The Homeless Bum
Everyday as I passed the busy hospital signal, I used to see him. Sitting next to the pavement, aghast, body tensed up. He would keep looking at the road, counting cars. And throwing Bangles. At them. Red. Green. Blue. All of them Glassy-shiney.
Sometimes he used to shout out her name. Sometimes he would just throw the bangles quietly. But at all times, he was there. Any hour of the day. Sometimes I used to wonder if he ever slept. His torn clothes were always the same. Grime covered face, never washed and a pair of torn clogs, resting next to his legs. That was how he remained imprinted in my memory… until one day, he disappeared.
On my way to work, I looked for him. Wondered where could he have vanished. It was suprising that he would just be gone. The clogs though, they were still in the same spot, perhaps missing their master.
It was strange, my bewilderment at his disappearance. Strange because he was just a homeless bum. One of the countless faces in the crowds we dsperately try to ignore while hurrying through our lives. Maybe I was curious because in the past few days, he had become a near permanent fixture in my life. One of the very few familiar faces in the busy streets of a new city. Maybe it was because I had always wanted to stop and ask him… who… who was she. And why did he keep throwing bangles. Did she hurt him? Desert him? What was it?
And the realization came too late. I had never stopped. I never had the time. Nor the inclination. And now He is gone. Leaving behind him… a torn pair of clogs, some broken bangles… and a lot of questions…
- Neha
madhavi says:
:(…….:?
September 7th, 2006 at 03:55 pm
D.K.GIRI says:
nice written………….
September 24th, 2006 at 09:50 am