An Unplanned Stoppage

An Unplanned Stoppage

 

Last December, nine members from three generation of our family visited Kerala. 

The tour was progressing great, everybody was enjoying every minute of the tour.  On our second day we started for Munnar from Cochin at around 3 PM. The route was very panoramic, film songs were in full swing in the vehicle.  At around 6 PM we felt a sudden jerk and the vehicle started swaying to one side. 

Driver managed and stopped the vehicle on the side of the road.  We all got down and saw that the rear right wheel was flattened.  It was not welcomed by all the tired singers of film songs. 

Driver started the process of changing the wheel.  But alas! The driver did not find a particular screwdriver in his tool box, required to change the wheel. Driver took a lift on a passing two wheeler and went to a nearby town to fetch the screwdriver.    

It made all of us ‘tired people’ edgy, everybody started cribbing.  We had nothing to do except waiting, slowly everybody sat on stones here and there facing valley in the direction of west.  Each face was showing various shades of grumpiness.  

Suddenly I observed sky turning in various shades of red as the Sun was setting in west.  I said, ‘Oh! What a beautiful view. 

The atmosphere started changing.  My father praised the view of the valley, mother liked the greenery and kids started trying their legs at rock climbing.  My wife exclaimed, ‘See the Sun is setting, in another ten minutes it will be gone completely.’  My brother-in-law added, ‘Wow! The view is mesmerizing.’ Soon cameras were out and we forgot about the flattened wheel.

From somewhere the driver shouted, ‘All of you come, the vehicle is ready’.  I heard the voice of my sister, ‘Give us another ten minutes, or better, join us and enjoy the view.’

What name should I give to that point, ‘Sun Set Point’ or ‘Flat Wheel Point’?

Writer-

Sanjay Bordia