It was a holiday on account of Bakr Id. An occasion to contact quite a few of my friends with whom I'd not talked for a while, to wish them on the occasion. The interactions had pepped me up and by the time I'd finished with the calls, it was well past 10! I'd updated my information about each and have promised to be in touch more often as insisted upon by everyone of them!
It was around that time that I'd gone to answer the doorbell when I found that the two bags containing waste material were still lying outside, uncollected. I was surprised that Majid, the conscientious and sincere garbage collector, who'd have usually completed the job by then seemed to have gone off key. On inquiry with the security personnel on duty, I came to know that the garbage had already been collected from the adjacent blocks and he said that he'd tell the concerned guy to complete his work without further delay.
I'd forgotten about the incident, when there was a long and harsh ring on our doorbell. It was young Sardar, the son of Majid - he's standing in for his dad who'd gone off to his village in southern Tamilnadu, on leave - at the door, with the two bags of waste in his hand. He said and I quote, "Today it's a holiday, but I've decided to collect the garbage because you, as president, desire it, as told to me by the duty security personnel".
I felt miserable for having made him work - and that too on his special day! In fact, while apologising to him for the faux pas, I'd asked him to leave the bags back for collection tomorrow. However, he finally did carry the bags away. To get over my guilt, I'd called up my man Friday, the caretaker, for remedial action like giving the youngster a day off tomorrow, in compensation. It was then that he said that he's waiting for a chance to recommend the youngster's services to be terminated as he was getting to be increasingly cocky. What was holding him back from taking a drastic action was the exemplary behaviour of the boy's dad!
Some respite! But the youngster's accusatory face lingered within me for the rest of the day!!
Tailpiece.
Why did young Sardar react in the manner that he did? Obviously, he'd told me something that had grazed my Achilles' heel but didn't match with his doings on the ground. Was it because the residential area's administrative committee had put on hold a suggested increase in his remuneration, I wonder?
It was around that time that I'd gone to answer the doorbell when I found that the two bags containing waste material were still lying outside, uncollected. I was surprised that Majid, the conscientious and sincere garbage collector, who'd have usually completed the job by then seemed to have gone off key. On inquiry with the security personnel on duty, I came to know that the garbage had already been collected from the adjacent blocks and he said that he'd tell the concerned guy to complete his work without further delay.
I'd forgotten about the incident, when there was a long and harsh ring on our doorbell. It was young Sardar, the son of Majid - he's standing in for his dad who'd gone off to his village in southern Tamilnadu, on leave - at the door, with the two bags of waste in his hand. He said and I quote, "Today it's a holiday, but I've decided to collect the garbage because you, as president, desire it, as told to me by the duty security personnel".
I felt miserable for having made him work - and that too on his special day! In fact, while apologising to him for the faux pas, I'd asked him to leave the bags back for collection tomorrow. However, he finally did carry the bags away. To get over my guilt, I'd called up my man Friday, the caretaker, for remedial action like giving the youngster a day off tomorrow, in compensation. It was then that he said that he's waiting for a chance to recommend the youngster's services to be terminated as he was getting to be increasingly cocky. What was holding him back from taking a drastic action was the exemplary behaviour of the boy's dad!
Some respite! But the youngster's accusatory face lingered within me for the rest of the day!!
Tailpiece.
Why did young Sardar react in the manner that he did? Obviously, he'd told me something that had grazed my Achilles' heel but didn't match with his doings on the ground. Was it because the residential area's administrative committee had put on hold a suggested increase in his remuneration, I wonder?
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