What? Can you say that again? You want to know what I did when I was a child? Aw. Come now. I am an old man now, you know. I can’t even remember that far back. Okay, baba. I won’t give you any excuses. I have to obey your orders. No? But honestly, so many things slip off my mind these days. Yes, a week’s time should suffice. I’ll think about a few incidents and tell you about them.
I’ll call you back in five minutes. Well, if you want to talk to me during office hours, you’ll have to share my attention with my office staff sweetie pie. Agreed, we all do make mistakes. Shall we talk later, post-dinner, maybe? Suits me fine too.
Have you fed your family? Did you serve them with love? Yeah, I get it. I’ll serve myself if I come to your house. Finished all your chores? Okay. Listen then.
I must have been only five years old at that time. One fine day, I simply walked out of my house, hold your breath, got into a bus and went off to Parry’s corner all by myself. Yes, I did. Believe me.
I don’t even know how I managed to climb into the bus. The first step on the bus is quite difficult for a five-year-old kid to climb up on, you know. It is quite high. We had a watchman near our house gate even at that time. Yet I went away on a joy ride like that. All by myself too.
Of course, everyone at home was frantic with worry. They wondered where I had vanished like that into thin air. And honestly, it is God’s grace alone that I am sitting here, in my own house, with my family today. I don’t remember what happened after that or how it happened or who brought me home. All I know is that I reached home safe and sound.
This happened so many years back. But even today I wonder about it. What would have happened to me if I had not found my way back home? Who brought me back to the right place? He must have been an angel for sure.
And this was not just one freak incident, you know. So many times, all through my life I have experienced a higher power protecting me. Yes, my wife is sitting beside me now. You’re right; she is asking me to tell you about this incident. She is my better half after all. No? Yeah, she definitely did not need my help when she told you her stories. That’s the way it is with all married folks, I guess. Okay, listen now.
Several years back, I was in an international airport with my family. We were going down an escalator with our suitcases when I lost my footing and almost fell down the moving escalator. Again, really, I don’t remember who supported me. All I know is that within a couple of seconds I regained my balance and managed to alight from the escalator in time. I would have been seriously injured that day had I toppled down the escalator with my suitcases. Yes. But others would have been hurt too. Even today, I don’t know how I regained my balance.
More recently, I had a very close brush with death. This happened when I was visiting my bua in Ahmedabad. I was crossing the road to go over to her house. The road was very clear. That much I knew. I had checked before crossing it. But halfway through the road, I could hear the screeching sound of big tyres near me.
I turned around to see such a huge bus standing inches away from me. That was when I realized that I must be having some problem with my vision. Of course, I didn’t know it at that time. But just imagine, it was such a big bus and I had missed seeing it completely. Even today, when I recall these incidents, a chill goes down my spine.
Accidents can happen anywhere to anyone. Understood. But experiences like these fill me with a sense of gratitude. I feel grateful for the fact that I am fit and fine – not minus a hand or a foot. And that I am in my own home with my family too. Anything could have happened to me in all these three instances, you know. Just anything. Yet, I am safe and sound and am able to lead a normal life.
I somehow feel that a higher protective force is always taking care of me and that thought alone gives me a lot of solace. Yes, you can put it that way if you want to – I value the life I am living now because I know I am very fortunate to be able to do so. Yes, that sums up my experiences quite well.