AN EXPERIENCE OF A TRAIN JOURNEY

Day before yesterday while travelling between Cochin and Chennai by train, I came across this couple. They looked sufficiently old (to be in their seventies) but there was this aura of positivity around them. I saw them talking between each other on various people (it seems, about relatives). Though it was not prudent to listen to the conversation between people, inquisitiveness got the better of me and listen I did. In as much as the conversation that I overheard, I haven’t heard them speaking anything negative about people. I found it strange, as normally in such personal conversation about people, particularly by Malayalees, one always hears some comment about others that is not always positive, to say the least. I liked them instantly but did not get across to them as it was dinner and sleep time inside the train.

Next day morning I did have an opportunity to talk to the couple. It was one Mrs. & Mr. Simon, Malayalees, originally from Kunnamkulam, Trichur but settled in Chennai. They went to Kottayam to attend the marriage of the son of Mr. Simon’s younger sister. Some references to Kunnamkulam warmed up Mr. Simon to me and we talked.

Mr. Simon is an Engineer who had worked both in India (Chennai) and Sharjah, UAE. He has two daughters, one a doctorate in Biochemistry and the other, a Teacher by qualification. Both are employed in UAE where they stay with their husbands, who are also well employed. Two of their grand children are in Chennai studying for Engineering while staying at the hostel and they visit the Simons on every week end.

Mr Simon is about seventy Five years old and Mrs. Simon, two years his junior. They are in Chennai for close to half a century staying in the same apartment but on rental. Mr. Simon looked always in control of situation. Asked why he didn’t build a home his answer was simple. Having two daughters, he didn’t deem it fit to build a house. If he had a son, he would have done so. Being daughters, giving them a house is unnecessary, as girls would go away to husband’s home. Whatever saving he has, would go to them eventually. He is very happy to stay continuously in the rented apartment particularly because his land lord was very co-operative and didn’t want them to move out.

I was surprised to see him working still. He works as an engineer consultant to 5 hospitals looking after the instrumentation in the hospitals. It is his responsibility to keep the hospital equipments, particularly testing and monitoring instruments in proper working condition. He works for 3 hours in one hospital per day. He earns sufficiently to make a living and still drives the car to work. He says he is very happy. He doesn’t want to disturb anyone and do not want anyone to disturb him either! Life is peaceful for him and he is yet to be troubled by any major geriatric diseases.

Mrs. Simon on the other hand is a diabetic. She has other troubles of Blood Pressure, Joint pains etc and takes plenty of medicines everyday. Things are generally under control but with occasional bouts of illness, sometimes necessitating hospitalisation. She had been a home maker throughout and is happy and contented. Children are well settled. Life went as per their plan and what more can she ask for? God has been kind. She reads her Bible everyday, goes to Church every Sunday and keeps writing something or the other on Bible thoughts, only for her own consumption.

Mrs Simon was more talkative that Mr. Simon. “One day soon, we will go away. We have no regrets. God was good to us” was her parting statement. When the train reached Chennai, I helped them alight. Mr. Simon shook hand and they went away. We never exchanged any addresses or phone number but simply were happy to have met each other and talked. We may or may not meet again; as nothing is sure in this world.

I was very impressed by their attitude to life, their independence, their positivity and of course, their non-complaining nature. In this materialistic world where people are never satisfied with whatever they had earned, here is a couple with such a value system being happy about whatever they had achieved.

No wonder nature had been extremely kind to them and let them live their life with happiness intact.

I was very happy. It was a good, simple learning. May God be with them…