Old Women in MTC: Age cannot Wither their Reserved Strength

Old Women in MTC: Age cannot Wither their Reserved Strength

It is the strength that keeps old age in respect. When strength fails life falls into miserable state. If a little amount of strength is reserved after seventies, life will go on peacefully. The truth is realized not by experience but by witnessing an incident in an MTC bus. The moment we get into the bus our only botheration is how to manage the conductor with hundred a rupee note. He will be like a land lord of hundred acres and we as the vassal under his regime. Whatever may be our social status, in that moment the so called Tamil plural respect will be diminished into singularity - நீ வா போ. Many times I had an urge to tell him “Don’t you know who Am I. I am …..”. I swallow the half at the moment it raises above my throat because he should not insult me with the reply, “so what?”.

If people like us in the prime of life would be treated in this way then surly this is not the world for old people. For them bus will rush from the stop without considering whether the passenger entered or not. Last Sunday my travel from Santhosapuram to Palavakkam brought a new insight on the truth that reserved strength for old age always earns respect for them.

The bus is filled with old women. Next to the three stages from Santhosapuram people thronged at the bus door to get into it. Crowd does not care for the old lady in their midst. She can be in the age of seventy. She returns from her day’s work selling fish in the market. She is the last one trying to squeeze into the crowd. She manages to lay her foot on the step in that madding crowd. But the crowd stayed up to the last step of the entrance.

The old lady started to beat an eighteen year old girl. She is not ready to move an inch. She almost blocks the space. The ultra deluxe (bus) is known for its hydraulic doors. Conductor may not be punctual in tearing the ticket and the driver may not be concerned about passengers to be dropped in their right spot but hydraulic doors do their duty even without the consent of the driver. Old lady is trying her best to be forced into the crowed passage. Her reserved strength could not challenge that crowd. Doors are closed and her right ankle is caught in the fringe of the closed doors.

Instinctively I grab the old lady’s left ankle to pull her into the bus. Thank God! She is rescued. Otherwise the duty bound hydraulic doors would have spewed her out of the bus. When she is pulled into the bus she is very ferocious for the injustice done to her. With her fragile hands she started to beat the eighteen year old girl. Seeing her daughter being beaten up by the old lady, girl’s mother raised her arms against the old lady. I could not tolerate the situation. I shouted at girl’s mother to keep quiet. Then I look at her situation that she too is in difficult situation holding her daughter’s newborn baby. She has to preserve both the newborn baby and the mother. My goodness I did not lose many words on them. A lady gave a seat for the old lady. Mother and daughter are still standing in the middle of the deck holding the fragile creature. Bus is very closer to ECR. Another stop! One more lady in her reserved strength! Here, the revealed truth is that reserved strength would not help her much. With much difficulty she managed to climb two steps and sat on the deck. Voice comes from the bus, “Appa, see, you have one more service”. Now I have to be more vigilant. She should not fall off from the door. With her bamboo basket the first old lady like an eighteen year girl swiftly walked out of the bus and disappear. I amazed at her strength in the old age. It is not the vitality of the age or the nutritious food which enables her to stand firm in the madding crowd. Much more than this something keeps them in the reseved strength in their old age. But the lady who entered the bus now still sits on the deck out of exhaustion. But her mind is very clear. “Appa one ticket to Vetuankanni”. Age cannot wither their reserved strength. I strongly feel that certainly it is not the food and the food without chemical which blesses them in vitality. May be it is goodness of the one and cheerful heart which preserves the reserved strength at the age of seventy and above.