The umbrella stories!
I had switch station, and the rains were lashing out with no mercy. The rains witnessed a sudden emergence of tradespeople with varieties of umbrellas, and a few quickly switching over from their now dormant fruit juices trade to selling cheap plastic raincoats and umbrellas. I was torn between whether to buy an umbrella or not, the sudden spurt in demand also resulting in surge price like Uber taxis during peak hours, from RMB 20 to RMB 80. I could not walk to my hotel, not far away and the heavy weight of the papers in my bag was burdensome as well without being drenched.
I pointlessly tried to bargain and buy up the now ‘fixed-price only,’ umbrella, despite the dangling US flag in its handle and the Chinese trade with the US under strain. My Indian analytical and argumentative brain does a quick appraisal of the situation as I sneak my way through, under the bus sheds and the like, on a long detour to reach my point of next boarding. Usain Bolt, the sprinter, flashes in my mind, but I disregard bolting to the other farthest end of the station, putting my shoes in peril, even if I carried an umbrella.
The sweaty smell from our crowds is so different from the Orientals, which seems a bit of soya and garlic-laced as I hurriedly exit the metro. Why are the commuters drier and most have neatly folded ‘dry’ umbrellas with them? The sky is now brighter, and there is no trace of any rain at all around my hotel. Unpredictable the Chinese weather too is, as their bosses in Doklam. The umbrella has suddenly become a heavyweight.
The next day is sunny, as I carry the umbrella with abundant caution but am surprised to see the same woman, now back to a brisker fruit-juice vending. Impulsively I decide to do a bit of justice to adverse India’s trade balance with China and head towards her.
I do not speak Chinese, and most Chinese do not understand any Indian language or English. I often had to use sign language extensively and realised the futility of it, just like if I would put off the sound in our special afternoon news in a TV channel for the hearing impaired to understand the seemingly simple gestures becoming Arabic when muted. With assistance from a curious bystander, I realised that they have no return policy, but she could take it for an RMB 15, as she was selling them now at RMB 25. It was sunny sky policy!
The swanky airport has many shops, and my attention froze to the same type of umbrella dangling just before my eyes. RMB 100 the price tag stated. It was cloudy above perhaps, but I was drenched and devastated!
Sampath Kumar
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