Olive green

 Without my luggage, I was travelling along with a few unknown people. It was warm  and windy evening, blowing yellow ochre sand dust in the air. 

On my left, I could still see my country, green grass blown left and right by soft breeze going away from me. I realised that I am getting into a new territory of dry grass and dust rose from the sands. 

We were watching the check post from a distance, sitting inside a Mexican? or American nah! Indian ambassador car, driving towards the new country.

The gate opened at the entrance while regret of leaving my home country started to haunt me in front of my vision, going away from me. 

Men who wore a huge Mexican hat and cowboy outfit were waiting to attend us. I suppose they are cops; their sarcastic smile, casted spell on remains of my confidence. A male voice next to me instructed me to be aware of these boundary riders. For reasons unknown, I was hesitant and uncomfortable. 

I was the first target of these cops who giggled at my skin. A cop who wore a olive jacket asked me to come forward to show my identity proof. I felt the warmth of the olive denim jacket in the dusk and suddenly felt that the cop could be feeling the piercing sun under his jacket. Even though I have necessary identity proof, I was scared enough to believe it myself. I was afraid that my driver’s license could be verified and I will be suspected. 

 'You stay here till we verify your documents' said the cop- again with a sarcastic smile, fellow cops started to follow him to make me more nervous. He turned to his left reaching to a wooden piece- a sculpture! I thought the piece is replica of Christ but with stiff stance. He gave the doll to me saying that it could save me, other cops started laughing.

 I was wondering about the wooden piece and turned its head gently with a click sound. The moment I turned I was manifested into a giant male looked similar to moses of Michael Angelo. My fellow traveller was nude and carrying a bride in his arms, walked away from me into a green landscape. I was walking toward a red sharp edged car in the dark night……….

                    II

I entered a busy market but not crowded enough to entertain large number of customers. This market had lot of corners and small streets or passage to create enormous directions to get lost. 

I bent down to get out of the silky green curtain hanging above, reminded me of any islamic domain. By the time I started to look around, a deep resonating voice replaced a dark, strong, short male who was very much to himself. perhaps he was my co traveller?  

I turned next to the big brown table on my right hand side. I saw a coffee shop and its display board which reads “coffee beku”. The logo of this shop was very similar to 'cothas' coffee powder! The green and red struck me to stop for a bit to know more about this place. The guy who makes coffee said something in kannada. I was amazed to have heard kannada in a foreign land. We both enjoyed the moment in awe and moved on to another street.

People were selling provisions and strangely I could recognise them. These vendors were busy and talking over the mobile phone in telugu. The smell of oil and dry coconut brought me back to shetty angadi for a while.

I asked “ are there colonies here of migrants?” an old man rubbing his hand came out of his house and said yes with a cordial smile.  I noticed my co traveller disappeared, but I was barely concerned. 

I started to figure out the directions from narrow, white distempered walls of an old Indian house of pillars and red oxide painted floor. I met another old man, lying and chewing his pan in the verandah said “you have to rest”; affirmation followed from inside one of the rooms by an old married lady. Even before I asked him the old man said “do you see the white building next to the other? “Without waiting for my reply he continued “you have to climb that white wall with small windows to the roof and join the guys who are resting there”. The roof which he mentioned was made of iron sheets cut into long strips weaved together and left unfinished toward the posterior end. 

I followed the old man without any acknowledgement. 

I was carefully holding the iron strips to hang on to powdered distemper wall. I looked into the groove to see a few young men like the one who travelled with me earlier was lying down and enjoying the music. 

I didn’t wish to disturb them but I was hanging on one foot to hold the iron strip at my fingertips slithering away by seconds.   

                III

Quite a busy warm evening, exhausted by afternoon  heat. I was waiting in the uniform for the carton box to be passed from my fellow worker, to arrange and keep them tidy in the place next to me. something significant caught my attention.