TALE OF TWO ENCOUNTERS

TALE OF TWO ENCOUNTERS

By nature, I am an “Extrovert” and I feel proud of this Quality! Be it a local auto driver, taxi driver or for that matter anyone high and mighty in authority, I have little inhibition in opening up a conversation to talk to them and learn something from them.  This quality has helped in good times as well as bad times.

There was a chance meeting with a banker in a railway station one early winter morning. He had come to visit his branch which had just opened in an industrial estate and was looking for new accounts. In my case, I was heading a facility in the same industrial estate looking for some bank to come and open a ATM in our facility and take up salary account of our workers & staff in all more than 1500 people. On account of synergy we created a win-win association. As our company got rental income for the ATM our management was very glad, Our HR head had solved the problem of registering all the workers bank account with the government for all governmental transaction and we got an award from the district head for this unique fete in our industrial estate.  

One thing I found in America during my recent visit is reluctance on the part of fellow Indians to meet, converse with compatriots when they bump into each other anywhere.  Why talk about conversation, even the courtesy of greeting is not found in them. Whereas Americans or any other ethnic group greet you voluntarily when we meet them in any public places.  Our Indian snobbish nature, I found it pretty annoying!

As a family we used to visit Rocky Run Park every evening in Arlington to take our grandson for a walk as well his favorite swing sessions. One evening when my wife and daughter were busy with our grandson I took to walk around the park. I saw an Asian lady in shorts and T shirt and she was speaking to her son in Tamil, our mother tongue. The lady was of slightly dark complexion and her son must be four to five years old.  I talked to her in Tamil and found out that they were living in nearby area for the past two years. I showed her my daughter and wife who were in the other side of the park and got on with my walk.

After a few minutes I went to sit on a bench. By then my wife, daughter and grandson had moved to the area where the swings are located. That day I was wearing a color Kurta and Jeans. There was a couple sitting in the same bench. The man was an African -American and his companion was a white lady. This man extended his hand for a firm handshake and asked me whether I was from India. I replied him in the affirmative. We were talking for fifteen minutes about India’s GDP, Demonetization, Foreign Investment etc. I learnt that the name of the person as Mr. Spadrick, who had studied and worked in Pitsburg university and done some work on Asian Economy. He also told me that he was suffering from some memory loss on account of an accident. He introduced his companion as a lady from Spain, who claimed to be fond of Indian Vegetarian cuisine. Spadrick told me that he looked forward to a visit to India. He also told me that he would look forward to our next meeting in the part in the next few days ! The couple then took leave.

After that I moved to the area were swings were there. The Indian lady was by then joined by her husband. The child was making merry in the sands. Neither my daughter nor my wife had met the lady. Though there was repeated eye contact there was no initiative to meet. As we were about to leave, I took the initiative to break the ice by taking my family to the place where they were seated. There were a few limply handshakes. The conversation was not progressing very well as expected. We then took leave and moved away to our own destinations.

Next day, when I went to the park my eyes started searching for Mr. Spadrick and his companion!!!