After a cup of tea at 7.00 a.m., grandma’s new morning routine was to sit in her rocking chair with her mobile phone. First, she would send ‘good morning’ messages with pictures of the sunrise or cute kittens to her friends and relatives. Then, she would send ‘thank you’ messages to those who sent her ‘good morning’ messages. All this while chatting with five other people on her phone. This would go on till 9.00 a.m. Grandpa was dismayed that grandma was skipping her early morning walk because of this. One morning, grandma could not find her phone. She marched up to grandpa angrily. “Yes, I have hidden your phone, Raji. You don’t wish me a good morning, but you greet people who are miles and miles away,” said grandpa.
“Fine! I will wish you every morning. Now, please give me my phone,” said grandma. “Only if you accompany me on my walk, and wish at least five people ‘good morning’ during the walk,” said grandpa. Grandma grumbled as she put on her walking shoes.
An attempt
While coming out of the house, they saw their neighbour, Rajesh. “Wish him a good morning,” said grandpa.
“But he’s a rude man,” said grandma.
“Then I will return your phone only after a week,” said grandpa.
“Er…..um….good morning,” wished grandma.
Rajesh looked shocked. “Uh…duh….good morning,” he blurted out and rushed back into his house.
“I wished him and he ran away,” said grandma, greatly annoyed. They walked along and saw two men. Grandma greeted them. They gave her a cold look and walked away. Next, grandma wished two more ladies, but they too gave her a strange look and walked away.
Then they saw a lady wearing headphones and jogging. When grandma wished her, she replied and added, “What a nuisance!” while jogging away.
“That’s it,” grandma said. “You can hide my phone for a month. I am not going to wish these unfriendly people again.” When they reached home, grandpa returned grandma’s phone. A week passed and grandma returned to her morning routine. My parents and I visited them that weekend. My mother dragged grandma along our walk that morning.
Something’s different
As we came out of the house, Rajesh came by and wished us a good morning. Grandma was speechless with surprise.
“Amma, wish him,” whispered my mother.
“Oh! Sorry…good morning, Rajesh,” said grandma. As we walked further, we received more greetings from many early morning walkers. Grandma was shocked when the lady with the headphones wished her with a smile.
“What a friendly neighbourhood,” said my father.
“Earlier, no one wished anyone,” said grandma.
That evening, grandpa told us that we send ‘good morning’ messages to people on the phone, but we don’t wish people we see every day. “We see the milkman, the lady who sweeps the street, do we even smile at them or ask for their name? You should have seen the smile on Varun who collects garbage from our street every day, when I asked for his name and started to wish him good morning. For a week, I wished people who came my way. Many ignored me but in a few days even people who gave me cold stares started to smile and wish me back.”
Holiday over, we came home. Every morning, I go to the park for tennis practice. I wish a few people ‘good morning’. No one responds. But, I will continue to wish them all. Maybe in a month everyone in the park will start wishing each other.
