That fervent old man …

The anecdote I am going to relate is about forty years old. At that time, I was a young man running with my twentieth year of age, and, had a status of “law student.” It was a trend, almost law colleges had a custom of evening classes, with a time schedule of teaching from 6 p m to 8 p m. The reason behind was, firstly the teaching staff generally were practicing lawyers. They were to remain engage in day time in court. Secondly, people from various vocations , be it service class or professionals, who were aspirant to become lawyer in near future could easily spare this time slot to fulfill their aspiration to obtain a law degree. The young man like me, who were freshers, bachelor degree holders, too could apply and attend the classes free from all encumbrances.

   Met by chance 

So as it happened, I was on my routine course on foot from my rented room to my law college. The common timing to leave for college was 5.30 p m. On foot I used to cover a distance about two km. There only, I happened to run across with an old gentleman. No sooner, I reached the Buddha Square aside the Rangers college ground road. A lean and thin, short height old man overtook me and began to walk by my side. I was in hurry with my brisk stepping, likewise he too walked aside me and attracted my attention, ” hello ! Young man going somewhere to take tuition?” probably he noticed a book and note book in my hand and guessed about . ” No sir, I am going to attend my law classes.” I responded. “Good, very good, I am so and so …..” He introduced himself.

Both, we slackened our treading pace and came at ease to converse. I deeply noticed his person. Apart from his outer fragile appearance, he was a little old man with regular features who in the name of walking, hop with an alacrity of a sparrow confidently. He was  wheatish,  with a cheerful expressions. One of the garrulous type man as often women happen. He shortly queried about my college, law classes and future plannings. All I responded in a confused manner, for, yet I was not assured,  of what I was supposed to do or choose as a future vocation. He suggested me to be affirmed about my planning, what to do or what not to do. Then he began to relate about himself.

Now, as I recount the entire episode upon reaching this ripe age. I am up to some conclusion, why he was so keenly talking about himself. Answer is, age barrier. How he narrated about himself, I give here a total description. But prior to that, I should explain the premise of all this. This anecdote belongs to that era, when my city was like a slumbering town. Withal, had a renown for its climate and ambiance and had a recognition of “city of retired people.” Populated thinly, so that, even horse ridden Tonga service for local transportation was available. This service was, apart from State run Roadways bus service. Withal, independent auto three wheeler service infamous for extra vagrant charges, too present as usual.

                                  Garrulous old man 

Now his “self magnanimous” proclamation I recount……. ” Young man I am seventy five years old man. I got retired as an Upper Divisional Clerk from Central Works Public Department and draw a meager pension, but I am happy with that. I don’t run after so called luxuries, even I take bath with the same soap I use to rinse my cloths. I don’t apply soft soap to bath. I use the soap froth of the same hard soap to wash my eyes. I apply that to my eyes and wash them. The result is, my eye sight is still proper and I can read the newspaper as I happened to read in my young age. I walk ten Km daily and most significant thing I reveal to you is, the very day I attained my age slab of sixty year I began to practice celibacy strictly.

For last fifteen years, I have not copulated with my better half, this is the reason I am so physically fit and strong! I suggest you, try to abstain from sex as much as you can.” Really say, it all sounded to me so hilarious and interesting as well. Further more, the old man seemed brimmed with such confidence about his physical fitness. Abruptly, he boasted in a bombastic tone, “I am as fit as a young soldier, and if, tomorrow some sort of war is imposed upon us , I will certainly render my services on the border with a rifle swung on my shoulder.”  It sounded so bombastic to me that it inflated my pupils and I felt giddy.

I threw at him a glance full of astonishment, which he took as a token of compliments. Whilst, truth was ; being a student of Military Science in my past college life , I had been conscripted as a cadet for N C C (National Cadet Core,.) A mandatory course for students of Military Science students in India, and had gone through N C C training camps. There, cadets learnt to handle, carry and operate the rifles properly along with other training.. Here I should make it clear, at that time old fashioned, traditional three naught three rifles were in army service. Just in some regiments of army, “semi automatic rifles ” had been introduced .

Perhaps, the brave old man was not aware about the weight and working mechanism of the rifle of the time. It was a heavy gun to carry. I was certain, his whole person would have tilted to an angle of 45 degrees, if he was to carry the gun, swung around his shoulder. Secondly, the roar and jerk of the rifle shot was so massive. It could ably imbalance a stout man, if no proper instructions observed about the firing session, leave apart the physique of this sweet, fragile old man.

                              A short journey it was 

His and mine this tryst lasted hardly for ten minutes, and then we both parted to our destination. Never again in life I saw him, though I longed to accost him on my daily route. It still amazes me, meeting with that old man, even after the lapse of forty years. My that short time meeting, I had with that old man flashed on several occasions into my mind. And, every time I recounted every detail vividly. Why?

Today, when I analyse to find the answer, Some misty explanation flashes into my mind. The old people were neither liked by young people in that period of time when I was a young man nor they are liked today when I am a senior citizen as well. This impels the old people to share their life long experiences with young generation.. They do this, whenever even a tiny opportunity they obtain to have chat with younger.

Another thing I recall amply, when he told about his adoption of celibacy.  I felt ridiculous about him, since I was a young man with romantic spectrum of life before me . Apart from that, I had a misconstruction that a man remains vigorous whole through his life, and his sex appetite never die. The greenness of age was behind the reasoning. An another weird query too had hit my mind. Whether before submitting to the oath of celibacy, this old gentleman took his better half into confidence or not? May be because of this, I still recall my that short lived meeting with that old man. Penned by__Vinay Pharasi…..