Every man is good. I'm a firm believer of this statement as it has been reinforced time and again. Today was yet another instance.
My mom had to be taken to the optician for ordering a new pair of spectacles. The one that she's currently wearing is broken and has been repaired by one of the boys back home to enable her to use it. She'd accidentally stepped on it, a couple of weeks back.
Going out shopping at Kochi, these days, is not only tedious but also a harrowing experience for those who drive their own cars. As I'd mentioned earlier on this forum, the traffic out here is mad thanks mainly to the roads of the '60s catering to the exponential increase in the number of vehicles of '12! And the parking areas are, often, quite far away from the destination which entail traversing sizeable distances on foot. For my mom, walk was out of question.
So, I'd opted to call for an autorickshaw - since its low floor chassis would be helpful for my mom to clamber on and get out. And it could be parked next to the optical shop, that I frequented, at 'Broadway'. Nandakumar, the owner-cum-driver of the rick seemed to be one of those silent, brooding types. To my request to wait till we completed all the formalities so that we could return in the same vehicle, he readily agreed, with a rider, that he should not be kept waiting beyond 15 mts as he'd a regular customer to be transported home at 1700h.
Thankfully, the shop wasn't very crowded and seeing mom - and her winning ways - she was attended to, promptly and we could go through the review of her sight, select her choice of a frame, the billing and the final payment could be made within the stipulated time that Nandakumar had provided us. On return, after we'd alighted and I'd asked him about the fare, he told me to give him an amount that I deemed fit.
I gave him Rs.200/- and was pleasantly surprised when he returned Rs.50/- with the words and I quote, "Sir, it was a treat to watch you take care of your ageing mother and I'm only charging for my services that I'd rendered".
Tailpiece.
From my house, deep within Panampilli Nagar, to Broadway and back should be about 12 kms, erring on the positive side. The waiting period of over 15 mts compounded make the fare look pretty reasonable! But more important was that the job could be executed without glitches or hassles for my mom!!
My mom had to be taken to the optician for ordering a new pair of spectacles. The one that she's currently wearing is broken and has been repaired by one of the boys back home to enable her to use it. She'd accidentally stepped on it, a couple of weeks back.
Going out shopping at Kochi, these days, is not only tedious but also a harrowing experience for those who drive their own cars. As I'd mentioned earlier on this forum, the traffic out here is mad thanks mainly to the roads of the '60s catering to the exponential increase in the number of vehicles of '12! And the parking areas are, often, quite far away from the destination which entail traversing sizeable distances on foot. For my mom, walk was out of question.
So, I'd opted to call for an autorickshaw - since its low floor chassis would be helpful for my mom to clamber on and get out. And it could be parked next to the optical shop, that I frequented, at 'Broadway'. Nandakumar, the owner-cum-driver of the rick seemed to be one of those silent, brooding types. To my request to wait till we completed all the formalities so that we could return in the same vehicle, he readily agreed, with a rider, that he should not be kept waiting beyond 15 mts as he'd a regular customer to be transported home at 1700h.
Thankfully, the shop wasn't very crowded and seeing mom - and her winning ways - she was attended to, promptly and we could go through the review of her sight, select her choice of a frame, the billing and the final payment could be made within the stipulated time that Nandakumar had provided us. On return, after we'd alighted and I'd asked him about the fare, he told me to give him an amount that I deemed fit.
I gave him Rs.200/- and was pleasantly surprised when he returned Rs.50/- with the words and I quote, "Sir, it was a treat to watch you take care of your ageing mother and I'm only charging for my services that I'd rendered".
Tailpiece.
From my house, deep within Panampilli Nagar, to Broadway and back should be about 12 kms, erring on the positive side. The waiting period of over 15 mts compounded make the fare look pretty reasonable! But more important was that the job could be executed without glitches or hassles for my mom!!
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