dream of a hobo

 The world is full of surprises and mystery , that’s what we thought. If you ever felt disgusted by the glance of any part of your city , yeah maybe that’s where I live. If you ever odious over a swarm of children maybe I was one among them, Yep I am a ragpicker or some sort of. When the humankind is strive for the dominance we struggle for our survival.

                   It was a large bridge connects the heart of the city under which lies the underdeveloped area of the developed city a.k.a The Slum. The worst part is that I don,t belong to the slum even as I was homeless along with other homeless children I dwell in the unused vehicles stands for years under this bridge. It was cozy and comfortable as we maintained well. I live along with nearly fifteen boys like me , I still don’t remember how I ended up here but I definitely know that was not my fault, some of them know their past and some don’t but we all here together to face the future.  

                     We live in a clan and more as a family, Since the survivality of a single homeless boy in this merciless city is suicidal as the human trafficking and organ thefts were high. Some news about missing children will send a chill through our spine and in case of girls are even worse. We are the more civilised and evolved form of ragpickers as we live with set of rules and visions. It was all started with a old man of sexagenarian with lots of knowledge and experience , he united and enlightened us with his principles we fondly call him as Chei. He believes that wisdom is the only tool that can relieve us from our sufferings and we all do believe that.

                       In our clan there are three positions known as Tyro , Keepers, Wanderers . Tyro is the one who are under twelve years lives and roam near our home and learns about basic knowledge and outside world from Chei. After attained twelve you will either become a keeper or wanderer, Keeper is the one short range of roaming and most of the time as a guards to the clan belongings . The place we live is not with enough security and with high theft rate so the job of the keeper is must. Wanderers on the other hand has access to every part of the city and they knew every corner of it , They were the major suppliers of food and information. To become a wanderer one must starts to do certain tasks after attained eleven year and must finish before attaining twelve years , If you failed to complete that then you will fall under keeper. As we all don’t know exact date of birth we consider ourself that with every new year we increase a year in age.

The tasks were

1) One must know all the streets and important areas of the city

2) Mustn’t starve for month in the previous year

3) Must learn a skill

4) Must complete any book

5) A set of new dress must be bought

6) Lonely night stay in the city

7) Find a friend outside your community

8) New year cake must be bought    

                Ohh , sorry I forget to introduce myself I am Bobi that’s what everyone call and now I am at my age of eleven and started to do my tasks to become wanderer. Not a single day pass by without thinking to be a wanderer and I want to become a wanderer to explore the city along with my friend Anlin. Anlin was a year senior to me and he is already a wanderer , everyday I ask him about the city as it will tempt sometimes or horrify on other case but it contains as dangerous as it sounds exited.

                 The starting of the year was good and I need some money to accomplish my tasks , since I don’t have any skill to earn I started to do that task first of learning a skill. When everyone said i am having a good vocal I started practice singing . I learn the songs from the slum boys and sometimes they will bring the speaker with them to teach me but I paid a little money from my savings. It went well in a month I learned to sing nearly thirty songs . When I planning for the next task there happened a global pandemic of spreading new disease all over the world. The rule and restriction were strictly imposed which made static us inside our home. I was more worried as this will shatter my dream to become a wanderer and Anlin to worried as he unable to use his privilege as a wanderer on his first year. But this made me to finish the task of to finish a book, I borrowed a book from Chei it was the life history of Fidel Castro in my regional language . Chei taught me to read and struggled to complete in three months after I read that book I felt my thoughts were revolutionary and I in need of a change but situation doesn’t support , I am again laid on top of the vehicle and while away my time since there nowhere to go.

                The shiny celestial and the twinkling stars over the night sky was always astonishing to me , I and anlin laid down on the center of the bridge a looking up the sky with a million thoughts rushing in our minds. Now the silence in the bridge was very loud but usually this is not the scenario on bridge at this time , it was full of honking , rustleling and fast moving vehicles all the time . At this point I always had a question what they are running for and I feel better as I am free without any commitments and less to care about.

                 When the pandemic got worsen there are many people in the slum area was sick but for goodness there is no one from our group were affected but the whole area was under quarantine. The only good thing that happened in this quarantine is we got some free foods from government and some trust’s which reduced our frequency of starvation. When the situation got under control I was barely left with three months to complete my tasks. In the morning I will go along Anlin to familiarise the streets of the city and some important areas so I made a rough sketch on my way to understand it. I was planned to earn by singing in the train , I will take the the evening train at this time everyone relieved from their work and on their way back to their home so sang the melody songs to soothen and relax their mind. Initially the money I earned for my train ticket and food when the days went on I made myself familiar and a entertainer to everyone in the train. I always felt myself inside a cage as everyone appreciate my act and toss a coin but no one made a approach to talk to me even if I made a move they felt discomfort and moved away and also this pandemic made it worsen.

                 The worst part of all these tasks were the task of night stay in the city alone. The thought of this task rattled my spine as already a year before a boy went for this task and never came back. Anlin encouraged me and he told the place he hides last year for this task. I went to the place he told it was around the corner of a street completely immersed in darkness. There was a huge trashbin in the darkness with garbage spilled all around and the smell was bit worse but I can manage. I bought a gunny bag along with me and made myself inside and slept by leaning on the bin , it was as dark as no one can see me even if they near me until they touched. I went to sleep very soon irrespective of the bad stench , around midnight I woke by the sound of two men shouting and fighting in the streets mostly drunken this made me to shiver in fear as my thoughts were rushing with all worse that will happen if they found me. Suddenly both of them came towards me and stood infront of me but still they didn’t saw me in the darkness and their dizziness . I closed my eyes and praying for the night to end soon , I felt that I got drenched and I smell stench of urine on me and the two drunkyards went away and many suspicious activities around me made myself awake all the night . before sun rise I moved from that place to my home and every astonished of my daredevil act but I didn’t say all the things that happened.

             With the money I earned I was able to buy a cheap and new cloths and prevent me from starving atleast one meal per day for a month and also I mastered the areas in the city. Now I am at the last day of the year and still left with two tasks to complete even if I managed to get enough money to buy a cake I wont able to find a friend in a single day . At the end of the day I am lack of money to buy a new year cake , the time was already passed eleven. I was sitting on the top of the bridge looking the moonless night with a deep sigh I can feel my dream moving away from my grasp and still I pray for the miracle on new years eve. I sense a figure standing behind me at first I thought it was Anlin but to my surprise it was a familiar face but it didn’t strike to me at first then after deep retrieving of my memory , yeah he is the silent boy traveling everyday in my train by his less social interaction and less or no friends I made some attempts to speak with him but that must’ve freaked him out. He came and sat besides me and that’s not the amusing part, he said he likes my singing and eager to make a friendship with me but my position made it worse though his loneliness pushes him this much to find me. We introduced ourselves and spoke for sometimes and I told about my group , rules and my struggle to become a wanderer but to my surprise he handed me a cake from nowhere and he told the he planned to celebrate this new year with me . So to make it more better I asked him to meet my friends and to celebrate with them ,I introduced my new friend to my group and Chei. Together we both cut the cake and celebrated , he enjoyed it very well. After the celebration Chei announced me as a wanderer and handed me a handset as it is official for wanderer to carry and to use in case of emergency. The most beautiful movement happened and this new year bought me everything I needed now its my freedom to explore the city and guide my group in a best way. The exploration will not stop with city it will go beyond.