Memories of a cloudy day

Oasis

From the time the lockdown started, I’ve been spending some time watching the sunset, clouds, the trees outside my room and taking photos on my mobile phone. On one such cloudy day, watching the housekeeping staff of my building, sweep the quadrangle, I was transported to my college days. In the first PUC, my best friend and I had bunked college to go shopping in Commercial street, on my friend’s bike, with her birthday money, to buy a pair of black shoes.

Parking in one of the smaller by-lanes of Commercial street, we started our shoe-hunting expedition. Sadly, the shoes didn’t appeal to us. Disappointed, we returned to the by-lane, feeling bad that we had bunked two classes. As we approached my friend’s bike, we saw an old man, bundled up in a shawl, sweeping the ground. My friend started her bike, giving me her handbag to hold. I slung it over my shoulder, along with mine, sitting pillion on the bike.

Reaching my house, we chatted in my room. An hour later, my friend got ready to leave. When she picked up her handbag, she realized it felt lighter. On opening it she found her black wallet missing. She said she had given it to me along with her handbag while starting the bike.

I didn’t remember the black wallet. We both came to the conclusion that we must have dropped it in the by-lane. “I’m sure the janitor must have found my wallet and taken it, my ID card was there,” my friend groaned.

We rushed to Commercial street. We started searching. There was no sign of the wallet. A shopkeeper asked us what we were looking for. The shopkeeper beckoned us. When we reached his shop, he handed my friend her wallet, saying the janitor had found it and left it with him, in case the owner returned for it.

My friend opened her wallet. Everything was intact. “Shouldn’t you leave something for the janitor?” the shopkeeper said. My friend handed him a few notes, saying, “Please thank him on my behalf.” While returning home, we were lost in our thoughts. How quickly we had jumped to the conclusion, judging the old man. His honesty had silenced us, making us ashamed of our petty thoughts.