WAITING FOR ALICE/ LINA

Between the bamboo trees, she was sitting on the ledge and looking into her mobile phone so intently that when he coughed while passing she started.

Oh, sweet one, don’t fall into the mobile phone and disappear!

She looked around the spot where she was sitting and tried to figure out whether there were any ants.

‘To be sweet is a pain in the ass, you ruffian. ’ she  retorted. And if you think that I would wait here endlessly for your holy self, you are mistaken!

Don’t be carried awayby the ants,dear one . You have grown light in the wind, and the face is  red from the heat. How can an occasional visitor misss you, even if he were to avoid this gorge? The fire grows  tall where you sit and the bluish flames consume the skies. Can I address you as Leena, as I wan’t to or should I call Alice the one who went into the Mobile phone? The wind rustled the bamboo polesand amidst the creaky sounds, she put down her mobile and absently gazed  at him.

Mister seems  to be in a talkative mood. Maybe the dictionary  is short of appropriatemono syllables for conversation. Anyway , don’t walk around too much in the sun. at the rate that  you are perspiring I think your body will soon run out of water!

“Oh Lina,Lina . you do observe things. A camel drinks for the journey, I suppose”.

“At this rate, you will soon build a desert around yourself, no doubt”

Oh, I have been deserted for long and that is how the beast came in.

“okay ,okay. Now, where are you off to,Mister?

I landed a contract for numbering  the electric posts hereabouts. And am on my job now.”

“So now you know every nook and cranny of my village well!”

“Hardly . I have been following the electric poles and some places and girls and people and hadly notice anything else, except maybe some people especially women about   step into their mobile phones. Is it customary here that you escape into the mobile screen?

What Paul tells us about Peter tells us more about pole than of Peter,obviously. But tell me dear Paul, tell me something about yourself.”

“Oh that is quiet simple, I am Me”

‘’Me am me…ohh that is on the seashore, I suppose.And what is the desert  doing there?”

Wait ing for camels , or even linas, if one may say so,”

She  stuttered, looked around, pointed at a clear a little  further   said.

“You may put your  somewhere there”.

Oh lady, lady! She asks Paul to leave the poles. So okay, says he.”

(Seats himself).

A  bird with a white body and black head flew in from somewhere and alighted on a mango tree. It had long tail  feathers.  Paul gazed at it and wondered.

 “Your post here is  full of strange birds”.

“And bird watchers, obviously ”.

She opened the bottle and took a gulp. He eyed her curiously,opened his knapsack and took out a pack of cigarettes.

“The camel burns itself at both ends.”

Some three women were walking  that way between the bamboo bushes. Lina returned the bottle to her bag, looked at them and turned to him. He was lighting the cigarette. She shook  her head and looked away.

 ‘’Your carburetor may need cleaning”. Paul finished the cigarette, stretched himself and sprang to his feet. He pointed to the electric pole nearby , motioned towards it and said:So” Paul has to attend to the  poles now, lady, see you some other time”. He  picked up the point mug and brush and started walking away . Lina bent down ,  looked at her knees. She had been resting there for sometime and had expected  Paul to come by. He usually did, though they never told each other where  to meet next time. Somewhere under the sun and maybe on top of their own shadows  for all that they knew.