The Wretched Day-4

He seemed exhausted too. Got down from the bike to examine the tires and found out the reason. "It's already 7:40; I've to board the bus...", I moaned. He stayed calm and composed as usual and instructed me to call my mom and findout where she was which I didn't dare to do. "I don't want to nag her at this moment..", I dodged. 

Within what seemed some three minutes, there was an auto rickshaw passing by; when we tried to stop, we saw that it had its passengers already. I was caught between Scylla and Charybdis— on one hand I had to board the bus on time; on the other hand the flat tire has to be fixed. 

I rolled my eyes in irritation targeting my dad. He gave his signature sheepish grin and shrugged, "What I did?" He was right. Things backfire in horrible ways sometimes. My dad called the mechanic.

Luckily there came one of his customers on an old bike. He held on seeing my dad and what-happened-to-you enquiry went. Only when my dad introduced me to him, he came to know that there was another creature standing by. 

He seemed to be a man in his late fifties. I could even see the dim street light shone on his balding pate. It was a benevolent smile that I smiled back naturally without forcing myself to. 

I expected that my dad had to request him to drop me at home and I would have to follow suit with a meek smile. REQUESTING A TOTAL STRANGER for a pillion ride. It was the least thing I would prefer to do. But I relented. Know what? "Necessity is the mother of compromises" 

I was ready to nod if my dad asked me to go along with that uncle. But it went the other way around. The uncle (the stranger) himself volunteered to help us. He asked me to get on the bike. When I looked doubtfully at my dad, he said, "He won't leave his bike behind. Better you come with me. He will fix that flat tire and reach home",  I forced a smile, noticing his intention to crack a joke and mounted the bike as my dad gestured me to and it was dangerously wobbly that I doubted whether it could carry me and make it to my area. 

As we zoomed past, I saw my increasingly relieved dad looking at the bike tapping his mobile against his palm. "Your dad has told so many things about you..", he struck up a conversation casually. 

But it puzzled me. What would he have to talk about me to a stranger? Just because he was his customer or something else? Did he praise me—kind of boasting, some parents would do? The questions popped up from nowhere and were pooh-poohed as I got that call..

(To be continued...)