The Volvo bus was cruising on the highway between Hyderabad and Vijayawada. An old man was sitting in the seat on my right. He was coughing in fits and starts. I was tired after my late night flight from Chennai.
My fellow traveler tapped on my shoulder. I woke up grumpily. He asked me with a long face, “Do you have any medicine for a cough”. In fact, he watched me taking a tablet when I boarded the coach. Politely I replied that I had just one that was already consumed. I got the impression from his face that he did not take my ‘no’ that seriously. After a couple of coughing fits, he tapped me once again, now on my thigh. He asked, “Sir, will you be kinder now and give me the medicine, and I am sure God will give you a good turn in your career?” I was nonplussed. On second thought, I gave him the thing to get rid of his nagging. I had to resume my nap to be fresh for my next day’s interview.
Lo, what a miracle! It seemed his cough stopped. Soon his bus stop arrived. Beaming all over, he rose to make his exit. At the door, he paused at the door and shouted at me over the rows. The whole bus woke up.
What he said was loud, but it was only an earnest appeal addressed to me, “Hey, young man! What was the medicine you just gave me?”
Perhaps he wanted to memorize the tablet’s name and buy it the first thing when he came across a medical shop. I shouted back, “Sir, I was having just one of that kind and didn’t remember its name correctly”. Looking disappointed, he got down the bus and left.
A young passenger sitting to my left now, asked, ‘Can you please recollect its name at least now by any chance? This is if I get a coughing fit in future like the old man had”. I did not answer him then and there and kept mum. Sooner my destination came by. Before getting down I showed this over-eager young man the place on my shirt where there used to be a button.
My take: Some ailments/ symptoms are merely imaginary, and the medicine is just belief, trust and our good old faith.
Note: Fictional write intended for fun. Not to be repeated in real life. :)
- An early version is on Boloji Dot Com.
My fellow traveler tapped on my shoulder. I woke up grumpily. He asked me with a long face, “Do you have any medicine for a cough”. In fact, he watched me taking a tablet when I boarded the coach. Politely I replied that I had just one that was already consumed. I got the impression from his face that he did not take my ‘no’ that seriously. After a couple of coughing fits, he tapped me once again, now on my thigh. He asked, “Sir, will you be kinder now and give me the medicine, and I am sure God will give you a good turn in your career?” I was nonplussed. On second thought, I gave him the thing to get rid of his nagging. I had to resume my nap to be fresh for my next day’s interview.
Lo, what a miracle! It seemed his cough stopped. Soon his bus stop arrived. Beaming all over, he rose to make his exit. At the door, he paused at the door and shouted at me over the rows. The whole bus woke up.
What he said was loud, but it was only an earnest appeal addressed to me, “Hey, young man! What was the medicine you just gave me?”
Perhaps he wanted to memorize the tablet’s name and buy it the first thing when he came across a medical shop. I shouted back, “Sir, I was having just one of that kind and didn’t remember its name correctly”. Looking disappointed, he got down the bus and left.
A young passenger sitting to my left now, asked, ‘Can you please recollect its name at least now by any chance? This is if I get a coughing fit in future like the old man had”. I did not answer him then and there and kept mum. Sooner my destination came by. Before getting down I showed this over-eager young man the place on my shirt where there used to be a button.
My take: Some ailments/ symptoms are merely imaginary, and the medicine is just belief, trust and our good old faith.
Note: Fictional write intended for fun. Not to be repeated in real life. :)
- An early version is on Boloji Dot Com.
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