Summer Splash...

Deliberately the Sun is shining too high... breathing hot upon our shoulders. Too close for discomfort. The roads seemed steaming towels, soaked in with the sweats that falls from the forehead, be it the Business Tycoon in the large Multi National Company to the small street business man who haggles all over the day to get a profit of may be thirty rupees. They all sweat. They all earn, some having a big smile after a day's profit in millions to a wry smile after a day's profit at par.
In such a summer noon, at around 1400hrs or so, I happened to return from my University, after having a nice swipe of thy pen on the answer sheet. The smile was of content, when I saw a small street hag. Covered in dust, he was rubbing relentlessly against a black Maruti Esteem, at the signal. The Traffic Signal was red, halting the traffic making their way from Ballygunge Phari towards Park Circus. The light might be red, but the thousands of worn out muscle fibres in the child's right arm wasn't halted. It knew that its the time to perform and shine... shine the Car's solid Duraluminium coat. May be a few coins in his cusped palm would bring some forgotten smile back on his lips.
The Signal was Red for 2 minutes, normal duration. The black Esteem had it's black sun screen glasses up for those 2 minutes. The Signal turned Amber for 10 seconds, the glasses were still holding it;s head high...
The Signal turned Green. There was no time... it's time to perform... and they all went away...


I turned my head round, trying to see what was the fate to that small Un-Scheduled business transaction between the David and the Goliath. The car started with a good engine growl. 1200 horse powers (dont know the proper configuration though)! The child groaned: "Saab ji thoda do na... O Saab ji thoda do na...!!" (Wealthy man, help me out!) The car speeded past... But the wealthy man and his car was not very unkind... they did give him something... the road side pit-hole splashed the overnight rain's accumulated dirty water onto his soiled torn vest. A nice bargain for some one, who freed his car from the dusts! It did cool the child, with the water... a FREE SUMMER SPLASH!!!!



fig: The Road is very un predictable!!! © Somnath Paul. April 2008.