‘They also serve who only stand and wait."

                  wrote John Milton, the great poet in ‘on his blindness’.

I am reminded of this line every day as I stand and wait for the pick-up vehicle that will transport me to my work place.

The provocation is the delay in the arrival of the vehicle at the spot. It is scheduled to arrive at 8.10 a.m. and your truly therefore, reaches the spot a few minutes earlier to that. But of late, the vehicle does not arrive till about 8.20 or 8.25.

So, I am forced to wait and what do I serve – nothing. No, perhaps!

I see some auto fellows slowing down on seeing me – hoping that I will hire them! I look the other way. So I serve this purpose of kindling hope of business for the auto driver

Someone, approaches me and asks me, ‘where is such and such school; I am knowledgeable about this and give the person the directions to reach that school. So I serve this purpose!

The waiting has unfolded quite a number of things to me! Most of the days I see the same faces, vehicles and there is some punctuality among these (this is contrary to my earlier blog – better late than never”).

I can set my watch by the school teacher hurrying to her school close by. The time is 8.12 a.m. A Swift car passes by - the time is 8.13 a.m. The security guard at the entrance of the building near which I wait climbs on to his bi-cycle – the time is 8.15 a.m. Still no sign of my vehicle!

A man with his Alsatian (that frightens me!) comes along – the time is 8.16 a.m. And so on….

Another person I regularly see is the one who seems to have lost his orientation with his unsteady feet – he will walk with his hands stretched in front of him as if to say, ‘please give way’. I have sometimes helped him to cross the road. So I also serve!
What intrigues me is that there seems to be regularity in the way people go about their business.

I am already worked up. I call my vehicle coordinator on his mobile – the msg. comes ‘the subscriber is busy; call after some time’. I call another of my colleagues. He does not respond. Try another number wondering whether the vehicle had arrived earlier and left without picking me up! Mercifully he responds, ‘we will be at your spot in another 2/3 minutes’.

I feel relieved.Otherwise I have to go home and take my car to the work spot and of late, I don’t relish driving in Bangalore. Or hire an auto who will want the price of an auto as auto fare and on top of that I have to describe to him the destination – my work spot is located far away from the city and not many are familiar with that area. He will start the auto and mumble along the way, ‘I will not get return fare so you must give me more than what I had demanded. I will have to agree. I have no other option and he is aware of it!

So I wait for the vehicle so that I may go and serve in the institution which prepares youngsters for careers in banking!

So, I, who stand and wait also, serve!  

(with apologies to John Milton)