On our drive in the mountains, we were just stopping where we felt like it, and on one such, just as we'd gotten back into the car I saw this guy, and something struck me as odd.
There was no village in sight, deep into the mountains, old, thin, shriveled almost ....alone.... an unhurried air about him....a shovel in hand. I got curious and got off the car to meet him.
And that turned out to be a good half hour conversation. I think it took ten minutes before I even started to understand what he was saying, he had no teeth at all see, plus very pahadi hindi, but he seemed happy to talk, and we both held on. Soon enough Dhruva and Diksha joined in too.
Me: (by way of introduction) We've come to visit the mountains....do you live here?
BRS: Gestured to the other side of the mountains and said, yes, my village is across that mountain
Me: Are you walking all this way to go to work?
BRS: This is my work
Me: huh? what does that mean?
BRS: I move stones
Me: You move stones on the road?
BRS: Yes.
Me: You walk on the road moving stones?
(and as though to help him explain, and much to our amazement, right then a bunch of stones rolled down the mountain slope onto the road)
Another story that dhruva and diksha felt I had pathetic reflexes, because I pointed at the stones but just kept talking instead of jumping aside like they did :)
Me: So stones keep falling like this all the time, and your job is to move them?
(Dhruva: what did he say amma?) And I'm like , I'm not sure, I'm trying to understand. It took me asking three different ways before I understood.
BRS: Top of the mountains, boars keep digging holes for food, stones roll down... even when there is no rain, or landslide, all year, stones keep coming onto the road
Me: How often do you do this?
BRS: Twice everyday
Me: Everyday? How far do you walk each time?
BRS: I have an eight mile stretch, and I walk that once in the morning and once in the evening each day clearing stones
Me: Twice?? So you walk 32 miles everyday??
BRS: Yes, every day. The stones can cause accidents, so I never not come. Rain or Sun I come.
Me: How long have you been doing this?
BRS: I have been doing this for 33 years, I am going to retire this December
Me: Can I take a picture of you?
BRS: You want mine? (and he threw down the shovel, and posed, and I had to quickly bend and pick it up and say, 'no please, with the shovel')
Me: So this is a government job?
BRS: No, I'm appointed by the national highways
Me: Wonderful, so you work alone?
BRS: The mountain is my friend
Me: (I could have given him a hug)
BRS: When I retire I will get a pension of Rs.25,000 a month
Me: Very nice. Very Very happy to have met you. Namasthe
BRS: Namasthe (and a big toothless smile)
And that ended a fascinating little interview.
Me: (by way of introduction) We've come to visit the mountains....do you live here?
BRS: Gestured to the other side of the mountains and said, yes, my village is across that mountain
Me: Are you walking all this way to go to work?
BRS: This is my work
Me: huh? what does that mean?
BRS: I move stones
Me: You move stones on the road?
BRS: Yes.
Me: You walk on the road moving stones?
(and as though to help him explain, and much to our amazement, right then a bunch of stones rolled down the mountain slope onto the road)
Another story that dhruva and diksha felt I had pathetic reflexes, because I pointed at the stones but just kept talking instead of jumping aside like they did :)
Me: So stones keep falling like this all the time, and your job is to move them?
(Dhruva: what did he say amma?) And I'm like , I'm not sure, I'm trying to understand. It took me asking three different ways before I understood.
Me: How often do you do this?
BRS: Twice everyday
Me: Everyday? How far do you walk each time?
BRS: I have an eight mile stretch, and I walk that once in the morning and once in the evening each day clearing stones
Me: Twice?? So you walk 32 miles everyday??
BRS: Yes, every day. The stones can cause accidents, so I never not come. Rain or Sun I come.
Me: How long have you been doing this?
BRS: I have been doing this for 33 years, I am going to retire this December
Me: Can I take a picture of you?
BRS: You want mine? (and he threw down the shovel, and posed, and I had to quickly bend and pick it up and say, 'no please, with the shovel')
Me: So this is a government job?
BRS: No, I'm appointed by the national highways
Me: Wonderful, so you work alone?
BRS: The mountain is my friend
Me: (I could have given him a hug)
BRS: When I retire I will get a pension of Rs.25,000 a month
Me: Very nice. Very Very happy to have met you. Namasthe
BRS: Namasthe (and a big toothless smile)
And that ended a fascinating little interview.
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