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Two-Three Liners

Patience pays. Money talks. Arrogance is redundant. God is love.

With these two-three liners in my pocket I ventured out quite a while ago to create some furor with the nomadic tribe I call my friends.

Patience pays.

“You know I have been on the case with some officials for a couple of years regarding the water hassle and hopefully my patience will pay off!”

“What was the problem?”

“You know about the constant woes we have been facing….”

Yawn… doesn’t appeal to her. She would prefer to move on to bigger fish.

Money talks.

“The other day, the husband and I were out shopping and realized that we forgot our wallets. I thought he had his and he thought that I had mine.”

“O crap. Did you have to stay back and work for your supper!?”

“You crazy or what - like that would ever happen! I haven’t worked a day in my life and I am not gonna start now!”

“Ok”

“All we had to do was show them his visiting card and we were out of there scot free. And to add to it we were offered a gift to boot!”

“Hmmm… Money talks!”

Grunt…

“By the way, would you be able to help out the orphanage around the block. They have an urgent need to get books and clothes for the children?”

“Yeah sure, I will ask the husband to write a check. Ensure that we get a receipt though!”

“Yeah sure”

Is arrogance a must?

We caught up weeks later with the rest of the old gang; each one of us wanting to get our two bits across. We cribbed about our colleagues, husbands, significant others, and laughed our guts out about their crazy ways. Amidst the guffaws we came across a hungry child tugging at her mother’s tattered clothes crying inconsolably. Her mother looked back at her helplessly and came falteringly over to our table pleading for a glass of water.

“Get away from us and work you imbecile” yelled my BFF, throwing a glass of water on her face.

Bowing in appreciation, she wiped the droplets of water onto her palm and fed her young daughter with it.

What can I say about the next stage of the outing? I felt extremely embarrassed to be associated with the ‘well heeled’ lot I was with as none of them seemed to care. Ran out of there as fast as possible and hoped to catch up with the mother-daughter duo. But I just couldn’t find them - they seemed to have vanished into thin air! Heard the phone ring in my pocket and picked up the call to

“What happened? You left so suddenly. Are you ok?” from the BFF.

“How could you throw water in that lady’s face?”

“Why can’t she work like the rest of us?”

“Have you? Don’t get arrogant just because you are privileged and she isn’t!”

Livid at my response she retorted

“I didn’t throw it on you, so what is your problem?”

“What has happened to you? Didn’t you recognize her?”

“How can I recognize a beggar?”

“Yeah how can you!” I replied cutting the line and vowed to end this unhealthy friendship that I had nurtured.

I then recalled the number of times I too had ignored the urchin tugging at my sleeve or knocking at the car window, or begging at the gate, or or… requesting and pleading for something - anything. How could I think I was any better? On reaching home I noticed a number of messages on the machine and played them.

“Hi can you please call me, I really need to talk to you.”

“Hope you have received my message, pick up.”

“I don’t know what to say but … Call me please.”

“Why can’t you call back?”

“Sorry I didn’t mean that. Please call! I really need to talk to you.”

“It has been like four hours why haven’t you called.”

“Come on, pick up. We really need to talk. I have such a lot to say and I really need your inputs on this. Please.”

“Call please…”

“What is the matter with you? Don’t you know that I am so upset; I can’t believe that you aren’t back yet.”

“Ok forget it. If you don’t want to call me then I’m coming over.”

“But are you at home?”

I called back and heard her cry

“Do you think she will ever forgive me? I cannot believe that I did that. I am so ashamed,” she sobbed.

I never replied just heard her out and put the phone down. She understood. But I have heard that both she and the husband have brought Tanya and the kids back to live with them. The lady begging was her sister after all, she was family.

In short, even though patience pays, money may bring prosperity, arrogance is totally irrelevant. God shows us love and without love there is nothing worth living for.

Blessings, me lovelies.

Comments

Rayna said…
Loved this Yas. Calling you now to discuss this further.

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