The day had begun on a quiet note and the essential Sunday morning chores were gone through like passing the bed linen, followed by our clothes, through two cycles of the washing machine. Packing for the two day sojourn didn't take much time. I was a bit apprehensive about getting an auto rickshaw around noon because I'd gone through the jitters last time!
This time, without taking a chance, I'd rung up Anto and thankfully, he was available. He, however, fetched up a trifle late giving me a few anxious moments! Two counters were live at the railway station because of the rush of passengers to buy the tickets but the guy at the window that I'd made a beeline for had taken off, perhaps for the rest room. The wait was making me, as well as the people who'd joined behind me, uneasy when our hero returned chewing a paan and was back to business as though nothing had happened! The ticket for Rs.10/- catered for my short trip to Thrissur from where I'd get my connecting train.
I'd got into the coach immediately behind the engine which was full of passengers, so much so, that I
travelled standing till Thrissur. More surprises were in store for me in that the train from Lokamanya Tilak station was late only by an hour and 35'. After the train had chugged in, I found an old lady sitting on my seat and the TTE gave me another.
The train kept adding on minutes to the delay it had already clocked which disheartened me coupled with the factors cited below(these might be my perceptions, though the railways may have plausible answers):-
(a) it had the least priority as it waited at stations for the other trains to pass and all of them,
without exception, seemed to be in a tearing hurry.
(b) no vendor visited the coaches, again, because of the dwindling numbers of the passengers.
(c) the a/c in the coach was pretty harsh and it took a couple of reminders to the conductor to
bring it to acceptable levels.
The only saving grace was Omanakuttan, with the vehicle at Kochuveli, and we made the long stretch home with him giving me a rundown of what was happening and about the programme on 01 Mar, on account of Muthachan's 107th birth anniversary celebrations.
Tailpiee.
It was nice being with Maman and his family but the journey was one that I wanted to forget but couldn't!
This time, without taking a chance, I'd rung up Anto and thankfully, he was available. He, however, fetched up a trifle late giving me a few anxious moments! Two counters were live at the railway station because of the rush of passengers to buy the tickets but the guy at the window that I'd made a beeline for had taken off, perhaps for the rest room. The wait was making me, as well as the people who'd joined behind me, uneasy when our hero returned chewing a paan and was back to business as though nothing had happened! The ticket for Rs.10/- catered for my short trip to Thrissur from where I'd get my connecting train.
I'd got into the coach immediately behind the engine which was full of passengers, so much so, that I
travelled standing till Thrissur. More surprises were in store for me in that the train from Lokamanya Tilak station was late only by an hour and 35'. After the train had chugged in, I found an old lady sitting on my seat and the TTE gave me another.
The train kept adding on minutes to the delay it had already clocked which disheartened me coupled with the factors cited below(these might be my perceptions, though the railways may have plausible answers):-
(a) it had the least priority as it waited at stations for the other trains to pass and all of them,
without exception, seemed to be in a tearing hurry.
(b) no vendor visited the coaches, again, because of the dwindling numbers of the passengers.
(c) the a/c in the coach was pretty harsh and it took a couple of reminders to the conductor to
bring it to acceptable levels.
The only saving grace was Omanakuttan, with the vehicle at Kochuveli, and we made the long stretch home with him giving me a rundown of what was happening and about the programme on 01 Mar, on account of Muthachan's 107th birth anniversary celebrations.
Tailpiee.
It was nice being with Maman and his family but the journey was one that I wanted to forget but couldn't!
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