I was on my morning walk and there was plenty of early morning joggers, walkers and a couple of people walking their pets. It was still dark, the early morning Kochi was playing her role to perfection with the sights, sounds and smells that I've, by now, become familiar with.
The uniqueness of these days is the continuing call of the cuckoo. The changing weather pattern, perhaps? It exhilarates me always though I must hasten to add that I ain't been able to reason why. Probably, it could be that some of the exuberance with which the cuckoo calls is passed on naturally!
Today was no different. Soon after my tryst with the bird, I was in for a rude shock. There was a loud sound that rent the air as though someone had fired a pistol. Soon after, smoke had started emanating from a black coloured car parked by the roadside, in front of a building that housed offices. And immediately after, tongues of flame were visible from under the car's bonnet. A couple of early morning customers who're having their cuppa at the roadside tea stall on push cart, on the opposite side of the road, were struck by the sight and as I approached them for a cellphone(I do not carry mine when I'm on my walks as I feel that any caller could wait till I was finished with my exercises!) to summon the fire force, I heard one among them already at it.
The fuel tank should not catch fire - that was our collective prayer. Meanwhile, a volvo bus which had come by, seeing the scary sight, had lurched itself away from the burning car and snapped an overhead television cable to add to the confusing sequence of events! Anyways, two fire engines had arrived by the time and had commenced their fire dousing activities soon after, without much ado.
Realising that I'd nothing further to do, I'd resumed my walk.
And this entire episode was being played out at the doorstep of the Malayala Manorama!
Tailpiece.
Well, I'd only heard about parked cars exploding by themselves and seen some of them in movies but to see it in real life was an experience by itself. Felt bad for its owner and only hope that the insurance cover of the vehicle was indate and adequate enough to tide over the loss.
The uniqueness of these days is the continuing call of the cuckoo. The changing weather pattern, perhaps? It exhilarates me always though I must hasten to add that I ain't been able to reason why. Probably, it could be that some of the exuberance with which the cuckoo calls is passed on naturally!
Today was no different. Soon after my tryst with the bird, I was in for a rude shock. There was a loud sound that rent the air as though someone had fired a pistol. Soon after, smoke had started emanating from a black coloured car parked by the roadside, in front of a building that housed offices. And immediately after, tongues of flame were visible from under the car's bonnet. A couple of early morning customers who're having their cuppa at the roadside tea stall on push cart, on the opposite side of the road, were struck by the sight and as I approached them for a cellphone(I do not carry mine when I'm on my walks as I feel that any caller could wait till I was finished with my exercises!) to summon the fire force, I heard one among them already at it.
The fuel tank should not catch fire - that was our collective prayer. Meanwhile, a volvo bus which had come by, seeing the scary sight, had lurched itself away from the burning car and snapped an overhead television cable to add to the confusing sequence of events! Anyways, two fire engines had arrived by the time and had commenced their fire dousing activities soon after, without much ado.
Realising that I'd nothing further to do, I'd resumed my walk.
And this entire episode was being played out at the doorstep of the Malayala Manorama!
Tailpiece.
Well, I'd only heard about parked cars exploding by themselves and seen some of them in movies but to see it in real life was an experience by itself. Felt bad for its owner and only hope that the insurance cover of the vehicle was indate and adequate enough to tide over the loss.
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