The Coconut Seller

A tiny dehydrated sparrow stood outside the door of our house, hopping from one leg to the other, her beak open. The moment she heard some movement, she flew away.

I took this opportunity to keep a bowl of water outside, and in no time she was back, slurping the water. Soon other birds also joined her, while I happily watched this communal slaking of thirst, feeling thirsty myself.

Even the beginning of November was prohibitively hot, but I managed to walk a few steps and stopped in my tracks as I saw two tiny ragpickers walking hand in hand. The elder one, a boy, had one hand on the girl’s head, and the other held a rucksack.

Just a little away from me stood a man selling coconut water. From the corner of his eye, the little boy saw his little sister running her tongue over her parched lips.
The boy rummaged in his pocket for some loose change, carefully counted the money, bought a coconut, and gave it to his sister, looking lovingly at her.

“Tum apney liyey nahi logye?” asked the vendor.

The boy shook his head, a little sheepishly.

“Take this,” he said, handing him one more coconut. “Go under the shade of a tree and drink it up,” he insisted, tousling the tiny boy’s unkempt hair.

“I don’t have money,” the boy said ruefully.

“Did I ask for money?” the vendor asked him with an affectionate reprimand.

Morning Meanderings Season 4 – the weekly column by Santosh Bakaya

The boy looked at him, his face wreathed in a gamut of emotions. Both brother and sister went towards the tree, but not before the boy said, “Thank you” to the coconut seller. Throughout the day, I kept replenishing the bowl, which quenched the thirst of myriad birds.

When I last saw it, at least twenty birds were hopping and chirping around the bowl, now and then dipping their beaks in it. And a brother-sister duo was heading towards a tin and tarpaulin structure they called home, slaking their thirst from two coconuts, exchanging smiles, time and again looking gratefully at the coconut seller over their shoulders.

The Good Samaritan was doing brisk business, selling more coconuts to thirsty joggers on a November day. November used to be cold not many years back. Now it was tinged not only with the warmth of the sun but also with the warmth of compassion and empathy—and it felt good.

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About the Author

Santosh Bakaya ( 174 Posts)

Dr Santosh Bakaya is the author of three mystery novels for young adults, and a book of essays titled Flights From My Terrace, which was recently published as an e-book on Smashwords. Her poetic biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Ballad Of Bapu has been published by Vitasta Publishers, Delhi, India in May 2015 and has been receiving rave reviews from everywhere. Although a Political theorist, with a doctorate in political theory, it is literature which has been her first love. She was awarded the Reuel international award for language and literature 2014 for her long poem Oh Hark!, which forms part of the Significant Anthology. Many of her poems have figured in the highly commended category in Destiny Poets, a UK based website and many are part of international anthologies. Right now, she is giving the final touches to her satirical novel, tentatively titled Sanakpur Shenanigans.
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