It was yet another Saturday morning. I had been in los Angeles
just over 2 months for my research job.
I walked slowly lost in thought, taking my usual route to
the medical centre. The same ‘Mr. Homeless’ who sleeps in front of the bank, waived
to me, “Happy New Year, miss!!! do you have some change...’’. I stopped for a second,
he tried to give me a smile and bared his crooked yellow teeth,’You Indian...
hare rama, hare Krishna, please help me, i have no home’.
i jerked my neck and
indicated towards the liquor store that had just reopened post the holiday
season. I knew what he was going to do with the change. Realising that his attempt had failed , he
withdrew back to his corner.
I still find it hard, though, to respond to such pleas. I am
always caught by surprise. I don’t know what to say. I think this is basically because my brain is
unable to grasp the concept of ‘Begging in English.’
It was almost a week after new year’s day, and he had been
using the same opening line. He had been successful in getting a quarter or two out of me, for the past two
days.
The city, too, was still struggling to come to terms with
the fact that the party was over.
The last couple of weeks, starting a few days before Christmas,
were what is formally known in the US as the holiday season. The people walking
their dogs on the street, didn’t give you the smile with the customary ‘Hi, how
are you?’ or very sing songy ‘Good morning!’ anymore. They almost yelled ‘ happy
holidays !!!’ with an extra large grin splattered across their face.
Everyone wanted to leave from work early because they wanted
to ‘put up’ the Christmas lights or were running ‘so behind ‘on their holiday shopping or ‘just had to finish packing
gifts and get it over with!’
What I noticed was women especially, could have absolutely
amazing, obsessively meticulous ways of planning out their holidays. I did get
to overhear or participate in some very interesting conversations during this
time.
I heard our genetic counsellor talking to our clinical
manager about how her sister in law is such a b**ch for giving out lists of
gifts to choose from for her kids, and because she didn’t want two people to
bring the same thing you had to send a group email to the rest of the family
members about what you were getting.
Then there was this lady in the elevator who started out
with a good morning, happy holidays !! and went on to narrate to me her entire
shopping list of gifts including an epilator for her teenage daughter, zombie action
figures for her younger nephew , and a set of glow in the dark dentures as a
gag for her aged aunt.
On my bi-daily walks to and from work, I saw many families loading
up their bags in the car, strapping the kids on the car seats and driving out of
the city for the holiday. While some others were returning, they looked a
little tired from the long ride/flight, a few pounds heavier from the holiday
eating but still walked with a spring in their step, humming one of the Christmas
songs. And ‘course the retail business grossed millions of dollars even in this
time of recession. Every advertisement began with ‘This holiday season’ in the
flawless throaty voice, talked about how it offered the best deal, and ended with the chimes music in the
background.
But what happened
after.
After santa came and went, after the gifts were opened, liked
or disliked and critically analysed, after the bubbly was popped , splashed and
bottomed up, after the new year’s countdown
was counted and all the wishes were exchanged, after the music had been played till 6 am....
Ya really, what happened when the party was over ??
No one wanted to know...
People always talk about what they are planning to do for
the holiday, what they did for new year’s , but no one ever talks about ‘how I
took off the Christmas lights’ or ‘How we cleaned the mess after the house
party’
The first weekend after New years day, and the first thing
to reopen was the small liquor and cigarette store on the corner, next to the
bank. Mr homeless probably wanted to enjoy a few smokes or two.
Well, guess what mr. H.... For my new year resolution, I
made this corner a no smoking zone....
