Why is this so true?
Photo credit: carunan from morguefile.com
Imagine an inmate restricted within the four walls of his prison.How does he view life?We all live in our own bubbles. When it bursts,it gives us a sudden shock until we create another one acceptable to us with the passage of time.
A blind beggar had marked his throne in a street corner where he used to plead for alms. His routine was very simple.He used to rise with the sun and carefully count his steps till he reached his corner where he was at peace with the world. The repetition of his ‘mantra’ gave him an all pervasive sense of life which eyes could not reveal. Some would call it his imagination, others would presume it as inner sight reserved for a seer which should not belong to him. However, he was safe from the opinions of men because his thoughts were his own.
Every morning, he heard a dog barking at anyone who came near his master, a loud mouthed eight year old boy whose gibberish to his pet brought laughter to those who passed him on the street.He spoke in his native language to a young adult who was a cobbler in the everyday scheme of life.It so happened that the man whose shoe was being mended by our cobbler, dropped a cigarette on the dog who was residing close to his beloved master. As the dog howled, the boy’s distress grew each second and he tried to lead his dog home.
However,on the way,the earth beneath his feet disappeared and he fell into a manhole which was covered with a thin layer of branches,leaves and soil.The sewer beneath was needless to say an unfit place even for the worst of men.The boy’s cry for help went unheard except by the soul in the corner.
This was a famous manhole.The corporator of the area had been elected after his promise to ensure that the dangerous manholes in the roads of the city would be covered satisfactorily.It was one among many of his agendas.Perhaps, the promise would have been carried out at a later date. or this ‘inconsequential’ purpose would have been lost among his priorities.It is a moot point.
The beggar tried seeking help from all and sundry.A big crowd gathered around the manhole.Comments flew like shooting stars amidst the barks of a dog.The dog raced home and returned with a few elders.The emotion predominant was terror and insipid gossip.The boy was rescued eventually by means of a particular kind which couldn’t increase the infinite commotion.
All the major dailies printed the above incident as it was considered newsworthy.The dog was mentioned with favor.The blind beggar had finally met his match.He was killed by a speeding truck when the crowd pushed him into the road unintentionally.Alas!To live and let live is not as easy as it seems. Some would argue that our blind beggar was inconsequential from the beginning.
__END__
