Strange moments...

It was a hot sunny afternoon, and as I had finished my work at the bank, I decided to drop in at my tailor- Mr. Fernandes; to collect my jeans. I had already been there twice, and both my attempts had failed, since he was busy with his festival customers. As soon as I entered his shop, I saw his face go small, and he said- “Sir, please do sit down. I’ll do your work now.” He had forgotten it again.

I was annoyed by his negligence, but I decided to give him a chance and just stood there, waiting. He promptly removed my jeans, and started working on it. I took a seat and I was looking at his work, when suddenly a healthy man in his mid-fifties happily piped his way into the shop, stood at the counter, and beamed: “ALFRED! Where’s Alfred?”

“Alfred expired.” The words stung the man painfully. His beam disappeared at once. Appalled, he stood there for a moment, searching for his voice.

“When did this happen?”

“1999”.

“And what was the cause of his death?”

“He died of jaundice. I am his son.”

“Alfred was my best friend. We used to sit here during evenings, chatting…” he pointed at a corner, now occupied by hangers with trousers attached to them. The moist vision of Mr. Fernandes fell on the corner that was once his father’s working place, and he smiled. “Yes. I know. He used to sit there.”

The man looked for a few more moments at that corner, then turned back to Mr. Fernandes and said: “Son, I am very sorry to hear about your father. Goodbye and May God bless you.” He left the shop, an empty stare on his face.

My anger absconding, I found my heart full of sympathy for Mr. Fernandes as I stepped out of his shop, moments later. Sometimes, life journeys you through strange moments.