Thursday, November 03, 2011

Who did I meet today?

Nine am on a trafficless road a few blocks away from my office building: I was ambling along slowly, marvelling over how desolate the road appeared. It seemed as if the world wasn't up yet? Was I early? I checked my watch. The dial indicated 9.05 am.


Where then were all the people? Did everyone have a day off? Was today a holiday that I had forgotten about? Or had aliens abducted all those who worked on this street?


I was walking along the pavement, pondering over these mysteries when a vagabond, hobo, bum, call him what you will, suddenly sprang up just a few inches in front of me. Shaggy and rough he was, with a beard that tapered as it reached the top of his scant belly.


He had seemed to materialise out of nowhere. In truth, he must have just sprung up from the platform of an adjoining shopfront where he must have been sitting.


He was so gaunt that I could have knocked him down with my elbow. And yet I stood there dazed, wondering what I was going to do if he attacked me. Where are the crowds when you need them?


He stared at me for the briefest of seconds and then his lips parted to reveal a set of off-white teeth.


And then he spoke. "Hello, girl, I am God."


With that, he sprinted away as fast as he could. Relieved, I laughed aloud and turned to look after him. I was still laughing when a middle-aged office-goer turned the corner and came face to face with me. My laughter must have sounded unreal to him because he turned to look at what had so amused me. There was no one there.


I turned away, as the strains of a Joan Osbourne classic drifted into memory. "What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us, Just a stranger on the bus, Trying to find his way home."

2 comments:

  1. Good one...You seem to have some intresting encounters girl.

    BTW, I hate brushing my teeth, I wonder if the off white teeth and my current lifestyle will soon make me feel like the Slob almighty u bumped into?
    ANGELA PETER

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Angel, That was one strange encounter. For a street bum, his diction was quite good.

    ReplyDelete

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