The Old Woman & the Trash Collector, Reish -1972

My father's name was Reish, he told me this story when i was a young boy before we left India. I do not remember India well, as i have been here in Australia since i was eight years old, my father died and my mother took me to live with her Aussie sister. But here is what i remember. Before my Farther met my mother he worked as a garbage collector in Bombay (now known as Mumbai) He had a trolley constructed of bamboo polls and old bicycle wheels, and he would tow it around the streets to collect the garbage. Each house hold would pay him a small sum of money at the end of the week. Eventually he took over the route of an older garbage collector through the rich side of town. It was always important to him to look clean, and even though his clothes where old and torn in places he kept them well washed and did his hair with oil. My mother says he was always an attractive young man, with a hansom face and strong features. If he had been well educated and of a higher caste he would have never been a garbage collector. But as it was, it was his good fortune to walk the streets. After some weeks on the garbage route in the rich end of town, Reish got to know many of the servants who brought the rubbish from the houses to him. Naajy was the manservant of an old woman who lived in a grand blue house with a large courtyard of red stone. He was a gossip and always looking for other male company. Reish often got quite lonely, having no wife and no family he looked forward to talking with Naajy and often stopped to eat his lunch with him. They each had a small bowel of rice often my fathers only daily meal. Naajy spoke of his quiet life in the blue house. The old lady was often very sick, her husband had died two years ago and left his money for her. She had one son Hakesh who was married but he could not give his wife children. Hakesh would ofen come to see his mother in a drunken rage, blaming his wife Dadhija's family for deceiving him of her child bearing talents before their engagement. The old woman often tolled Naajy in private that her son had many lovers before he had settled to marry, and none of them had conceived while with him. The old Woman desperately wanted grandchildren, She would not give into death until she had herd their feet on the pavement and seen their smiles. But death was drawing closer by the day, and it broke her spirit to see her wish unfulfilled. Naajy was such a gossip he knew what everyone in the neighborhood was up to and loved to fill Reish in on everything. It was good for Reish who was quite shy, just to be able to sit and listen and enjoy the company. My Mother says My farther was always a quiet man, i remember him being kind, and gentle. But he could be very rough when he needed to be, I remember when i was six he once beet a man who was slapping a woman flower seller in the street. He then brought all the flowers the seller had, and paid for a cup of tea to calm her nerves. I always wondered at where he learned such generosity and kindness, growing up on the streets of Bombay you'd be lucky to make it from one day to the next. During the monsoon season My Farther would still carry out his collection. He had no choice, he had to eat and pay for his bed and soap. When he wasn't being half drowned by the rain he was dizzy with the heat. Naajy had no time to talk as guests had come to stay at the blue house, so Reish was lonely too. The rice was no longer sustaining him and the weather beat on his body harder than any cat'o'nine tails. He slipped in the water and mud on the streets, giving his legs and arms bruises, the water filled his cart and weighed down his load. It so happened that one such horrible day Reish slipped in the mud outside the blue house and knocked over his cart. A wheel broke free of it's bamboo constraints and the entire load turned on it's side crushing Reish under it's weight. A particularly thick bamboo pole came loose and hit him square on the head knocking poor Reish unconscious. Naajy just stepped outside the courtyard to hand the rubbish to Reish and saw his friend laying as if dead in the street. he rushed to him and found him still breathing pulled his body out of the garbage and sat him against the red brick courtyard wall. Naajy raced inside covered with a little of the rubbish from Reish's trolley. His Mistress was shocked at the state of him and scolded him for his smell. Naajy begged an apology then tolled the Old Women of his kind natured friend. The old lady was sorry for scolding her manservant, she bid Naajy to take his friend to his room and let him lay until he was capable of leaving. Naajy thanked his mistress with a deep bow and rushed to bring Reish out of the rain and into his dry room. Reish slept for two days, Naajy washed him in his sleep and clothed him in fresh cotton. When at last Reish woke he was clean an comfortable in a strange clean room on his own. Reish got out of the bed, confused and worried. He walked through the comfortable house, it was so richly decorated, beautiful carpets on the floors, ornate English furniture lining all the walls, and the air was cooled by wooden fans hanging from the ceiling. Reish had never been in such a palace, he was becoming more nevus and worried by the second. He stumbled into a lounge area where a well dressed elderly lady was taking her tea. Reish fell to the floor in a low bow, uttering apologies as quickly as he could, shaking from head to toe. Naajy was in the courtyard trimming the Jasmin vines and was completely oblivious to his friend awakening. The old woman was angry at first not wanting to be disturbed by some unknown ruffian. But then she remembered Naajy's guest and realized the confusion. She smiled and spoke kindly to Reish telling him where he was and calling to Naajy through an open window. Reish was still in shock and remained where he was glued to the floor head down in his bow.........................