CASE OF THE MISSING BLUE JACKET

THE CASE OF MISSING BLUE JACKET

There is a proverb in my mother tongue, Tamil. Which means “Anger. Which is like fire if it gets attaches to a person it burns him / her to death “. We had a firsthand experience recently!

We were on a trip from New Jersey to Niagara a few days back. We boarded the bus from N J early in the morning on a bright sunny morning. The bus was full and filled with mostly people from our mother land and a few from China. The tour guide was one Rachel a Chinese lady and a Chinese Driver by name Sunny who looked, more like Jackie Chan was the driver.

The tour guide was finding it very difficult to control our crowd who were never sticking to time at any point, be it a break for tea / coffee or lunch. We were time and again pushed by her to adhere to timings. She then told that Sunny would not do over time and we must stick to our declared timings.

Sunny our driver was one who never adhered to any of the disciplinary things imposed on us like eating / drinking within the bus. He was always busy either on phone or drinking ice tea and what not.

The trip over all was for two days. The first day was very nice and nearly coming to an end. We had great view of the falls and about to board the bus around 9 PM to be transported to the hotel in Buffalo suburb.

Rachel approached me and asked me whether I saw the Jacket of Sunny. I said no. She claimed the he had lost the same in the bus with his keys, credit card etc. I told her to announce this using the public system as everyone had boarded the bus by then.

She liked the suggestion and announced that if anyone had taken the same by mistake to use as the day was pretty cold to return the same. There was no response. Then Sunny took the stage and in his own broken English stated that he was feeling cold and he was also a human being. Therefore we must return the jacket to him immediately.

Still there was no response from any passenger! Then he lost his cool and started his special talk…” Fuc…ing…………………Thieves, this, that…police…this…that .”  He was refusing to start the bus stating saying that he must get the jacket first.

By then I lost my cool and told Rachel to take the bus to the nearest police station as we were not travelling from India to US to steal a jacket. Other members to joined me then stating that the behavior of Sunny was unpalatable.

Then reluctantly Sunny started the bus and for an hour I had the ordeal of listening to his Chinese argument as my seat No. was 1.  with his colleagues in NJ and bosses in NJ. But for “ Chai Ma” which even Thai people use. Other words were nothing but frustration out coming at very high fiery velocity !

We reached our hotel late night and retired.

Next day morning we had to leave at 6.45 AM. I was out walking around 6.35 AM. Sunny landed near the bus with his Blue jacket and all that. I greeted him Good morning which he acknowledged. Then Rachel came to me and told me that Sunny had found the jacket inside the bus in seat No. 17 & 18.

I told her to forget the whole episode and ignore and start the Sunday’s journey with a prayer.

Sunny, who had so much to talk, about all the theories, like someone stealing the jacket and after trying throwing the same in the falls etc. had no face to face anyone of the members !!