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Neighbourhood Stroll

The night was warm with nary a breeze.The neighbourhood where I live was resting at 9.00 p.m after a hot sweltering summer day.Air was heavy with moisture.I was clad in a navy-blue track pant and a light cotton tee-shirt which was wet with perspiration.I wasn't a happy night at all !! In my left hand I hade a medium sized jute bag and my right index finger had the house key-ring in it. I always make it a point to carry my home keys wherever I go to save my lovely wife of 34 years the trouble of locking up and opening coming down up and again down.

I didn't feel like watching the television and my highly myopic eyes make reading at night a hard task. The jute bag was for fetching some grocery and a pack of cigarettes. As I neared the bend there was Shankar Uncle with his walking stick going towards his home.He was sad and depressed at 85.His children are well off and settled outside the city. He lives with his trusted wife."Where had you been Uncle? and why are you with the walking stick ?" Then I saw that in his left hand he had a small plastic bag of some potatoes. Then Uncle opened his sad sack of sorrows which I listened to with much patience.

"I find it difficult to move out during day because of the hot sun and my doctor has recently diagnosed me with Parkinsons. I am very depressed and wish to leave the world as early as possible.I have many old-age problems. The doctors are squeezing money off me and none of their pills or advice are helping me. The other day I met an old acquaintance who is bent over and he fell face-down many a time. I'm scared that I may also fall down soon."What could I say to comfort him !!!!! I simply put on a pasted smile and wished to say "You'll get well Uncle" but I could NOT since it would be a blatant lie. I simply told him that I was also on the same road and he'd probably go "home" before I do.