morning walk

Morning walk

Today I went as usual for the morning walk cum jogging. A few days back I saw a man sleeping under a shed in the football ground. I used to think he was put up there by college to guard the equipments at night; but that was not the case. He is just a vagabond and homeless.I was having an extra blanket so I thought it would be better if I give it to him. I went up to him and kept the blanket where he was sleeping; of course he caught a glimpse of mine and before he could thank me I went away.

People who are in need have more recalling capacity than the usual folks. Today he came by while I was doing the same routine stuff in the field and pleaded if I could arrange some money for him. How unfortunate for him to be a grown up man and ask a younger person for something; even a thought of it shivers me. Anyway I tried to pacify his repeated request and ask him to come to the hostel.

As usual when u are in charity business you are caught in between should I help or just procrastinate, of course you cant take care of all the destitutes. But sanity prevails and generally we are forced to think as humans should. I took some old clothes and biscuits I was having with me to give him in a polythene bag.

Eager eyes of a waiting man are so penetrating; one can’t stand the glare of it. I handed him the stuff I carried for him, but more than those he was willing to get some monetary assistance. I handed over him the little sum I was carrying.

Then as it goes just by intuition I asked his name. He said “Vincent”; ah! A Christian name. so from where? Kerala sir! I knew it….!! so perfect way of speaking English, must be from god’s own country with the highest literacy rate in India. Even 10_­ & 2& 4 years of education has not been enough for most of us from cow-belt or hindi belt as they say, to speak fluent and good English.

I was preparing to sign off when he dropped the biggest surprise which still I have not been able to convince myself with. He said I used to study here in M.I.T. then due to some family problem he could not complete his studies and due to family feud he has to flee from his native place. He repeatedly said once I was like you but now I stand here with nothing more to loose; since I have nowhere to go I like to spend my days here in campus and try to remember the gone by days.

This nakedness of human life is enough to shake even the strongest people. Fate, circumstances and the changing times are so crucial that can make your world come crashing down..And we think we are the creator of our luck!

Aristotle has remarked “education is jewel in times of prosperity and the rescuer in times of adversity”;today’s Times of india’s thought….(21/1/10)

I think then why Vincent has become so helpless that instead of using his education he is struggling to feed himself with manual labor…Has he surrendered to the crashing fate or he was just trying to hide something else?

I departed with a heavy heart wishing none should meet the fate of Vincent…

Balendu shekhar ; manipal