“Hey there! That’s my back you have your foot on..”
Startled, the young man looked around to see where the voice came from but found no one in sight. He continued tying the laces of his shoe, his actions giving away his state of mind.
“Okay, now it’s not my fault that she dumped you; so, if you'd please get your foot off my back, may be we could…talk a while?”
The young man quickly put is foot on the ground and bent to look under the bench to see if there was someone crunching beneath it. Not finding anyone, he dismissed hearing the voice as something he imagined and sat down on the bench to await the arrival of the bus.
“That’s better, this is what I am meant for!”
The young man heard that voice again and for a second he thought he was losing his mind ,too; as if losing the one person he loved the most was not enough!
“Hi, it’s I, the bench you sit on.”
“Eh?”
“Yes, you heard me right!”
“So, you are a talking bench?”
“Yes, sort of!”
“That’s the first of a kind I’ve come across..”
“Yeah..I’m different”
“Why did she break up with you?”
“Now, now, how do you know that?”
“Oh, doesn’t matter! Tell me…”
“Well, it was all my fault. I hurt her and deserved it!”
“Hmm..Did you apologise?”
“Well…hmmm…no…”
“Do you love her?”
“More than my life!”
“Does she know?”
“I’m not sure…I haven’t been good at expressing it, I suppose.”
“Then…run along! Go tell her you do. Now!”
“But…”
“Leave no place for ‘ ifs’ and ‘buts’ here, my boy. Love isn’t that easy to come by..!”
In an instant, the young man was up on his feet.
“You’re right! Catch you later..!”
“Your legs seem to be hurting again. Did you see a doctor?”
“I haven’t had the time. My job at the store gives me no time; you know that!”
“Yes, I’ve heard you mention that before. Come, sit awhile and rest those feet…”
The lady slumped onto the bench, giving her tired legs the much needed rest.
“How’ve ya been?”
“Ah, well, the usual, you know! I meet some old friends and make some new ones…It’s a steady job…”
“I envy you!”
“Why’s that?”
“You have friends!”
“I don’t have a family, Mrs.Thompson”
At that, Mrs.Thompson gave the bench a loving pat.
“Do make time to see a doctor, Mrs.Thompson!”
She waved with a smile as she boarded the bus.
“Hello, Mitch, the markets still in the red?”
“Hey, wassup? Oh yes, hard days ahead…”
“Oh, please don’t sit on me today, I have a broken leg!”
“Ouch, how did that happen?”
Mitch quickly jumped off the bench to check what was wrong with the leg
“Oh, that must hurt..”
“Yes, it does. And not everyone is kind enough as to stand a while..”
“Hmm. Have they checked it?”
“No one has come to check on me in the last year, Mitch. That was when I was painted, remember?”
“Oh yeah. I remember the ‘Wet Paint’ warning that you carried”, Mitch said, with a smile.
“I could have ruined my best Armani, you know”, he joked, trying to ease of some of the pain the bench was suffering.
“How would I know? I’ve never worn a suit all my life!”
“Ha ha ha…Let me see if I can fix your leg for you”, he said as he bent down to check what was wrong with the leg.
“I’ll fix that for you!” Mitch declared.
“Thank you! But would you have the time?”
“I’ll make the time”, he said with a smile as he prepared to board the bus that was approaching.
“Hello, Ram! Did you receive your pension cheque, yet?”
“No, no. Everytime there’s new reason I’m given for the delay.”
“I’m sorry..”
“Yeah, so am I! I had promised my wife we would get our daughter married soon and I need the money for that; the grooms have their demands, you know?”
“Oh, yes, I do;I’ve heard those discussions here!”
“If I refuse to give a dowry, no one will marry my daughter and everyone in the community will look down upon me..”
“But your daughter is so charming, well-mannered and educated…what can be more valuable than her?”
“Oh, she’s the apple of my eye!”
“Why don’t you post a note here. You could find just the right person for here…”
“How could I do that?”, Ram said in astonishment at the preposterous suggestion.
“Don’t get me wrong, Ram. But you might just find the right person for her - someone who values her, not the dowry she would bring along.”
“Hmm..so would do you suggest?”
“Just put up a note - ‘ Wealthy father looking for suitable husband for daughter to transfer wealth to’. Put in a few details and an address and await responses.“
“I can’t give away my daughter in marriage to some random man!”
“Trust me on this.”
Ram pinned a note on the board just behind the bench and left with mixed feelings.
Two days later, Mitch repaired the leg, a young lady painted the bench all pink, Mrs. Thompson brought her family along and Ram shared a response he received from a young bachelor - ‘ With a daughter like that, you sure are the wealthiest man on Earth’.
A note from The Psychic Bench : I've been at the bus-stop ever since the birth of this stop. At first I was exposed to the elements, without a shelter, and had to bear the wrath of the scorching Sun, the tirade of the rains and the bite of the cold winter. But after a while I was provided with some shelter. I have been painted, repaired and maintained, but not discarded. And in my long years here, I have come across people of all kinds.
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