From Change-ful Guy to Change-less Guy

CHANGE alone is eternal, perpetual and immortal

                                                                        Arthur Schopenhauer

When I was young, I used to be a slow bloomer, at least, according to some of my teachers till the fifth standard. Why do I start like this? I have forgot it. Honestly… Hmmm… Oh yeah… It is CHANGE. My teachers used to advise me -- sometimes, frankly speaking, shout at me -- “You have got to change yourself, Murali.”  

In this world, Change is an important, interesting word in any language. In my life time, I have often heard and read about the importance of change.

From the century, in which Bhagavad Gita was written and it is emphasized that “CHANGE is the only thing that does not CHANGE in this world” to 2009, when US President Barack Obama said, “Yes, We Can…. CHANGE is what we need” in his presidential election, the word “change” has been used for many connotations and significant situations.

Interestingly, in India, at least in the southern part of India to my knowledge (Sorry for my poor Socio-Linguistic Knowledge, as it is in pathetic situation), we use the word 'CHANGE' for remaining money or amount, especially coins (in Tamil, It is SILLARAI).

Now, what is the problem here? Why do I tell you all this? It is because the Change (SILLARAI) itself is a problem here and the problem is for me.

                                                        

This incident happened in Madurai, my native, when I first went back home from Hyderabad for Diwali in 2010. I did leave Hyderabad not just with my luggage, LOVE for my family and anticipation of meeting my friends, but importantly with some CHANGE (SILLARAI). In simple, I left Hyderabad as a "Change-ful guy".

Though I left Hyderabad as a "change-ful guy", hoping that I will reach home without any problem, I became "change-less guy" when I reach Madurai Railway Station. 

"You need THREE RUPEES change Murali!!!", I was thinking within myself. I came out of the train and felt the welcome breeze of the cloudy evening. People were hurriedly wading through the crowd for the expectation of meeting their family and the fear of threatening dark-cloud.  

As soon as I came out of the railway station, I put my luggage down on the vast platform and stood in among the fast-moving festival crowd. From a distance, I looked at a small Meenakshi Temple built on the platform, though not intending to pray, and an old woman selling Jasmine (Two prominent identity of Madurai City).

The lust for my city was kindled once more when the rain started drizzling down. Perceiving it as a pathetic fallacy, I felt it as "Happy restoration" as Wordsworth felt "tranquil restoration" when he went back to Tintern Abby, which I never understood in my classroom. Laughing at my stupid thoughts, I took my luggage and started running to bus station in the fear of getting drenched. 

As I was running to the bus station, fat rain drops started pouring down to celebrate Diwali in my home town. On the way to bus station, I jumped into a moving bus going to my place as soon as I noticed it.

The bus was partly filled; all the seats were occupied except the last row occupied by two men, sitting next to two side windows. Three or four men (though I am not sure) were standing near the steps. Wondering why they were standing, I sat in the middle of last row, putting my luggage down nearby me.

When I casually turned to the person on my left side, he winked and whistled at me, saying,"Maalai Vanakam Thalaiva! (Good Evening Lord)”.

Abruptly, I stood and maintained some distance, knowing that he was badly drunk. Notwithstanding the smell of alcohol (as I am a good and innocent boy who does not smoke and drink!J), I saluted him back from where I stood.

"Ticket… Ticket… Keep the appropriate change in hand when you buy ticket", shouts the conductor out of tension even in the partly empty bus. 

As soon as I heard the word CHANGE, I was remembered my problem of not having any change for my ticket. All I could find was one twenty-rupee note for a three-rupees ticket.

The conductor came to me and asked, "Where do you go?"

I replied, giving twenty-rupee note, "Give me one ticket for Avaniyapuram (my place)".

 "Why are you giving twenty-rupee note for three-rupee ticket?" He continued, “You think I am working in a bank to give you change whenever you ask me”.

"Hello… Hello… You think I am working in the bank to give you change. It is your responsibility to come with change" I shouted back at him like a true Maduraian (like IndianJ).

"If you have change, I will give the ticket. Or else, get down and come in next bus", He shouted at me.

“Hey… (in Tamil, it is Dai) conductor, you first give that brother a ticket or else I will start howling and disturbing”, irrespectively shouted at the conductor.

As the bus was going to the village, which was far away from the city, where the drunken-guy seemingly belongs to, the conductor was very afraid to shout back at him because of safety of the bus. There were several serious incidents happened because of small misunderstandings - especially to the government buses.  

The conductor told me in low voice, "If you have change, I will give ticket or else get down".

Having told this to me, the conductor went to chat with the driver - seemingly, the drunken-man had been creating trouble even before I came aboard bus. Wondering when will CHANGE come for this CHANGE problem in Madurai, I was waiting for the conductor to come back - not feeling like looking back at disgusting drunken-man. 

He came back after sometime and asked for change. Though I told him to take twenty rupee and keep the change, he refused to give me a ticket and irritatingly said: "Who want your money?"

Watching patiently all this, the drunken-man gave a change and bought a ticket for me against my inclination. He even refused to take my twenty-rupee note, saying: "If a human does not help each other, how can we live in this world". (in Tamil, Manusanu ku manusa ithu kuda pannalana appadi)

When the bus almost reached my place, I asked him: "How can I repay it to you?"

He laughed and told: "Give it to someone else searching for CHANGE in the bus like you." Looking at the drunken-man, I thought within myself, "Do you actually mean CHANGE as SILLARAI or alternative ideas for long-lasting CHANGE problem. Whatever it may be and how disgusting you look... You are still a great man!" 

Once the bus reached my place, I got off the bus and happily walked to my house in the drizzle of rain.

J The End J

Courtesy: Prof. Elango Natesen, The American College.