PSYCHE CANNOT CHANGE
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
11/X/2021
We were away for a few days. We reached home late and it was raining. Our eyes were keen to meet Oreo. We knew he must be saving himself from the rain as he is averse to water.
Our daughter went out to meet her friend. News of our arrival spread like a wildfire. Someone was at our door calling us, half crying half yelping in glee. Who else could it be? We had to give an explanation for our absence, which he understood. We were tired, he was not but we promised to meet next morning.
That evening we thanked our neighbours for looking after Oreo who she said would howled and wailed when he missed us. As she joined us for a chat, we came to know that during our absence people plucked flowers at will. Since it had happened in our absence one could not say anything. The lady in question did mention that she did tell a few to refrain from doing so. We thanked her no end.
These days I get tucked into a corner of our garden. It has adequate shade and from there one can photograph the Sunbirds up close. As I sat camouflaged, I heard footsteps. The ‘pitter-patter’ of the ‘chappals’ was distinct. Someone was in a hurry. I strained my neck towards the sound. It was the same lady discussing the ‘pluckers’ last evening picking flowers herself. Oreo growls at strangers who enter our lane but how could he do that to her. He stood up momentarily, recognised her and then settled down at my feet to doze off again.
How innocent can people become and blame the rest of the world? She never told us who plucked but made us conjecture about people who could have done it. With not an iota of doubt on this lady herself. This is the real world & that’s how people manipulate your mind. I had half a mind to call out to her but then left it at that.
This morning as we sat again in our favourite corner to sip tea, my wife and I were discussing our plans for the plants. What could we take and what could we give as a gift? In between this discussion we saw a lady pass by on the main road. She is a regular walker and we always exchange 'namaste' if we come across each other.
With age, she too has a problem with her vision. It is only when she is quite close that she recognises you. Over the years we have noticed that she is one who doesn’t miss her walks both in the morning and evening. We might skip but she doesn’t and we admire her for that.
We came to know that her walks are actually a recce for flowers and fruits. Places which are lying vacant are the most visited by her. Others dread snakes and refrain from going there but that doesn’t deter her from collecting flowers for pooja and an odd coconut for the chutney. Invariably she has a polythene bag in her hand. If not then whatever she collects, goes in her ‘sari pallu’. The picking up and hiding it is a ‘snappy’ movement and then her walk continues.
Our immediate neighbours always keep complaining that someone has picked their guavas. The husband walks out to check each day. Probably they suspect us, as I do click photos from their garden. She always blamed it on useless security. I had to nod my head being in charge of that department.
Today that lady was on her usual walk. She wouldn’t have seen us tucked nicely in our lawn. She reversed literally and spotted something in the neighbours garden. These days everyone is picking up supari as the fruit is almost ripe and falling off on its own.
That was not the case. She jumped across the rain water drain, forced herself through the hedge, looked all around and picked up a fallen coconut. In a smooth action the fruit was tucked in under her armpit. Before she crossed the hedge again it was perfectly masked with her sari. I wanted to shout out but then it was just a coconut.
Two ‘thieves’ have been identified for certain. One so innocent that you would never suspect her, the other so fast that unless caught red handed like we did today, would probably pass for another innocent walker in the colony.
The camera was in my hand on both occasions but then one didn’t want to capture these episodes as such. Their psyche cannot change. After all we have to please someone and ask forgiveness for our lies told to someone. Strange! Isn’t it? I wonder!!!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND© NOEL ELLIS
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