Settee

It was an official visit & I was among the working crew. We were travelling along a dusty gravel road after a repair of a water pump at a rural school.

It was a primary school which having about sixty students. Solar power system provided to operate water pump which was out of order. Wire connection has been damaged by squirrels. No water for basic hygienic requirements. Toilet facilities were horrible and couldn’t go near them due to intolerable smell.

I was not in a good mood. Drought made browny environment. Lakes were dried up. Villagers were awaiting inter monsoon seasonal rain. There was a small lorry moving slowly along dusty gravel roads with music, selling villagers some household items, furniture and kitchen utensils on installment basis.

Our vehicle was moving along the gravel road making clouds of dust. I saw a woman carrying a kid was standing at a halfly built house near the road. When we were passing her, I suddenly noted that she began to chase our vehicle while shouting & waving.

As soon as our driver stopped the vehicle, she got in to back seat with the child without seeking further permission. She told us that her bike had a puncture and wanted to go to the nearest town.

Our vehicle has been overtaken by the same small lorry met earlier, filled with household items slowly running along with music. I knew that this type of lorries could be seen frequently at rural areas. She also confirmed that it's an usual scenary and these lorries wandering up & down daily during harvesting seasons.

I asked the woman whether they had purchased any item from those merchants. She told me that they had bought a new settee on installment basis during harvesting season last year and were able to settle only ten installments. Unfortunately they couldn't settle the balance payment on time. They didn't even allow their kids to sit on that settee and kept meticulously even without removing polythene wrapping.

One day the same lorry came and loaded the settee ignoring their objections and went back. They were not in a position to pay the balance amount because there was no any harvest for last five consecutive seasons and experienced hardships due to a severe drought.

I didn't look back. She asked us to get down them in front of the dispensary. She thanked us and got down from the cab.

Later my friend who was with me said that he badly wanted to have a chilled beer at that moment.😥