A Second-Hand Story

I will narrate an incident which I overheard people talking.

Broken fences, hoof prints, gnaw veggies, droppings and stench of cattle smell was in the air.

On seeing the grave of his beloved veggie garden, a resident grumbles, “O! my… my…my…my”.” This is the limit”. “That's it”. “This is too much”.” I should do something. I must …he had had it today.” and waits prepared for a smoking conversation with the WA-DEE-PA. Clouded with anger he waits standing punishing his already tired legs. A couple of minutes later, a shadowy figure slowly approaches. “It must be the WA-DEE-PA, it is, he is definitely him”, exclaimed the poor resident ready to pour out his frustrations.

 The dialogue begins …

 RESIDENT: Hey you, hey---  

WA-DEE-PA: Who? Me.

RESIDENT: Yes you. Your cattle have raided my garden again; this happens time and again, every time. I have even lost the count. I will---

WA-DEE-PA: Please sir, do not get angry. What has happened had happen. Let bygones be bygones.

RESIDENT: It is easy for you to forget, but I am the victim. Only the foot knows where the shoe pinches.

WA-DEE-PA: Yes, you are right. I agree. I will pay you the compensation. But, the question is, how do you want me to make the settlement---

RESIDENT: What do mean?

WA-DEE-PA: I mean, how do you want to make the settlement? … the age old way or the 21^st century style.

RESIDENT: What do you really mean?

WA-DEE-PA: Let me explain, you get a bottle of ara in the age old way and a bottle of beer in the 21^st century style as compensation for your loss.

I could not hear the rest.

Cattle are a menace. The organic veggies in particular face the repeated wrath of it and the residences’ weekend toil is a fruitless labour.

The Kid

It was in the 80s, ... the late 80s...

The boarder town of Samdrup Jongkhar housed the first movie theatre of Bhutan, the "Bhutan Talkies".

Then I was a kid and die-hard-fan of the Indian Cinema. A movie used to be screened for a week and then change every Friday. My gang always went to the movies on Saturday, as it was a half day and the next day was a Sunday. Sunday was special, we spent all day talking and enacting the movie.

I don't remember what my Dad did to earn a living, but, money was hard to come by. Every penny meant a lot to us. For most Saturdays, my Mom gave me the Indian 50 paisa coin  for buying the ticket. But at times, my mother didn't have the money to spare for my movies and, my heart broke into a million pieces. I was too small to understand ECONOMICS and, all I could do was to cry a lot and wet the pillow.

The movie theatre was just a stone throws distance from my house and could hear bit and pieces of the movie screening, this added greatly to my misery.

Not watching the movie on Saturday had an impact in the friends circle too, you can't contribute in the discussion and participate in re-enactment of the movie on Sunday, you just remain on the bench. I have been on the bench a couple of times and it was a very painful experience.

I know my Mom did her best to always give the money for buying the ticket and when she failed, I saw the helplessness in her eyes and her heart might have had broken many times more than mine. 

Boobs-Mania

.... mine are water-melons ... I like green-apples ... mangoes are better ... hers could be pears ... cute cherries ... she has lemons ...

The statements made appears to be innocent, it is not fruits we were talking about, but the boobs.  It is a surprise to see it coming in great variations and varieties but all for one same purpose. Damn! men are creative, they have evolved with a great many names.Scientifically  you are considered sick not to stare at the boobs though it is a cultural taboo. The stolen glance are the sweetest contemplation. 

Men will be men, men and their codes. All normal men will fail the Lie-Detector-Tests, if accused.

Confession of a wan-na-be SERIAL KILLER

Of-late, I am tagged to be a SERIAL KILLER and I am in agreement. I am accused of the crime by two of the most important women in my life, my mom and my wife.

My better-half loves being a part of the Daily Soaps on the cable TV, her evenings and nights are packed with emotions, drama, actions, comedy, thrills, etc and my mom is a seasoned fan.  The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair is a superb combo against my strong dislike on Daily Soaps.  I simply find it unrealistic, addictive, inciting, contemplating, derailing ..., so I want the Daily Soaps out of their lives and put a BIG PERIOD to their virtual life.  

All tacts and tricks proved futile against their passion but I am still on.

I hope to be a successful SERIAL KILLER.

Delete It ... Save It

... thud ... thud ... thud, that was my back, ...the rustling of the pages, that was my book out of the window, ...hahahaha ... hehehehe ... those were my classmates laughing in chorus... the boy pushed far to the corner in tears and snot, that was the sad me...
"... you stupid, blah blah...", continued my mustard smelling language teacher eyeballing me, finally out of the classroom in the corridors kneeling down, with arms crossed holding the ears.
My misery was yet to be over, anybody who walked past me teased or made fun of me. It was still not over, somebody from my school would later complain to my father and it was a guarantee black and blue caning.
"... sob...sob...sob", that is me again, crying under the cover of blanket.
This was some 25 years ago, for writing a sub-standard essay in class III.
I was not angry, for there was no room for it as I was always overflowing with fear.
I had to over come many more similar ordeals throughout my primary schooling.
I am glad, I survived.



 

Off-Beat

This is based on a TRUE conversation.
It is a everyday scene in the workplace, us sharing talks on everything under the blue and the white sky. The discussions are all extempore and tends stray away from the context.
On one such day in a midst of a conversation, a colleague dropped in with a human skull and began to pour out the expertise on the subject ...the process, the procedures, the need, the uses, identifying the good from the bad, its consequences, dos and don't, etc .... He was towards the end with his experience with the skull proving it to be a great piece in hand. The ending was the highlight, a dramatic spin of the skull on the floor a couple of times pointing out the technicalities to supplement his statement on the skull.
Everybody was in a AWE state, but I had a question out of curiosity, the question was blunt. I had to ask, and I did ask  but presented in a statement, "Our religion and none others promote thievery...." There was no explanation and avoided my say in a laugh...
That day, I created chaos in the minds.

Contradictions

"Good things come to those who wait", is a contradictory statement to, "Try and try until you succeed"  These statements were made and co-existed in the same space and time. I will not be wrong to suggest that there are more, many more of it.

I was, am and  will be confused, of the great minds of the past, present and the future.
Events may occur once - a couple of times - several times and all the time but we cannot term it be a pattern. I have absolutely seen no pattern in this world, rather it to me seems ... are ways to cover the failure  of an individual, the community and the world at large ...
My say is, WILL IT WORK FOR ALL MANKIND? It is a rhetorical question for all. That is the realization I end up with.
Everything, in this age should come with a POSTSCRIPT, stating ... subject to Contradictions...