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Son , Spouse & Rage Of Diesel

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Thyagarajan, May 4, 2019.

  1. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: SON , SPOUSE & RAGE OF DIESEL :hello:
    It was second oil shock, thanks to Iran- Iraq war. Retail outlets went dry of diesel but petrol (gasoline) was available in limited quantities. It was balmy air October 1979.

    In my yellow-brown Lamby scooter, with my wife and son Vijay, I set out to attend a function. Enroute, I saw two-wheelers and cars lined up in a petrol pump station.

    I decided to get my tank replenished and joined the two-wheeler queue. While my wife got down and walked to a fruit vendor on the exit side of the pump station, my four year boy stood on the scooter resting his palms over the middle of the handle bar and keeping his right foot away from the brake pedal on the floor.

    When my turn came, my son and I got down, parked the scooter on its central stand in position for filling up petrol. Vijay stood glued to me. I was told only two litres per two-wheeler and accordingly I tendered the cash to the man in uniform.

    With a wide opened sling-bag full of coins and notes across his bust, he told a young uniformed boy – “2 litres”. The boy was busy dispensing petrol by inserting the tubular outlet of the hand held pump into the neck of the scooter fuel tank.

    The electric power went off and the pump could not dispense the fuel.

    A stocky-bleary-blood-shot-eyed-red-turbaned six footer with feet in Aladdin shoes parked a loaded and lashed heavy duty truck alighted from an elevated driver’s seat came ambling toward us.In heavily accented Hindi, enquired endearingly the man with sling-bag whether diesel would be available.

    The man was busy in checking the amount I had tendered and the balance to be returned. For returning the balance amount, he was rummaging through sling-bag for a particular denomination of the currency.

    Unmindful of the distraction caused by this turbaned man, he went about searching into the sling-bag. Irked by this, the turbaned-man put the same question loudly to him.

    Man with sling-bag holding higher denomination currency notes between his fingers got annoyed, acrimoniously retorted in Hindi “hare oolluu (you idiot) entire world knows diesel not available. Get lost from here.”

    While I continued to remain waiting for the balance and tank to be replenished, they both got into verbal exchanges. Witnessing this, my little son became nervous, cried and badgered that we should leave the scene at once. The punjabi man returned to his truck and he was ordering his assistant for something.

    In the meanwhile, earshot from Punjabi truck, my wife was gesturing me the meaning of which I could not understand.

    While the balance I was supposed to get from the sling-bag man was something less than ten, I was yet to get petrol into my tank. Thinking of my confusion over wife’s gesture, half-heartedly, I kick started scooter to life and with Vijay hopped into the space between me and the handle bar, manoeuvred quickly to the corner of the exit side, halted to inflate the tyres.

    I saw the turbaned man with his assistant gripping a long iron starting-handle of the engine, re-approaching the man with the sling-bag.

    With engine idling, I found the boy to assist inflate tyres was missing. My wife came close nudging me, suggested to forget about inflating tyres and make a move.

    From my left, she sat behind on the single square seat and I began accelerating the scooter when it was windy.

    No sooner I moved little away from petrol pump, behind we heard multiple explosions accompanied by billowing smoke and the pump station soon engulfed by fire with long tongues of orange and ochre flames leaping upwards turning the place into an inferno.

    Little ahead after traffic signal, I halted. It took few moments to recover from the instant shock. It was providential escape for three of us from being consumed by inferno.

    I lifted my son hugged and kissed his cheeks many times wildly and with other hand, I embraced my dazed wife whose eyes glinted in tears.

    But for my son’s pestering on that day, to leave the petrol-pump at once and my confusion over wife’s gesture... I shudder to think.
    Is it subtlety? @Viswamitra

     
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  2. messedup

    messedup Platinum IL'ite

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    My father and brother went to watch a movie. In between the movie my brother started insisting the father to go outside. He thought he must have to go to the washroom. When they came out my brother insisted him to move out of the movie hall. My father insisted him to sit for some more time but he didnt agreed to. When they came out then within few minutes there was a blast in the hall. My brother was too small at that time and he don't even remember why he did that.
     
  3. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:thatz why kids also known as little angels
    Thanks and regards.
    God has special wavelength to communicate to kids & moms & spouses
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2019
    Anusha2917 and messedup like this.
  4. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:The title for this post decided soon after my response to suggest titles where women plays predominant role. I thought of Sydney Sheldon's Rage of Angels.
    God in stones in sermons in rivulets seem to be inert.
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2019
  5. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:@SpringB
    Thanks for clicking the like option.
    Shall appreciate your comments.
    Regards.
    God springs up from pillar and unknown places.
     
  6. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shri Thyagarajan,
    Having been born and brought up in a very big joint family,I have experienced many such instances.
    One such unforgettable incident I would like to narrate.
    My daughter is completing 50 this year. My memories flew back to

    1969.I was in my native village, in
    Tiruchirapalli. My daughter was 22 days old.,born after 6 years of marriage.

    She was sleeping in a bamboo cradle in the hall.I was alone at home. My parents had gone out. As I was busy in the kitchen I felt the haphazard swinging of the cradle. I saw a big monkey sitting on the rim of the cradle and jumping
    and rejumping ..

    Without caring for my vociferous signals to shoo it out, it just jumped out of the
    cradle ,holding the baby with its teeth firm on the araignan rope ( black rope tied around the hip of the child) and started running towards the backyard.

    Most of the houses were thatched houses.Monkeys used to jump, enter the kitchen freely and take away the food.No harm.
    But now it was a crisis.
    The most favourite place for the monkeys used to be the concrete slab on the well, coconut tree tops
    or the compound wall of the temples.The monkey was nearing the well which was just 20 feet away.

    Suddenly I got a flash. I remembered the words my mother had spoken on an earlier occasion. " Monkeys think that they are the most beautiful creatures in the world. They would like to see and admire their own form in the mirror'.
    Without wasting a second
    I took a big mirror from the shelf and ran towards the monkey and by some sounds attracted its attention. It was just 2 steps to reach the well. It was about to climb the parapet wall and therefrom to the concrete slab.

    With prayer in my mind and posing to be brave I just went in front of the monkey and waved the mirror against its face.
    The monkey became too excited to enjoy its image.
    Immediately it dropped fast the baby clinched to its teeth on the mud floor just adjacent to the parapet wall of the well.

    I just threw the mirror near the monkey ,allowed the monkey to admire its own image.

    Everything happened within one minute.

    I took the baby inside, bolted the doors.It took nearly an hour for me
    to regain composure.For long hours the thought of'what would have happened 'was torturing me.

    All along, the infant was unaware of the crucial
    happenings.That was a real blessing.No injury to the baby and only a small mark of the monkey's teeth was found on the hip.

    Actually the information was given to me when I was just eight.
    My mother used to entertain us with interesting tales about Rama's coronation .

    The monkeys were decorating themselves, stood before mirror
    and told that they looked more beautiful than Sita herself and that if Rama had seen them earlier he would not have thought of
    Sita.

    The valuable information told in jest,which had been received by me casually, helped me in a crisis.

    Our education, degrees,
    intelligence or our official position may not be of help on such occasions. Only our commonsense,samayochitabuddhi and swiftness matter a lot.

    By divine grace we should get strength of my mind to get at the right idea and implement it in right time, right speed and the
    appropriate manner.

    Amma, I have no words to convey my gratitude.
    Jayasala 42
     
  7. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear @Thyagarajan Sir,

    That must have been one scary incident. Thank goodness you all escaped - hope everyone else was also fine. I can imagine what you must have felt. I can only say, you paid attention to your son and wife :)
     
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  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:Absolutely delighted with your presentation of presence of mind and the utilization of the knowledge imparted by your beloved mother in a catch 22. What a great moment for you while monkey went busy with mirror image.
    Thanks madam sister for sharing a glimpse of that terrible Hanuman presence.
    Regards.
    God's vehicles and friends are noble (laureates) and reliable.
     
  9. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    Small children getting a standing ride in scooters, and no helmets, scares me every time when I see that.
     
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  10. periamma

    periamma IL Hall of Fame

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    @Thyagarajan "Deivam Manushya Roobine" HE has warned you in your Son's roobam.very frightened to think of the scene.
     
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