Memoirs
Know Your Neighbors ...
This happened two days ago…..
We live in a flat which is in a relatively safe neighbourhood in the city. Early one morning, while taking in the milk sachets that had been delivered, I observed that there were a number of milk sachets in front of the door of the elderly couple, who lived on the same floor, at the opposite end of the corridor. To my surprise, the milk sachets were lying outside the door even at 8 30 or so in the morning.
The elderly gentleman who lived with his wife in that flat was one of those disciplined old timers, whose day began as soon as the cock crowed.
Wondering if there was some emergency, I called them up on the landline and on the mobile. The silence added to more distressing thoughts. An attempt to gather information from other neighbours yielded no result. I decided to take the milk sachets and keep them in the refrigerator at my place.
Something caught my eye at the door. The grill was locked, the door behind seemed open. With the newspaper that was on the doorstep, another neighbor and I nudged the door open and peeped in. Things seemed intact, no sign of any disturbance or break in. The fear in my heart did not vanish.
Later in the evening, the milk delivery man came up to my door and enquired if I had taken in the sachets. I nodded in agreement; they had asked for milk to be delivered early on that particular day, a few extra sachets too. He had not noticed that they had left prior to his coming. Talking to him put me at ease, for I knew that they were safe, just gone off on one of those sudden trips, which they often did….
For those who live in flats, particularly the elderly - it would be advisable to leave a message with a neighbor in case of sudden trips, also leave the numbers of a few relatives to be contacted in case of an emergency. Most people think in order to avoid attention and attraction, it is better to slip away quietly, unnoticed. I beg to differ, more so, after this incident.
10-Mar-2013
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Hema Ravi
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