Of the many things that are in abundance in this world, plight is one that courts you on a daily basis. And plight of a personal nature is like being in an abusive relationship; the more you fight it, the earlier it gets to you in the day.
Lately, it hits you as soon as you are outside your door in the morning. You didn’t want to opt for company sponsored transport. It seemed too much like being out on parole. But the traffic and the damn economics of it!
A minivan is all your employer can afford at this stage and the driver is always late. You want to be civil, if not kind to people working hard for a living. But the lack of sleep followed by a tropical morning gets the best of your better senses and you end up giving him an earful. It doesn’t seem to help though.
On the fourth such pleasant morning, the driver gets a call from his boss/handler. ‘I am on my way…on my way, I mean, I am just here…no, not on the highway but I am almost there. It is not my fault boss…’
He turns around to look at you. You try to look like you were not paying attention to the one-way conversation.
‘It is the first pick-up of the day, that guy is always late boss. It’s not my fault’
What the…you almost blurt out. But the driver is looking at you making a sorry pleading face. You motion to him to keep his eye on the road. The driver is off the phone now and checking you out in the rear view mirror making a puppy face. You try to check your rage. For once, counting to ten helps. An ugly puppy perhaps, but a puppy none the less.
Every one’s got their KRAs. Telling your boss the market research team delayed the presentation is no different that the driver blaming you for his running late. The least you can do is take the hit for a change, especially when it is easy for you to do so.
Happy at not letting frustration get to you any further, you even thank him for the ride on arriving at the galley.
‘Sir, sir…,’ he calls out behind you. You turn around with a ‘Now what?’ expression.
‘Sir, you stay at that Jumbo Apartments Complex right?’
‘Yes,’ you reply quizzically.
‘You don’t have to come to the station for the pick-up Sir. I can take a detour and pick you up from your doorstep. It will be quicker for me too. I will be on time everyday!’
‘…Ok,’ you say managing a smile, ‘See you tomorrow at 8 then.’
‘Yes Sir, thank you Sir, good day Sir!’
Of the many things that are in abundance in this world, kindness of strangers is perhaps the most underrated. The sooner you find this out the better.
- J.
