About a couple of years ago, there was this phase of around four to five months when I had to suffer this blasted back problem... brought about my myself, thanks to an hour and a half of head banging :P
Once I realized that this niggle wasn't going to go away by itself I decided to get help, and consulted this doc, whose clinic was some 25 kms away! Quite crazy, but then I was new in town, and lived way out of the city, etc etc...
My usual mode of transport to bajirao road (doc's clinic) consisted of one six seater from nigdi naaka to nigdi flyover, then a grinding wait for PCMT bus to the city corporation, and then an auto to the clinic doorstep.. used to take a bally hour and half on most days to get there... Well, got to learn a few routes in the heart of the city (was difficult to do that much, back then since I lived that far away from the city heh...)
On one such day, the going got tough while going to the clinic. This is to say an endless wait for a bus! So I decided to get myself to Chinchwad, which is a major square on the way to the city, and hope for better luck from there. Well, I got myself to C, and presently this really old private autorikshaw came coughing along, with a middle aged bloke in the passenger seat, holding together a large heap of vessels(!), and an elderly chap driving the coughing tin can contraption, and hollering
'Caarporation Caarporation!!'. The rick then coughed away again, with me on the other side of the vessel heap, doing a little holding together too!
A nice old man the driver was, kept chatting about this and that, almost all of which I don't remember now though.. By the time we reached Khadki(roughly halfway to 'Caarporation') the old rick began to splutter like someone choking on a glass of cola, and the cola going up the nose. The middle aged blighter stepped out and peered into the rear engine, and hollered something about something loose in the works. I figured this was going to be a while, and so stepped out to peer in as well. That's when the old man stepped out to have a look too, and that's when I noticed the crutches.
The man driving the auto ('kaka', he was called) didn't have a leg! I couldn't help feeling taken aback, I didn't realize this until then. Well, not that the old man seemed to need them much; he hopped out on his one leg, and hopped back to the rear, and promptly announced that the cable connecting the accelerator to the throttle had snapped! Holy hell, went the cerebrum. How the devil would these people get back now, or at least get to some mechanic who could fix it? And how would I get myself to yonder bajirao road in time for my appointment?! But 'kaka' seemed to realize that my mind was ticking over, and told me to have no fear! He calmly reached into the hot engine box and pulled out the entire length of the throttle cable, and carried the free end round the side and into the cockpit. And my mind was ticking over even more, and then I saw light. He handed the free end to the man with the vessels.
"Main jab bolun 'KHAINCH', to khainchne ka, aur main jab bolun kamm karne ko to kamm kar!". The man with the vessels uttered a few startled exclamations, but seemed to be reassured by the calm confidence exuded by 'kaka'.
"KHAINCH!!!"
The vessel man pulled the thin cable for all he was worth, kaka clacked the rick into gear, released the clutch and lo! the rick began to cough forwards, as good as it had been! :D
"KAMM KAR!!"
Vessel man released the cable a bit, and kaka clacked the rick into second gear, and so on to top gear! And I, back in my place was filled with a sort of wonder. Here was this chap, obviously handicapped, faced with a situation and hopped out of it, beaming all over the face! While I sat admiring these two and wondering about the sudden turn of events, we reached shivajinagar and continued moving forward. The poor blighter, the vessel man, the one with the thin sharp cable kept pulling with enthusiasm.
"KHAINCHH!!"
'Vroooommmmm..splutter...vroooommmmm!!'
"KAMM KARR!!"
splutter splutter.. vroommm.. VROOOMMMMMM!!!!
"ABBE KAMM KAR KAMM KAR!!!!"
"Oye khainchte khaichte haat ki m* **** gayi!!"
Both kaka and throttle man burst into laughter, and the laughter was infectious.. I began to guffaw away too.. By and by the corporation bridge loomed up in the distance, and it was time for me to get off. Kaka then asked me where I had to go, and gave me explicit directions and where to take another rick from etc. "Idhar se riksha nahin lene ka, idhar sab haraaami hain.. Pul par karke riksha lena!".. and then they went on their way, and I walked the way pointed out by kaka, and I suddenly began feeling really great. Well, I had thought the going was tough while waiting for a bus. But, I had a first hand experience of how the really tough get going. I suddenly forgot that I was tired, a spring appeared out of nowhere in my step, as I reached the clinic in good time.
Some small experiences do bring a whiff of fresh air into the mind; they make you feel wonderful, even if it's for a little bit. Experiences like this tend to come and bite you in the ass :) and it's wonderful when they do... A tiny lesson perhaps, to not let turns of events bog you down; there's a way out, if you'll just look.
