MONSOON PLAY

 I am a software specialist and have to travel widely in the course of work. And I found there is virtue in the advice that you go early if you have to catch a train. Still there are occasions when you are unable to follow the advice. That day I attended a meeting in a customer’s premises. Due to circumstances the meeting which was to last till 5 PM closed at half past twelve. I had been booked to return by the night train. I cancelled it and decided to catch the train at 1400 hours. Vico railway station where I was to board the train was quite near only 10 minutes away by taxi which was at my disposal. I decided to have a snack at a nearby restaurant before leaving for Vico. There was a delay there as the oven was under maintenance. Since there was enough time I bought a newspaper and sat reading it waiting for my order to be served. After I had eaten I came out of the restaurant when it started raining. I took refuge in my taxi and ordered the driver to proceed to Vico station.

The direct road to Vico was closed due to repair and we took a circuitous route. As we drove on the rain increased. There was lightning and thunder and the rain fell in sheets. Despite the wipers working furiously, the driver had a problem seeing the road clearly. He went slowly.

I said “Cabbie, you must go faster.”

He said “Master we’ll be there in five minutes.”

Soon we were almost near Vico station when a large tree on the wayside collapsed and fell across our road with a big noise. Traffic on both sides of the road halted. We could not reverse the cab as a big line of vehicles had formed in the rear,

The cabbie said “Master, you can see your train there on the platform. You can walk to it with your bag carrying this umbrella.”

Unfortunately the road was flooded in waist deep water and I would have to swim to reach the train! In a few moments I saw my train moving and it soon disappeared from view. I was stuck! After nearly 40 minutes the rain abated and water on the road drained and I was able to walk over the fallen tree to Vico railway station.

I had cancelled my booking on the night train and was told it was full. I had to be at Yarden at a customer’s premises at 14.30 hours next day. It was a prestigious assignment and I couldn’t afford to miss it. I decided to take a cab the next day and drive to Yarden. I booked a room in the passenger’s rest room at the Vico station and waited.

After a while I came out of the rest room and went to the coffee shop on the platform. As I stood there relishing the coffee a long train arrived and I saw passengers alight and catch buggies to reach the exterior of the station.

Minutes later someone called out my name from a buggy and it stopped. It was Fred who had been our neighbour and my schoolmate.

I said shaking hands “Fred long time no see! How come you’re here in Vico station?”

He laughed and said “I’m the lawyer for a builder of apartments in Stacey. I’m going to attend a meeting there tomorrow. My plan was to camp tonight in a hotel here and take a cab to Stacey tomorrow. What’re you doing here?”

I told him about the rain and the tree fall and my halt. He said “I’ll also take the rest room with you. We could spend some time together.”

After that was done we sat chatting. I said “Fred, Stacey is just beyond Yarden. My meeting is also in the afternoon. We could go together. You can drop me off in Yarden on your way.”

“I will certainly do that. The builder has arranged a cab for me.”

We sat and talked about old times. He then said “I’ve a call to make. My law school mate lives here in Vico. Let me say hello to her.”

He called her up and spoke a long time. Then he said to me “Lily has invited us to dinner this evening. She is very informal. Go with me.”

“Tell me a little more about her.”

He said “Lily studied law with me and is now working with a leading law firm. She is said to be brilliant. She lives with her parents here but now they have gone to the USA for a month. You see Lily has an elder sister in America and the parents have gone to see her. Let me tell Lily we will be her guests at dinner.”

After he had spoken to her he said to me “Lily will be here in a few minutes to pick us up.”

We bought a few fruits and pastry for her and waited. Lily came driving her car. Fred introduced me to her. He added “This fellow is a wizard in software. Keeps roaming around, consulting in the field.”

Lily was quite attractive. Her speech and deportment greatly impressed me.

 We were soon at her place and she made us feel really at home. As she talked she said “I’ve a live-in maid who cooks very well. She is only 22, but her husband who was in the army was killed. You will like her dishes.”

She gave us appetizers and as we spoke she asked me “Fred says you’re bound for Yarden.”

I nodded and said “The newly opened company Realsoft has sought help from my firm. I’m going to discuss requirements and costs for service.”

She asked “Whom would you discuss with in Realsoft?”

I checked in my bag and said “Mr.Edelstam and Mr. Dave.”

Lily said “It is a Swedish company into cloud computing. Its vice president Dave is my cousin.”

Fred said “It is really a small world isn’t it?”

Lily announced dinner and we were treated to a sumptuous fare. Fred and I gave the dinner a seven star rating! Lily dropped us back at Vico railway station. The trips to Yarden and Stacey went off as planned. I will end the narrative here. But it continued as I made close contact with Lily till we became man and wife. Hasn’t missing the train had its beneficial effects? Undoubtedly so!

END