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Miracles do happen
She speaks of this African country as having the bluest sky she has ever seen anywhere but laments the changes since her last stay decades ago.
- By Vanaja Rao, Stone Editor
- Published: 22:48 July 2, 2009
She speaks of this African country as having the bluest sky she has ever seen anywhere but laments the changes since her last stay decades ago. Her arrival here after a gap of more than 20 years makes her reflect on the inevitability of change and the hype about it being good. But she begs to differ. She feels there is a huge downside to this progress, with all that is condoned in its name.
In the 1980s, it was a happy place to be in, she notes. What struck her then was that the people were a smiling race, always swaying to a heard or imagined rhythm, a delight to watch as they, young and old, moved down aisles while shopping, on the road, or while waiting to cross the street. Music still plays but nobody responds like they used to. Now, she says, there are no handshakes, no smiles, no open, trusting gaze. Oh yes, they still sing and dance in their places of worship with gay abandon. Thankfully, that has not changed.
Crime was negligible in the good old days. They hardly ever locked their doors when they went out. Now, however, the sight of high walls, electric fences and gates are commonplace. Security service companies flourish and almost every house has guard dogs. So, another thriving business is the making of wooden kennels of every conceivable shape and size.
As if to underscore all her worst fears, her husband, who is a cardiologist, is warned about leaving expensive items in his car. He heeds the warning but has no choice but to carry his Echo machine and laptop wherever he goes. He is told to lock these in the trunk of the car where they are not so visible. He follows the well-meaning advice. Then, one day, he makes a five-minute stop at a shop. When he returns to the car, he finds it has been broken into and the horrendously expensive equipment is gone.
Shaken to the core, he makes the rounds of the police station to file a report, to secure permission to put up posters offering a reward for the safe return of the items. He is reassured by those in authority that the Echo machine won't find any buyers and will be difficult to dispose of.
As the days and then weeks pass, hope begins to fade. Then, out of the blue, one day he receives a call from a stranger asking if he has lost some things and telling him that the lost items have been found and are with him. They arrange to meet but the doctor is told not to involve the cops. He agrees. Friends advise the cardiologist to take someone with him for the meeting which should be in a public place.
So, they meet in a bank. They listen in hushed silence as the stranger relates his story. He says he had gone to a certain place and was offered a laptop for sale which he bought. Then, the 'seller' told him that he had another bigger 'laptop'. But the stranger wasn't interested. On reaching home and accessing the computer, he realises it must belong to a doctor. After consulting with his brother, who is a doctor, he decides to buy the other machine. He also calls up the hospital, inquires about anyone having lost anything and gets hold of the phone number of the cardiologist whom he later calls.
Overwhelmed by the goodness of this man, the owner of the stolen goods insists that he take the reward on offer. But this is refused politely and firmly. Eventually, he agrees to be reimbursed for the amount he had paid for the two machines but nothing more.
The men later go to his house to pick up the machines where they meet his wife and son with special needs.
Recounting this incident of hope, the doctor's wife says that what she has learnt from this is that miracles do happen and restore our faith in humanity.
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