I know you might be thinking that now this is a weird title for a blog..Trust me..I know that!! And, you might as well think there could be a better title for this.But, I have a reason. .And, I don't think I could have managed a better title than this one...
This is an experience I had way back in 2010 when it had been only 3 months in US..I wrote it on some other blog but thought will move it here. So, without adding too much masala, I would just like to share it as it is..:)
" It's been 3 months now that I am in this country. I am sitting in front of the river-front and thinking about the differences in the country I had been born and brought up in and the place I shifted after marriage, a country which is called a land of opportunities. Wondering if it really does offer that many opportunities to those who are not from this country. What should I really get involved in to make the most of the time I had in hand?
I was totally immersed in my thoughts until I saw this woman. This woman in late 40's.She was watching me from far for a long time.. She would move her gaze to look around for a while and then back again...At that moment I realized that I had no interest in whatever am eating but more interested in knowing what she might be thinking. Why is she staring? Do I look like an alien? Sure, I don't. Suddenly, I realized that it was not me she was looking at but my food. Finally, there came a point when I had to just go and talk to her.
I knew I wasn't supposed to be talking to her but it was as if she was calling me and something in her eyes that drew me closer to her. I had whole lot of time in hand with nothing to do. I was in a public park with lots of people around. I couldn't think of anything worse.
I gathered the courage and went on to sit beside her. And asked if I could join her. Surprisingly, she welcomed me with her smile as if knowing that this was to come. We both did not introduce each other. After a few minutes, she started talking... on her own..
She told me that she was waiting for her friend. I asked her where she lived, what she did..
And, she responded --
"Not having a work is a lot of work in itself and it's a lot more work than you think it is"....That hit home since I wasn't employed either and that also meant she dint work either...Now, the question was where she lived...She kept repeating that "She is in a very funny-funny situation. She never had been out of work for this long and she stayed wherever it's warm"...
She lived where ever it was warm..Now, what does that mean? I started wondering if she was a prostitute but then didn't she just say that she was out of work for quite some time? I kept repeating my question until I realized that she was homeless.
Why was it so difficult to believe that she could be homeless? The lady wore Kohl in her eyes, lipstick and had a nice jacket on. It was nothing like what we see back in India where you would see people with no clothes or shoes to cover their feet with begging for money -- food -- clothes.. No wonder this country is called the richest country in the world.
After some time, I came to know that she hadn't eaten anything since past 3-4 days -- (quite a big reason why she had so much interest in my food). She didn't have any money to buy the food. She shared a few more details like she had been married once, but her husband left. She wanted to become a mother but was over 45 already..Her parents lived in a different country and dint have anyone to look upto...
I was hoping that she would ask me for some money in the end. But, she dint. She did ask for food. I had some of the curry left in my meal but wasn't sure if she would like or rather, if it was right to feed her . From the time I landed in this country, I had been hearing that people can sue you for the smallest thing and I obviously dint want to invite any trouble for me or my family later on.
Not sure why I was debating so much with my thoughts at this time. Wasn't this something I always wanted to do when I was back in India and I always did? Help those who are in need. Why was I then refraining from doing it when I had the chance to do it again? Was it really because of the fear of getting into trouble or was it because suddenly those few dollars had become too precious to me?
America being the richest country of the world and popular for providing monetary benefits to those who are unemployed and citizens of this country also had what we call as "Beggars" dint fit the picture I had in my mind. Obviously the nicely dressed ones, but beggars...really??
We so easily ignore the people who live on the streets, have no food to eat and waste like anything..don't even think before tipping in a restaurant but never actually come up to help someone in need. We, I guess forget that these people also have normal needs as every human being does and they also want to have a life like everyone else.
There came a point where I realized that I wouldn't do anything to help this lady, I grabbed my bag and bid her a goodbye saying that I was going for a walk.
When I came back after taking a round at the same spot, I was hoping not to find her there. But to my surprise, she had left already. My eyes started searching for her-- and there I saw her running in some random direction with fast steps.Wanted to call her out, stop her, give her some money for food but guess never had the courage to do it because I was in a "funny-funny situation" myself. "
