“Stranded! Please help. Have to get to California”

We passed by the board. There was a girl of around 20-25 under it, relatively clean for a person usually found under such boards. We were talking something else and though I told Santhi immediately, we walked around 30 yards by the time she understood what I was saying. We decided to help. We walked back and checked the board again.

Santhi: How much should I pay?

She usually carries all the cash.

I:  10 dollars.

Santhi:  But I have only 20s.

I: Maybe she will return 10.

Santhi: Let’s give 20.

She was uneasy to ask for money back.

I: OK.

She gave her 20. We got into the subway and were walking towards the turnstiles.

I: I talk big things on blogs, but when my chance comes I don’t seem to practice what I stand for.

Santhi: Why? You want to give more money.

I: It is not just that. We could have talked to her and bought her a ticket to California. That way, we would have solved her problem and if she can, she would have sent us the money back and nobody would have lost anything. She also could have retained her self-respect. How much does a ticket to California cost?

Santhi: About $400. Shall we go back?

I: No. Going back is too much. I think we should have thought about it there.

We passed the turnstiles. As we are waiting for the train, I grimaced.

Santhi: What’s wrong now?

I: Maybe we should have gone back when you suggested it. I am just thinking that it is such a small thing that we go back, but it would have made a huge difference to her.

Santhi: We can go back now?

I: But we would waste $3 on the turnstiles. We’ll go home.

The train arrived and we boarded it. I closed my eyes and leaned on the steel rod.

Santhi: What?

I: I am thinking if our 3 dollars is more important than going back and helping her.

Santhi: That is what I am telling you. Let’s go back and talk to her.

I: Shall we?

We got down the train before the doors closed and walked to the turnstiles.

I: Let’s think this through before we go out. How much can we give her? If she says she will return we can give her the ticket price.

Santhi: What if she does not return the money after saying she would? And is it safe to give her our home address?

I: We can give her our lab address. And if she cheats, it is no big deal. It will be a good experience. What if she says she cannot return? How much can we afford?

Santhi: 200.

I: 200? I thought maybe 100-150?

Santhi: We’ll see. She may have collected some money and we only have to pay the rest.

We went out and walked to the place where we saw the girl earlier. The place was empty. We went up and down the street looking at all the corners. We couldn’t find the girl.

Santhi: Make sure you search to your satisfaction, so that we don’t get some ideas after we enter the subway again and we come back to search in a new place. 

After a while, we had to return back. We lost 23 dollars, possibly a friendship, and a chance to apply some of whatever I talk about on these blogs. It wasn’t such a good feeling. I wish I could have managed to think faster and been more decisive or at least, listened to Santhi whenever she suggested turning back. Helping the girl return to California would have been a far better investment, in my opinion, both emotionally and monetarily.

Free Hit Counter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Written in consultation with Santhi.

This is autobiographical and happened on June 15, 2008.

With this post I celebrate the anniversary of my blogging here on rediffiland. I consider blogging as a major event of my life. I was wanting to retire early and write a couple of books; but with this I am more at peace and am not under so much pressure, from myself, to retire at all.

I dedicate this post to Nandita Chakraborthy who contributed most to my thinking in the last one year due to her open ended questioning. I wouldn't have thought of "I Want to Live Forever" and understood more than I can explain in a lot of time on the universe question when I attempted "Universe 1 - Time and Light". The ideas that resulted from her questions are not even fully formed. It was a huge quantum leap.

I plan to dedicate one post per year, on July 8, to one blogger. The blogger will be chosen based on my opinion as the blogger whose interaction contributed most to my thinking in that year.