K.E.M. Radiology

 Tryst with an uncalculating gardenware shopkeeper 

Pigeons pigeons and pigeons ...all thanks to architectural distortions , covering the so called drainage pipes of buildings  to beautify the façade of buildings hence pigeons are all over the place. In gardens, on rooftops behind pots in balconies, the smallest area possible.

My limited gardening area is topsy-turvied  - thanks to poop and incessant bantering.

Its has been  many years since I am trying to make my hands green with gardening.

No luck, thanks  to all the pigeons, who quickly hover around and demonise the baby shrubs and its the end  and be all of my young flowering shoot. My brahma kamal mogra,  tulsi plant have been vandalised by them and dwarfed forever. Now they are dead.

It pains me to see my garden wither away.

A final decision was made to have a pigeon net to secure the tiny garden.

Finally the pigeon net  was in place last week .

I and Vikram again visited the local  Gardenware shopkeeper to buy plants.

Personally,  wanted only different colours of shoe flower plants ,however the shopkeeper and Vikram said they are a but too heavy in maintenance as they quickly get covered in fungus .This is due to the sweet nature of leaves.

So we settled for a mogra shrub ,a crouton and gunny bag filled with cowdung manure and mud. The shopkeeper loaded these into the vehicle.

Now it was time for paying the bill.

He said I don't want anything ,you take all of  this home. I don't want anything.

When we were discussing and selecting I noted many of the shipowners and his relatives huddled and looking at us and discussing.

I felt they were laughing at the lengthy discussion I and Vikram were having on the plants to be selected.

Suddenly the shopkeeper said "you don't know you can do many things".

"You take home these plants for free "

Both of us were aghast we repeatedly asked him the bill amount.

He refused to budge.

On second thoughts he grudgingly  said, "give me whatever you deem fit."

 But we kept pestering him to tell us the exact amount.

He said Lallan security guard had suggested my name to him.

He knew our exact home address, my jaws just fell hearing all this. How can a shopkeeper know so much of my address.? Instantly I was worried for the  safety of my family..

He said "you are in KEM (pronounced it KIM..  but I said yes KEM ).

You can save people by giving right advice"...more confusion for me.

He then reminded me of his relative... a patient with end stage liver disease wanting to do liver transplant.

I had advised him against it as he was going to sell his house and everything. The patient had expired a year ago.

Finally he agreed to take  200 rupees.

I thanked him;  expressed my condolences and left the shop with mixed feelings.

Life is short - live it .

Do good and the good will be multiplied manifold.