Long lines of cars and we waiting in them.Sometimes in a traffic jam there is endless waiting.What can one do during endless waiting? Just do not allow the thoughts to wait in line, yes just let them wander.Let them go to China if they want.I thought of cell phones and cars;these possessions are signs/objects signifying modernity and progress.They are possessed globally especially in urban areas of otherwise developing nations.Such as this city of mine which is one.Now everyone wants to possess these classy articles by fair means or foul.Hence you hear so much about car theft and cell phone snatching here in the cities.Then of course certain entrepreneurs jump in to provide and make money believing in the "maxim"less into more,gives most,and if this is repeated frequently then it becomes maximum.That is you can get really cheap phone sets which are made in China, so they reach the poor man' s pocket and out comes the poor man' s money which is a comfortably affordable amount and its a deal!It is said that if a "Chinese" cell phone works it will last a life time;but if immediately it does not, chuck it out and buy another.This sort of gamble the poor people understand and I daresay even enjoy!
I was in my car,when I had to stop philosophising about the 'Chinese maxims', because I saw something unusual.It was a more than middle -aged woman in the driver' s seat.She looked like a fish gaping and talking nineteen to the dozen, alternatingly.All the windows were closed.That is why she looked more like a fish.Sometimes she looked very angry,sometimes lamenting, sometimes as if beseeching God with eyes rolled up.Seeing all this core performance a very sinister looking man, impatiently plastered his huge frame and face to the window, and tried to watch her keenly.All the time he seemed to be searching something.Then a fearsome thought came to me, maybe he was after her cell phone?Both her hands were free, and she was using them very freely and expressively.Sometimes an index finger would shake like a hi frequency tuning fork, very admonishingly, sometimes both fists clenched threateningly at some enemy facing her perched on top of her steering wheel, I suppose, that close it appeared.Her hair covered her ears so no cell phone could be seen, but her head was not tilted at an angle so how could she be talking on a cell phone!Any hidden wires, or earphones, just as I thought of this, it seemed that terrible hulk also thought the same, and started peering more at imaginary wires or earphones.He got none.So he quickly ran around the bonnet of the car to the opposite window to check;maybe the other side would reveal more.But it did not.I thought of 'mini cell phones'.Have they been invented?Yet?Or was I getting deluded too?I looked at the terrible man, but he had not heard of such nanotech sized cell phones so he ran round to the original window view, I think that was better.It seemed he was on the verge of whipping out a gun at the lady, when a beggar timidly came between the two, and he asked the gasping lady who would not hear him, to give him a few coins, so that he may gather to buy a cheap cell phone."My aged parents, wife and small kids are far away in some remote area of the country, and I want to talk to them desperately".But the angry, terrible man who could not find the latest tiniest of cell phone on the lady,drove the beggar off with a volley of strikes with both hands, wrists and elbows and all.As soon as he stopped panting and gained composure with a threatening expression, poised to whip out his gun;a transvestite, ran up his long scrawny hands like a coupla crawfish on the angry man' s sideribs to come to a tickle or full stop under his arm.....this transvestite was dressed up like a woman;and her face had the makeup style of the young girl on yon huge advertisement board.That seemed a multipurpose facial, perfect eyes, skin and lips, of course hair, to go with the advertised shampoo, face creme or eye pencil.This was for a toilet soap bar.Well if looks could kill, the transvestite would have lost her head with one karate chop.Naturally the transvestite wanted to beg for some money to buy a cell phone to talk to her loquacious friends!
The traffic jam now ceased.And the traffic eased.Advancing at snail' s pace.We will never know what held up the traffic in the first place.There was such a crowd of folks in front.Maybe someone had lost his cell phone there.Also we will never know that is, (the terrible man and I) whether that gesticulating lady had a cellphone,or she was talking to herself like a fully mentally challenged person.Now she was back to earth.She gave me a condescending smile.She signalled and gestured something to the terrible man, who could not reach for his gun in time, and we all drove off peacefully to our respective destinations!