Meet Bob!

meenasankaran · Mar 12, 2015

Many months ago, I walked into a store and met Bob and my life has not been the same ever since. Thanks to Bob, I find myself looking at life these days through a pair of slow-motion spectacles where all frantic movements have trickled down to mere frame-by-frame motion sequences.

Bob was one of the two sales people in that store that day. He had a sweet smile and kind eyes so naturally I picked him over the other salesman. Wearing an answering smile myself, I walked towards Bob and asked to see a few products in the store. What followed was the longest 2 hours of my life.

It is important to mention here that I dragged my kids in to that store with me after assuring them that I will get them both an ice cream cone as soon as we got out of there. ‘Just a few minutes’ I promised my kids. I didn’t know that Fate was holding its jiggling tummy and laughing at me right at that moment.

Watching Bob go to work was a revelation. I learned that Bob did not believe in rushing things. Have you ever watched words take a slow tumble out of someone’s mouth, letter by letter? I did. I almost cupped my hands in front of his mouth at one point to catch those precious words but luckily caught myself in time.

Our conversation mirrored a chess game between a chess master and an amateur. My mouth opened, hurled out the words and shut itself while Bob had to think deep and hard before he would allow a word to form in his mind. I felt tears of joy burning at the back of my eyes every time we were treated to a full sentence. My daughters had to pinch my sides to keep those tears under check. It has been many months now but the fading pinch marks in my side still brings dear Bob to my mind.

In my heart, I know Bob meant to show us the products before Sun went down the horizon that day. I have to believe that. He had no meanness in him, you see but seconds stretched to an hour as Bob walked between the stock room and the sales desk. He had such gentle movements. It was like watching a swan gracefully sway through the room. The carpet heaved a sigh of relief beneath his shoes each time Bob glided over its surface. Why, you ask? He left not a single shoe mark, that’s why.

After the 8[SUP]th[/SUP] trip back from the stock room, Bob seemed a bit tired. Sure, who won’t? I wished the other salesman would bring Bob a glass of water to drink. After all, he hadn’t moved an inch in the last hour. Standing in the same place and chatting easily with the 10 or more customers I had seen come in to the store in that hour. It just didn’t seem fair. Sure, he sold stuff to those 10 people, but hah, big deal!

Glaring at his colleague for his lack of compassion, I suggested to Bob that he take a break to rest his legs for a while before resuming his 9[SUP]th[/SUP] trip trying to bring us the product we actually wanted and not the ones that he could find. He looked at me with such gratitude.

As the clock ticked by and crossed 90 minutes, Bob managed to walk out at last holding what I was looking for. If it weren’t for my creaking knees, I would have leapt over the sales desk and kissed him in sheer happiness. Instead I broke out the 10,000 watts smile that I usually save up just for my husband. Waking up from their naps in the corner sofa, my kids were now looking hopefully at me. I smiled at them reassuringly and whipped out my wallet to close the sale and be on my way out. Not so fast, said Bob.

Apparently computers puzzled Bob. It was really sweet the way he looked at the tip of his pointer finger carefully each time he used it to push in a key on the keyboard. After each push, he would gently lift his eyes to the screen and smile as he saw his hard work translated on the screen. The whole thing was nothing short of a well-choreographed waltz. There was a rhythm and a beauty to it. He was gentle with those keys. Every now and then, the fingers will hang suspended in air while he would look confused at the computer screen. Fearing the wrath of my daughters who were drilling holes in my back, I decided to step in and move things along. Gently, I scooted over to the other side, peeked at the computer and walked Bob through the steps of running my credit card and closing the sale. The sheer joy on his face at the end was well worth the wait, I thought. My daughters somehow didn’t think so.

Aren’t you happy you met Bob?

Srama · Mar 12, 2015

Meena! You are a riot. Oh how i have missed you and how do you write like this. The moment I read this

I didn’t know that Fate was holding its jiggling tummy and laughing at me right at that moment.
Click to expand...

, I had pause my reading, find that like button and then come back so that I continue laughing peacefully without any thoughts popping up. Thank you, thank you and thank you! Enjoyed reading it.

And oh I forgot to mention. I do know a Bob - my DD's betta! Now that I mention that I realize, don't blame the man! It has to do with the name. Our fish rarely does move and the couple times he does move, my daughter does a dance wondering savoring the movement! I catch her staring at the fish often as she tries figure out if he is indeed alive

And Meena, about that one finger typing....shh let's not talk about it. Certain someone does that here you know :biggrin2: but with a simple difference - no looking at screen as much. How else do you think we get all those ramblings from the rambler?

And thank God, this Bob is not a builder!

Viswamitra · Mar 12, 2015

Dear Meena,

Welcome back to the snippets. Well, we all know you have a totally different prism to view this world from your earlier posts. You set standards in writing snippets through your sense of humor, valuable life lessons and how to express the flow of thoughts in a coherent fashion in a snippet and this one set a standard that is even higher.

In a world where most men are beaten both in letter and spirit, you have brought into light a hero that you have met in a store. I wasn't sure whether I should admire a man who is so eloquent in his thoughts, words and actions to be appreciated by a observing customer or the writer in you who has brought his dignified behavior to the forefront through your exuberant words.

Our conversation mirrored a chess game between a chess master and an amateur.
Click to expand...

The carpet heaved a sigh of relief beneath his shoes each time Bob glided over its surface. Why, you ask? He left not a single shoe mark, that’s why.
Click to expand...

It was really sweet the way he looked at the tip of his pointer finger carefully each time he used it to push in a key on the keyboard. After each push, he would gently lift his eyes to the screen and smile as he saw his hard work translated on the screen. The whole thing was nothing short of a well-choreographed waltz. There was a rhythm and a beauty to it. He was gentle with those keys. Every now and then, the fingers will hang suspended in air while he would look confused at the computer screen.
Click to expand...

The above are examples of heartfelt appreciation of a fellow being for his dedication to work. He is perhaps saturating his skills up to the level of his consciousness. Is he living the spirit of Bhagavad Gita through his skillful, loving and selfless actions with no expectation of fruits of his actions?

I didn’t know that Fate was holding its jiggling tummy and laughing at me right at that moment.
Click to expand...

I broke out the 10,000 watts smile that I usually save up just for my husband.
Click to expand...

Fearing the wrath of my daughters who were drilling holes in my back, I decided to step in and move things along.
Click to expand...

Who can match the sense of humor in the above lines?

No wonder, you make many here anxiously look for your snippets. Certainly, we would like to read your snippets more and more here in IL.

Viswa

satchitananda · Mar 12, 2015

Hi Meena,

So good to see you here! I am extremely grateful to Bob. In addition to all his other sterling qualities, he has brought you back to this forum and had indeed made our day here.

I didn’t know that Fate was holding its jiggling tummy and laughing at me right at that moment.
Click to expand...

It was really sweet the way he looked at the tip of his pointer finger carefully each time he used it to push in a key on the keyboard. After each push, he would gently lift his eyes to the screen and smile as he saw his hard work translated on the screen. The whole thing was nothing short of a well-choreographed waltz. There was a rhythm and a beauty to it. He was gentle with those keys. Every now and then, the fingers will hang suspended in air while he would look confused at the computer screen.
Click to expand...

I could almost picture the entire scene as if I had been a fly on the wall at that moment! :-D

Great to see you Meena. Looking forward to more from you.

GoogleGlass · Mar 12, 2015

ha ha ha - great one MS - you are back with a bang sorry bob

now better god save bob and more so his customers.

Akanksha1982 · Mar 13, 2015

Hillarious one Meena. Nice snippet. Welcome back. Hope to read more from you. Hats off to you for your meticulous observation and humorous description.

Balajee · Mar 13, 2015

We certainly need more bobs in this age where everything moves fast---fast food, fast transport, and fast easily digestible culture and what not.He is a must needed challenge to our era.

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Mar 13, 2015

Dear Meena,
After enjoying your hilarious snippet I really very much admire you for your patience and also your kids' patience. Poor kids! They waited patiently so long until your purchase was over for their cone ice creams.
PS

jayasala42 · Mar 13, 2015

Madam Meena,
Very rare to find such Bobs and still rare to find Meenas to appreciate.In cities like Chennai, especially in Textile shops the efficiency of the sales men count a lot and not so much in shopping malls in US.
I am reminded of a joke( or reality, I don't know) about an Aussie salesman who migrated to London. He sought for a job in a big Home Depot. The Sales manager was pleased with his manners and appointed the Aussie gentleman as salesman who joined the duty next day.
In the evening when the store was about to be closed,the manager enquired how much
bill he was able to realise on the first day.
The salesman said'Only one'.The manager said" How is it? All salemen, just to show their capability , are able to put up atleast 15 to 20 sales.What is the amt involved? he asked.
The new sales guy replied"Pounds101237.64.
The manager was astonished and said"That much in a single sale?'What was the sale about?"
The customer asked for a small fishing hook. I was able to sell two medium hooks also in case the small ones didn't suit.Then I sold him a new fishing rod. and a big fishing net. When he was about to leave ,I asked,what about a fishing boat?As he was interested I was able to market a twin engined Power boat.
Now the person realised that his Honda civic could not pull the boat.So I showed him 4x4 Suzuki, all amounting to a lakh of pounds.As the boat, Suzuki etc could not be accommodated in his exising his home, he has booked a larger home from our Real Estate Correspondents, for which he would be paying in due course after verification of documents.

The manager could not remove his eyes from the innocent looking Aussie.
He enquired' Did the customer come to buy fishing hook?"The salesman calmly replied 'No Sir, he came here to but sanitary napkins for his wife. As he could not spend time with his beloved, for a change he wanted to relax by going for fishing -which resulted in this magnificent sale.
Dear Meena, how about recording your appreciations to this calm salesman?

jayasala 42

meenasankaran · Mar 13, 2015

And thank God, this Bob is not a builder!
Click to expand...

:exactly:

Sabitha, I am sure the construction industry owes its economic health entirely to Bob staying away from it. laugh1smiley

Also, I bet my bottom dollar that your one-finger typing is just as adorable to watch as Bob's. Looking at the fantastic posts this site has seen from you, we certainly owe a lot to that finger. :2thumbsup:

Now that I know about your DD's fish Bob, I understand my friend Bob so much better. Poor guy, he really has no choice in life, does he? :mrgreen:

I am so glad I could introduce you to Bob Sabitha. I knew you would like him.