My right foot was aching. It had been like that for quite a while– two months to be exact. I sprained it back then. I was walking, fast. The heavy backpack on my shoulder just making things worse. It was 11 o'clock at night.
It has been a busy day, I thought. I was really tired– "home is where the heart is, or more specifically sound sleep is"– I told myself. But I would not go home. I am a busy man! But the thought did not help reduce my pain much. I have a lungi and a towel in my backpack. I even have notebook and pen to attend classes the next day. I was feeling a little concerned about this side of the road, near to the empty park. Any way, I crossed the street and saw something unusual being sold.
"Aigula ki?"
"Chingri, vaza chingri. (fried shrimp)"
"Koto koira?"
"Dosh taka piece."
"Ato taka nai. Arekdin khabo ne.".
The man with the van was indifferent to my answer probably, I cannot be sure because I started walking even before I finished telling him that I could not afford to buy his 'chingri' that night. I had to spend carefully to go through the next day. This side of the road is always very busy. I was still walking with my aching right foot. There were many hawkers all around me. Nothing really grabbed my attention– as I did not have any extra cash. Among all the noise, one voice caught my attention.
"Niben matro dosh taka? Niben–?"
I glanced right to see the boy. Probably an eight year old– alone sitting with some cauliflowers in a basket. I never stopped to take a second look. But as I was walking– the boy's words kept ringing in my mind. Here I was– thinking about pain, tiring day, lack of money, yet pretty sure about the next morning meal. And this 8 year old boy was shouting at 11 o'clock at night– trying desperately to sell some not-so-fresh cauliflowers for taka 10 a piece. The two realities puzzled me. In a world where 15 thousand children die of hunger everyday, do I even have the right to feel pain for myself? Is my life that significant at all? I was already in a better position than 75% of the world's population! And what am I doing for them?
Tough questions, and the answers maybe even harder to find. All that I know that nothing in this world is guaranteed. Change is the only consistent phenomenon.
It has been a busy day, I thought. I was really tired– "home is where the heart is, or more specifically sound sleep is"– I told myself. But I would not go home. I am a busy man! But the thought did not help reduce my pain much. I have a lungi and a towel in my backpack. I even have notebook and pen to attend classes the next day. I was feeling a little concerned about this side of the road, near to the empty park. Any way, I crossed the street and saw something unusual being sold.
"Aigula ki?"
"Chingri, vaza chingri. (fried shrimp)"
"Koto koira?"
"Dosh taka piece."
"Ato taka nai. Arekdin khabo ne.".
The man with the van was indifferent to my answer probably, I cannot be sure because I started walking even before I finished telling him that I could not afford to buy his 'chingri' that night. I had to spend carefully to go through the next day. This side of the road is always very busy. I was still walking with my aching right foot. There were many hawkers all around me. Nothing really grabbed my attention– as I did not have any extra cash. Among all the noise, one voice caught my attention.
"Niben matro dosh taka? Niben–?"
I glanced right to see the boy. Probably an eight year old– alone sitting with some cauliflowers in a basket. I never stopped to take a second look. But as I was walking– the boy's words kept ringing in my mind. Here I was– thinking about pain, tiring day, lack of money, yet pretty sure about the next morning meal. And this 8 year old boy was shouting at 11 o'clock at night– trying desperately to sell some not-so-fresh cauliflowers for taka 10 a piece. The two realities puzzled me. In a world where 15 thousand children die of hunger everyday, do I even have the right to feel pain for myself? Is my life that significant at all? I was already in a better position than 75% of the world's population! And what am I doing for them?
Tough questions, and the answers maybe even harder to find. All that I know that nothing in this world is guaranteed. Change is the only consistent phenomenon.