur which was affected badly in the Tsunami?    I asked.    And he replied:  “Athu than..!”  (That’s it).   “What are you going to Guruvayoor for?” I asked again for which he did not answer but showed both his hands in a gesture as some one would beg for alms with both hands open.    For a moment I was ashamed of myself, I should not have asked that question.  The man was unknowingly very clean in his answer.  He is going to beg till the evening when he may, perhaps, catch the bus back.  That was why the conductor did not ask him where was going.  I scrambled my pocket for a small note which I put into his hands!”  His face lit up a bit….   And that was my morning mass!  It was time for me to get down.  I got up and unbuckled my boxes for which he too was helping me with his fragile hands!  I waved him a good -bye saying   “We will meet some other time, friend” I said.  It brought a wide smile on his face and he waved me back.   And my day was made!  I got out of the bus and the bus moved on to Guruvayoor..!