Saluting the stalwarts

Our maid, Kasturi, comes in, cleans the house and breezes out to her next place of work.

I shudder to think of what our life would be without the maid, the milkman, the garbage collectors, the watchman, the postman and the delivery boy from our grocery store.

Our day begins with the cup that cheers us thanks to our ever smiling milk man who, through rain or shine, promptly delivers milk every morning at 5:30 am. He even has a facility where, if we do not wish to purchase milk for that day we do not have to leave a bag out. What benevolence this!

Then arrives our ‘on-time Kasturi Express’, whom we can see coming like a hurricane from a distance. She comes in, cleans the house and breezes out to her next place of work. Kasturi and punctuality go hand in hand. There is not a day she misses and her work-worn hands never seem to stop! She enters with a big smile and leaves with the same. The adage, “You have not completed dressing up without wearing a smile,” suits her to the T.

Our watchman cheerfully reminds us of letter in the mail box or keeps our library books safely or is around when something package is delivered. Like a shepherd who watches his flock, he is always omnipresent! Then comes our delivery boy from the local grocery store courtesy whom our provisions are just a call away. And, he is there all-prepared to make a few more trips back and forth if we forget to add a couple of items.

We were returning from a wedding once late at night. As we were driving home we passed by an overflowing dustbin. Silhouetted against the moonlit sky on the heap of garbage were two figures and standing close by was a truck that was stinking to the skies. One man stood by the truck dutifully emptying the garbage shoveled by the man from the bin into the truck. This sight, greeting our eyes after a festive moment, left in us feeling depressed. Whose garbage are they cleaning? And if not for them, what would happen to all that waste? Are we living in an age where motored machines could not do the same? Those hands they use to clean our dirt have to feed their own bodies after doing the horrendous chore. Again, where would we be without them?

It is raining cats and dogs and somewhere in the deafening sound we hear some gusty singing, with a few solos and sopranos. All this music is coming from a tall building coming up right behind our house. It is nearing completion and we see tons of labourers working day in and out, singing as they work. Mohammed Rafi would be proud watching them from above.

The peace I see on these faces are unparalleled. These God’s own people are working for their survival and sustenance, and most of all emanate immense contentment. These people are the pillars of our society. The ones for whom we should be most thankful!