LIVING HARD

LIVING HARD

The question I’ve been getting lately from my friends and relatives with curious expressions and raised eyebrows, particularly these past few days after my application for the VRS has been forwarded to the higher offices is that, how I’am going to survive the impending financial crisis and how it will affect my social status. In this world of absolute uncertainty where lives may unravel and unfold in ways we could never envisage, their concerns are genuine. Last week when I went down to Palode, a village in the outskirts of Trivandrum where Iam proposed to settle down after my retirement, I have befriended this elderly woman in her late seventies.  My wife who had her entire childhood spent in this village introduced this gentle lady to me when she spotted her walking down the road toward market.  While offering a lift which she had readily accepted, my wife discussed with her our future plans to settle down in the village amid her concerns about finding an alternate source of income for subsistence.   Pat came the reply from this elderly lady in that loud- voiced authoritative manner, “Don’t worry daughter, you people come over here. We will do something about it”. I’am an optimist and a believer that anything is possible, yet even I’am astounded by her reply.  What is to be said of this deprived, illiterate, labour class woman who has her whole life experienced nothing but impoverishment and still have the courage to talk like this? I think it might be the long years of toil, sacrifice and hardship which she had come upon so far with that effervescent smile on her face instigate her to say it. Who knows...!