An incident on a Monday afternoon

Yellappagowda Nagabushna was a reticent man who had recently retired from a government bank. Since he was known to be extremely courteous and meticulous in his dealings he was placed at the overseas clients and account section of the branch of the bank that was located at the posh part of the city. He rose the rank and eventually retired as the department head, respected and liked by his colleague he was considered role model for employees. He took pride in his achievements. He had also attained some dexterity in counting currency notes, he always found excuse with the counting machine and prefer to do it manually. He licked his finger lightly and separate 50s from 100s, taking care to position Gandhi face up and towards his wrist any change in this pattern disturbed him, only after arranging and rearranging the currencies in the above said manner he would count. He then dropped it to the table, tapped them even and arranged into neat packs, cleaning the space with his palm carefully before placing them. He liked the notes to be new, the soiled ones were relegated to the bottom of the pile. It was while he was carefully arranging 5s over 10s that were handed to him by the shopkeeper that it happened. A man in black coat sneezed. One might ask what is so special about someone sneezing?. It so happened that it sprayed on Yellappa. He froze in what he was doing and slowly with deliberate exertion turned to face the violator. The man in black coat seemed ignorant of the agitation he had created and took out his crumpled much used kerchief from his wide pocket and swiped his face and laughed to someone he was chatting. A wave of fury rose through Yellappa he grit his teeth and shouted “hey you should apologize”. It wasn’t loud enough and the noise of people in the shop and passing vehicle drowned it further. Yellappa confronted the man with sternest stare he could muster. The man caught it with an expression of momentary puzzlement before he resumed his conversation with the other fellow. They had started to walk and waited to cross the road.

Yellappa stood there transfixed not sure what exactly he should be doing next. He cautiously took out the neatly folded handkerchief out of his left pocket and discreetly polished his temple gradually working it downward reaching the folds of his neck. He decided that the misbehavior shouldn’t be allowed to go unchallenged. So he resolved to accost the man. Meanwhile the man in black coat had crossed the road and was walking at brisk pace all the while conversing with his companion. Yellappa found it difficult to cross the road, a minivan screeched and stopped, a bearded man craned his head out “you find only this vehicle to kill yourself old man”. Yellappa curtly accepted his mistake and apologized to the disinterested driver. He managed to cross the road vehemently shaking his raised hands to all the oncoming vehicles, most slowed down others avoided him. Finally he was on the other side of the road but couldn’t locate the insolent man. He was tired by the effort so decided to have a glass of water. As he poured water into his mouth, carefully avoiding the rim of the glass, a new determination was setting into his bearing. He decided to sit down for a while. He contemplated charging a criminal case against the man. He realized he doesn’t know the man also whether court will accept trivial cases forced him to abandon this chain of thought. He muttered to himself “There must be decency. What has the world come to? Don’t they have some manners?. Not even respecting an old man. I have to stand in the queue all the time I don’t complain. I am pushed in the crowd still don’t complain. Someone spits on me and gets away with it. What has world come to. What more this old man has to take?”. For a long time he sat there, he squinted through his thick glasses, he felt drained and decided to go home. As he reached the isolated part of the path, next to the park where children had stopped playing as it got dark, he thought he saw a man in black coat. Yellappa’s agitation returned, he breathed heavy and try to increase his pace. He approached the man and shouted with all his vigor. “You don’t know how to behave do you?. You think you can get away with it. I will teach you some lessons. You have to apologize now”. He proceeded to catch the man on the collar. The man avoided him by ducking and laughed to his friends who joined him “Another old man gone mad. There are too many of these kinds nowadays”. This incited Yellappa further he swept his hand to no direction in particular. It hit one boy on the shoulder. He mocked pain and howled aloud. As instantly the boy slapped Yellappa on his cheek, punched him on the other and snarled “Take this you old dead meat. Never want to see you around again. Get it”.

Something in Yellappa broke at that instant, he stood there eyes shut to the surrounding. His mind had gone blank, his body numb. In that state he dragged himself home. His wife questioned him about being late, where he has been and how he is causing trouble to others. He ignored her. He sat on the sofa looking just above the TV screen his grandchildren were watching. At dinner he mumbled not being hungry. He went to bed with his shoes on. He didn’t get up.