The rain, me and her

Lately, I have been wondering if there was an alarm clock up there to set off the rain exactly before its time to call it a day and head home. I have always associated rain with romance, well I grew up watching Hindi movies what else can you expect. But it’s kind of annoying to arrive home drenched to the bones, which of course is a 100 % probability especially since I neither have wheels nor an umbrella. I did own one though, lend it to some one and never got it back, (am talking about the umbrella) sometimes I stand a little longer in the rain hoping diligently that fellow will pass by and remember to give it back to me, so far I have only managed to earn some strange looks.

So one such day, I meet her again, I know she lives in a little cottage above my apartment, have seen her couple of times. I always have a special smile for her, today she has cut her hair and it suits her. I try to tell her that she looks good, I end up half shouting and half moving my hands in every direction (My own version of sign language!) She is short of hearing. It seems my klutz act has paid off, because she gives me this beautiful smile and tells me I have a very pleasant, happy face, which adds an extra zing to my smile (She keeps forgetting we have met before, acceptable since she is around 90 years old, give or take a few years). I get myself an invitation to tea.

I turn down the invitation, it has started to pour some more and I would like nothing better than to get out of these wet cloths. I promise her I will visit during the weekends. She reinforces that I should. I guess she gets lonely at times, was married a long time ago, had some kids who never made it out of infancy and out lived her husband by some decades. She gets occasional visits from her nephews, who are probably after that plot of land her home stands on. This is what life has dished out to her.

An old woman, living alone, in an old cottage asking every one who shows her any signs of kindness to tea does not seem like a good strategy. We have heard enough horrible incidences involving old people these days. I avoid telling her that, don’t want to scare her. I wonder how many like her are out there? Out of medical reach, alien to warm hugs and some even without proper basic needs. This is beyond me but sometimes I think it’s time the concept of old age home reach us after all.

Note: That was written in 2007, the Dear old lady finally let go off her life in late 2008.