Srini went to see Ben in a
couple of days. He dressed in an old comfortable set of clothes that he
normally used to work in his old garage on winter days. He had on a hat with a
protective visor. Rohan, Molly, Anita and the twins had all waved him goodbye
as he left home. They had fed him breakfast and packed him a lunch, drink and
some snacks, with extra to share with Ben. Srini decided to take the public
transport bus.
Ben was sitting near
Srini’s favourite bench and he had a large sized covered package next to him.
He saw Srini approach and waved to him silently as he was working on a
customer’s shoe. Srini walked up to him and sat down after laying down an old
towel he had brought along. He had realised, he needed to get something like a
comfortable mat to sit down on and not get his seat wet or cold or dirty from
the ground. Ben smiled and carried on. Srini sat next to him and watched. After
the customer had paid and walked away, Ben turned towards Srini.
“Hello Srini! Good
thinking, but look at what is under the cover,” he said looking at the towel
and pointing towards the large covered package he had brought. Srini gently lifted one end of the cover and he saw
a brand new, well set up shoeshine kit. It had a little rolled mat of some
thick foam and fabric lining nicely tucked underneath.
“Use that mat, it is
waterproof and washable,” said Ben.
“Where did you get this
from and how much did it cost,” asked Srini.
“Well I ordered a new one,
but I had a spare set always, from when I started. I always had another set
ready to go, if something should happen to the one I am using. You can have
this. We can use the new one as the emergency spare. You need not pay me now,
but can pay when we pick up the new kit in a couple more days. It is being
assembled the way I ordered it for you,” said Ben.
“Thanks Ben!” said Srini
gratefully.
Srini wondered how Ben had
carried both his kits from wherever he lived and where he parked his car if he
drove one and where he lived. He looked forward to solving many of the
mysteries about Ben.
“Srini, I want you to
simply sit down and watch me for a couple of days. I might give you something
to practice on. Open the kit and have a good look at it. Get familiar with all the
things in it. Ask questions .The toilets, if you want to use them are in that
building, around the corner. We have permission to use them,” said Ben pointing
to the side of a building close to them, “If you feel sick or unwell or hurt
and want to lie down quietly, there is a janitor’s closet next to the toilets.
I have the key to the room. There is a spare mattress on the floor. You can use
it, if you need. Bring your own sheets and a blanket. Keep a change of clothes
and towel in a bag, in one of the drawers marked with my name on it. I occasionally
have an afternoon nap there. You can too if you want. There is also a shelf
there for me to keep my kit. I don’t have to take it home everyday. You can keep your kit there too. We pay the Sid,
the janitor, a small fee and he will make space for yours too. He is very
organised.”
Ben was thorough in his
introductions. He was also gentle and gradual in giving Srini all the necessary
information.
“What days and hours do you
want me to work, Ben. What else do I need to know?”
“I have a policy Srini –
Shoeshine: Rain or Sunshine. In fact, it
is after rain that more people come to shine their shoes. Mornings are busy
usually. Afternoon customers are usually salesmen or job candidates. You will
see a lot of them. The courts and financial businesses are our best customers.
Usually I work from 8 am
until 3 pm, near the offices. After that there is good business near the fancy
restaurants in the evenings, from 6pm until 8pm. I work only on weekends there
by myself, when I can and feel like it, but if you are willing to work
weekdays, we can make some good extra money. There are a couple of bowling
alleys and golf courses nearby that I have an understanding with. We can expand
our market with the two of us. We have some competition already. We live and
let live. We can always stake out a new area or building where no one else
works within sight. You are my partner, so we can work next to each other.
Not often, but
occasionally, people will want you to help fix or repair their shoes. They are
too busy to find a cobbler themselves. If they know you, they will ask you. I
provide that service too. I take them to a friend who has a shop nearby and he
does the work and I pay him. I charge a small fee as my commission on both
sides,” answered Ben.
Srini sat next to Ben all
day. He shared his lunch and snacks. Ben was appreciative and shared his food
with Srini. He asked about Srini’s
family and they chatted.
Srini, noted something he
had not observed before. There was a stack of breath mints on one side of the
shoeshine kit. He looked at Ben quizzically.
“Never ask a customer if
they want to buy breath mints. Just display it prominently. Let them ask for it themselves. If they are
meeting someone important and want to impress them, they will remember to shine
their shoes, but usually remember breath mints only at the last moment,” said
Ben smiling.
It turned out that Ben had
a car that he parked mostly at his home, which was a small flat he had rented
in a building nearby. He had a trolley
that folded down and he used it to carry heavy items. He sometimes locked it and
used that as a surface to sit on with a mat on top. He had brought it today and
put it away.
During a break, Ben showed
Srini around the janitor’s closet. It was a largish room with a bed at one end
and even a TV and radio.
Srini went back early evening
after a full day with Ben. He took the bus back to Rohan’s house. As he settled
into the couch, he realised his back was stiff and sore from all that sitting
on the ground. Before he realised, he dozed off. He woke up when Molly came in
with the kids she picked up on her way back from work. She saw him sleepily get
up and the twins ran up to him. He smelled of shoe polish. Molly did not
mention it.
“Would you like a cup of
tea or coffee?” she asked Srini, exactly at the same moment when he asked her
the same question.
“You look tired, just rest.
I’ll bring your tea shortly,” she said and got busy after dropping off her bags
in the living room, in a corner.
Srini realised that she
must be tired after her day too. Usually, he used to make her a drink and serve
some snack when she came home, but today he was more tired than usual. He lay
back and called the twins over. They clambered on to the couch and then onto him.
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2015
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