Wednesday, November 29, 2006

an obituary

A crowd collected near the electric post. Death of a government employee. News buzzed around, percolating through barriers, of brick and mortar. Who? When? How?

Somebody, whom the localites recognized, he, who was working for the telephone department. The serviceman, had gone up the pole, encountered an electric shock from a live wire, fell, face down.

People from the neighbouring shops gathered. An auto, passing by was called for, the victim was shifted to a hospital.

Later, aunt told me that the man died on the spot. A man whom mother recalled, who had helped her, many a time, when the telephone at home, had to undergo repair. A person, like you and me.

A thread of blood lay on the tar, breaking off here and there. Sand was scattered over it. In order to make it easy for us to forget the gruesome sight. Not crossing that patch, some avoided it, lest it'll bring bad luck. A woman, shivered, on recounting the experience.How could she even think about somoething else? it occured right in front of her.

Live wires hanging in mid-air, helping the cause of death in a cruel manner. The victims, you and me. The by-standers, you and me. We, who think that death cannot approach us.

Officials, came and went. Policemen appeared. A case will be filed. Compensation offered to the suffering family, a stipulated amount for a life.

Caused by negligence, on our part. A life lost, easily, within minutes. Life will go on, as usual. I'll go to college, learn Ionic Equilibria, the vegetable vendor will supply vegetables. Electricians make house-calls, the tv will churn out doles of rubbish, mother cooks as always. Afterall it is an obituary of a commoner, nothing more.

God bless!!

8 comments:

The 'Ekaangi' said...

This happened when i was returnin home from coll. with a friend...both our attention shifted towards a buffalo which was rummaging thru some plastic covers searchin for somethin to eat...poor creature i thought...it was in its on world, not aware of a live wire dangling above it...we noticed the wire...somethin felt not all right...and in the next second...the animal cried in pain...it was like we were feelin the shock too...and the poor thing fell to the ground...wriggled a bit...and just sat staring nowhere...someone muttered that it was dead...few cursed the KPTCL guys...few scattered away not able to look at it...the animal didn't even know what happened...it lost its life...all it wanted was somethin to eat

Anonymous said...

Aggghhh........It is painful...I can't comment anything more.....Govt. REALLY needs to step up and punish the bastards (sorry!).

And, @ EkAMgi, oh no !!!!!

Srik said...

What a pity that some bullish Govt officials are responsible for our lives this way!!

How disgusting?!!!
I am shocked.

mouna said...

suhas,
that is really very sad, animal antha yaaru adara bagge yochne madlikkilla, a mute beast dying of a live wire!!

ds,
yes, it is very disheartening, what can the govt. do when it made up of.... nuts. new wires were put up today, hope they don't prove faulty too. a scene created.... case closed.

srik,
isn't it ironical that our lives lie in the hands of such irresponsible people?

Raghavendra D R said...

Moving account..I wish that the unlucky person finds peace.
Isn't our minds strange? The world goes on inspite of the death of others. Though we see something happening to others that will one day happen to us, we never stop to think about it! "Enu Mayeyo"!

mouna said...

'enu mayeyo' indeed, i guess what keeps us upbeat to move forward, is the human spirit, which is compassionate, and at the same time cruel..strange.

Shiv said...

Mouna,

Touching post indeed...
How true it is..life just goes on..
We may pause for few seconds,may mourn for few minutes,dear ones will mourn for life time..but life & time just moves on..

mouna said...

time and tide waits for no one, it is sad, to even think about it...