Everyone Was Thirsty

I was sitting outside the Sri Ramana Grocery Store opposite the ashram one evening. I’m rarely there that late, it was about 7 p.m. Usually by then, the mosquitoes come out and start biting. I’m not a big fan of them.

As I sat there, I turned around and noticed an older woman nearby. She must’ve been in her 60s or 70s, it was hard to tell. She looked frail and struggled to move. Flies were all over her, and she wasn’t even trying to bat them away. She was just lying there on some cardboard, trying to sleep.

I looked at her… then looked away.

This is fucked, I thought. Fuck this.

I took 500 rupees out of my wallet, strode over, and gave it to her. She accepted it without a word. She didn’t need to say anything. I left and went home.

A few weeks later, I walked out of the small restaurant where I usually had lunch and came across a man in a hand-crank wheelchair, someone I’d seen before. He had been mischievous in previous interactions. Not being honest about needing 2200 rupees to see a doctor for his foot.

Still, I cruised over on my scooter.

“Hey,” I said.

He told me he was hungry.

I checked my bag, I only had 32 rupees in loose change. I went and bought him lunch for 20 rupees. When I handed it to him, he asked for water, but I noticed a bottle next to him that was half full.

“You’ve got water,” I said, gently. I opened the bottle for him and placed it nearby.

“Enjoy.” And I rode off.

I decided to stop at the Sri Ramana Grocery Store. I hadn’t filled up the water bucket for the dogs that day, and when I looked, I saw it was a little dirty. The same woman from before was there, sitting quietly near the front of the shop.

I remembered I needed to spend at least 200 rupees to use my card, and I only had 12 rupees in loose change. So I went inside and bought two big bottles of water, a towel to clean the bucket, and 1kg of dog food.

I decided to stop at the Sri Ramana Grocery Store. I hadn’t filled up the water bucket for the dogs that day, and when I looked, I saw it was a little dirty. The same woman from before was there, sitting quietly near the front of the shop.

I remembered I needed to spend at least 200 rupees to use my card, and I only had 12 rupees in loose change.

So I went inside and bought two big bottles of water, a towel to clean the bucket, and 1kg of dog food.

I came back outside, cleaned the bucket, and started to fill it up. Then I saw the woman looking at me. I looked back at her.

Without much thought, I walked over and gave her one of the bottles of water.

She started speaking in Tamil, she was animated but I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I went inside and asked the shopkeeper to help translate.

He came out and spoke with her. Then he turned to me and said, “She says she doesn’t need a big bottle. You can take it back.”

“Okay,” I said. “Can you ask her if she wants something to eat?”

He asked her. She said no she just needed 10 rupees for a small bottle of water.

I gave her the 12 rupees I had in my pocket and used the big bottle for the dogs.

The shopkeeper smiled.

The woman smiled.

I smiled.

And I know Siva definitely would’ve been smiling too.

I left and went home.