THE COBBLER

Cobbler, cobbler mend my shoe.............................

For my snickers had gone damaged that day I was in search of a cobbler. I took a furious ride heading towards Pulchowk. God! The traffics; annoying and irritating.  Nepal is going under construction year that’s why the roads are remarkably too busy. Whatever, I was in my business.

A man with a half pant and a blue shirt was squatting at the corner of the street opposite to the “Sajha Petrol pump”. It looked like he got no time to wash his clothes for a year. He was stinging bad. His eyes were on the people's foot eagerly waiting for the tore or damaged shoes walking towards him. 

I asked “if I could deserve his attention at my snickers and kindly asked if those could be repaired?” He raised his head and replied “why not sir” with a peasant smile. He looked at it thoroughly and said “Yes they can be repaired and it will cost you 100 rupees sir”. I was to bargain with the wages but meanwhile I noticed his fingers I diverted my mind and asked “how long you are supposed to repair it?”.”About half an hour” he roughly estimated the time. But it took longer than that and that was the time I learned moral lessons from his work and his sharing’s.

Figuring out his fingers appearances, he got three fingers altogether in the left hand. One thumb, index and middle are joined together to one and the ring and the pinky are joined together and all of them were blunt. I don’t mean to say he was the most pity creature in the world that I ever made but I want to insight that beside the fact that he is handicapped he is laborious. Some days ago, I had encountered two mad peoples in Thapathali hospital territory. Because of the reason I am conscious about my future, career and the circumstances, sleep hardly comes to me and I stay awake therefore I often go there for a smoke at midnight. Those two were acting mad I realize so. They had fit body than mine. One of them was sweet either. They were asking for food and laughing like mad and screaming. They asked me to fetch a cup of tea. I requested them “if you people answer my questions I am going to provide you with a delicious plate of breakfast”. They said ok. I asked “See you people understand basic nepali and rely on that moreover you people seem good looking than why are you acting mad why are you wearing dirty clothes?” the answer was “the city is polluted so our dresses are dirty” with a savage laughing. What an irrelevant answer. I concluded that those jerks were not mad. They are shameless and lazy. They are just making an easy way to join hand and mouth shamelessly.

The cobbler was handicapped and is still struggling for existence and look at those jackasses. I was interested in cobbler's story when he told me that “I have a wife, two kids and mother”. I was surprised when he added “and I am alone to run my whole family”. I wonder how a cobbler could run a family with five members alone in the capital city. It was too hot in there although I was much interested to know the entire story therefore I went nearby the shop and bought two packet of cool “Frooti juice”. “How much do you make daily” I expectantly asked to know the real earning and placed him one packet of the juice. He was so grateful to find me affable. 

“Bhaiyaa, hera ta yo “. A young lady around 23 in skirt took off her hills and showed to that cobbler. I wonder why these people disrespect the people from Terai belt. Why they call them “Bhaiyya”. Someday Neraj and I had a great discussion on this. Why there is such discrimination? “Linus vayo” the cobbler placed her hills. “How much?” the lady asked in hurry. “twenty rupees” the cobbler kindly replied.“Twenty rupees for this little repair?” Her words were so offensive that went into my nerves. I wish I could blow off her nose. See the cobbler, he sits under the hot sun all the time and providing you access for you to walk thoroughly. Because of him you can walk continuously or either you will be suffering a lot. He was just asking twenty rupees. Her dress up showed that she was rich enough to pay him twenty rupees. I hated her in the first sight because of her skirt. Don't know why I don't like girls wearing skirts and moreover being a girl she was so rude. Let me not get into her meanwhile I noticed a packet of Lays in her hand, the same American Cream flavored that I had in temple corridor with kali. 

Whatever, he told me that he is staying with friends and his family is in village. God what a tragic story. He is here in Kathmandu and earning just to run his family and moreover he is far from his family. Whatever hard work you do, do before marriage and after marriage its my personal thinking that the husband and wife must stay together. How to leave your life partner and stay away? If he had enough money he wouldn’t have left them in village. Money! God. Don't know if I could earn enough money before staying with my wife but I am damn sure that I will never leave her alone. 

It is obvious that he misses his wife I know that. Just I wanted to make the story a little bit interesting I asked “don’t you have desires to have sex? Here in Kathmandu there are so many whores?” What he replied was out of my imagination “I hate condoms and without condoms you never know, the sexual diseases you know and beside this fact I love my wife, my kids.” See a cobbler and I have the same thinking about sex. I hate condoms too. I like wild sex and just with my wife because I love her and only her. He again added “ Rahar ta kaslai po hudai hola ra dai”. I saluted his feelings.

“Daru kattiko khanchha ta” I wanted to know if he was drunkard. And I was glad to know never drink. That means he saves good amount for the family. Deducting the rent, daily expenses he said I hardly save five to seven thousands. I also wanted to know if the local idiots, the punk guys do bother you or either they mug him or not. He replied that that area is highly secured. Throughout the day there are couples of cops at the corner, the traffic so nobody is here to bother me. he told me that the peoples around are really happy with my work and they like me. According to him there used to be another cobbler who was money minded and cunning fellow. Nobody was happy with his work so the nearby police kicked his ass and thrown him away.

He was repairing my snickers. The way he was sewing was worth noticeable. There was a proficiency in his work beside the fact his fingers are abnormal. His meticulous nature was remarkably appealing. He mends my snicker so well, he even tries to repair the damage which I didn’t told or I hadn’t noticed. I had sympathy towards that guy. He is really laborious and hard working.  

That day I learned whatever we do, we must do it from the heart so that we can enjoy our work. Being a civilized citizen we must talk politely to the service providers, that girl in skirt was damn offensive. The love for the family even you are at distance you are devoted and some few lessons which I cant explain here in words. The one who loves his family only can guess what I learned entirely. Hats up to you cobbler.