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On that particular day when I
was entering my office, I saw an old gentleman sitting on the verandah. He
looked haggard and was wearing a dirty dhoti and a shirt with a small
towel on his shoulder. I entered my office and after a few minutes
enquired the staff inside about the old man sitting outside. I came to
know that he needed some help and nobody was prepared to help him. Instantly I went out and spoke to him. He started narrating his story to me. He told me that he hails from a decent family living in a village near Chennai. He had severe stomach pain and was admitted in the Government General Hospital opposite to the Central Station a few days back. His people left him there and returned to their respective homes in the village. Since it was only a stomach pain, nobody took it as a serious illness. But this man was very much afraid to be left alone in the hospital. Doctors started treatment. Tablets and injections were given. As an inpatient he got his bread, milk and rice on time. But his pain remained the same and sometimes increased also. Since he was not happy about the treatment given to him, decided to come out of the hospital. He reached The British Council Library, which is opposite TVS, Annasalai. How he managed to reach this place was a mystery. He narrated his story to me sobbing and wiping his eyes with the dirty towel. He requested me to help him to send a telegram to his village so that his people would come to take him back to his village. He didn’t ask for any money. He gave an address to which the telegram had to be sent. Further he told me that extra money had to be paid to the Telegraphic department to deliver the telegram in that village. I called my peon and gave him the money and sent a telegram to the address given by the old man. Then I gave him Rs.10/-for his rickshaw expenses & tea. He said he will wait at Egmore station platform until his relatives arrive. He promised that he will certainly come back to me to repay the amount spent for telegram etc. The telegraphic charges came to Rs.50/- The saddest part was my peon who went to the Spencers Post office to collect our office mails, brought a telegram copy sent by me to the village address given by the old man with a note that there is no such village and address? Just to cheat me with all sorts of false stories and to collect a few rupees from me the old man had staged a drama. It was too late for me to realize my foolishness. .Contributed by Mr. Samson, Chennai |
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