Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Specimens and species............

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Well since I blogged in yesterday, I’ve decided to do it more often, our daily life is filled with more humour than we really register. This day forward I’ve decided to actively seek the humour around me. The weather is great again today, I’m over yesterday’s deluge, and Bhai and I are best buddies again, so my world is picture perfect.


Today, I was at the bank, one of the charms of my country is the complete and utter disregard for rules, I was waiting in the line, it was quiet a big queue and slow moving, the skills of the teller were….well let’s say they were not stellar. Now though I’m not big on patience, weather like this has songs running through my head so somewhere in mind gets confused and forgets to be impatient and I really don’t mind the delay much, I was mentally karaokeing and just waiting my turn. Now the lady behind me was a restless soul, constantly twitching and shuffling her feet, her restlessness quite grated on my harmony, but I decided to ignore it.

This went on till the gentleman in front of me got his turn. Now there is a clear sign that says ‘Only One Person Beyond This’. Plain simple English shouldn’t be complicated for anyone, so I stayed on the other side of the line whilst this gentleman was doing his transaction. Now as I was waiting this restless two feet behind me started feeling envious of the wide gulf between. She decided it didn’t go along with the pattern of the line and started nudging me, I decided to ignore it first, then came the jab, now usually I’m a pretty tolerant kind of soul, but this jab pushed the song from my head, and I turned to give her a lethal Icy stare to quell that rebellion.


But I was rattled, this seasoned Icy-stare gatherer was left unmoved and she gestured me to step ahead, a part of my mind was grappling as to how to deal with this new specie on whom my much practiced stare was the like the water off a duck’s back. As I tried to conjure a fitting response, the gentleman in front of me was done. So I had to move ahead. Now as I did she did to as if we were the Siamese twins. As I gave in my slip, I was just about to introduce her to the concept of privacy, when the slow moving teller, displaying a mental agility I didn’t associate with her, pointed out a detail I’d left blank, so I took the deposit slip back from her and stepped aside so that I wasn’t holding up the queue.

As I put in my John Hancock, this lady had a withdrawal to make and she had to put her signature too at the back of her cheque, she didn’t have a pen on her, so what does this Emily Post flunker do? She just thrusts her hand forward to me, no please, no would you, no could you? Just a very communicative hand, I thought it would be very mean-spirited to ignore her so I gave her my pen, she put her signature and thrust the pen back as if she was contaminated! Now, suddenly she seemed interesting specie worthy of a study to me. So I observed her, mind you no ‘thank you’ was even at the fartherest recess of her mind. And I watched her fascinated, her transaction done she stood there and counted the cash, while I deposited mine. We both finished at the same time, so as we turned to leave, I thought I’d acknowledge her with a smile.


I don’t know if I over did my enthusiasm, but she looked at me as if I’d sprouted horns. Now, I know they are there but I take great care to keep them hidden, and out of sight, well she then just quickly mentally concluded I was some sort of psycho and moved away hurriedly. A part of me was wanting to go behind and observe this new puzzling animal in its natural setting but I thought I’d truly frighten her, if my simple smile could have such a reaction, no telling what a follow up would do, so I let it be and as I left I stumbled upon another wondrous specie, the ‘checkered’ idiot with a ‘striped friend’, they were quite a couple. But you’ll hear more about this new element in my tomorrow’s post. I invite everyone to contribute the amazing specimens they have come across. Till then keep the good cheer and seek the humour. Lol.

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