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Vinod lay there in the general ward of the General Hospital, Trivandrum looking up at the ceiling. He pondered how he ended up on a hospital bed. He could see his Amma with tears flowing down her cheeks beside the bed. He asked her which day it was. She replied it was Wednesday. Vinod said he thought it was Monday.
Amma said it was on Monday he had fallen off the ladder. He remembered. He was fixing up the electrical wiring for a house under construction at Mangattukonam. As he was nailing the cable, he had slipped. He didn't know what happened afterwards. Amma told him it was a fall from a height of eight feet. Fortunately he didn't break his bones. But there was concussion as he had landed head first. He was unconscious. The contractor from Pothencode had arranged his transfer to the General Hospital at once. That single act had saved Vinod's life. He had been in the ICU for two days. He was transferred to the general ward after he became conscious.
Vinod felt pain all over the body. The Sister who came to administer an injection told him it was to mitigate the pain. The doctor on the rounds told him he would have to take complete rest for two months after discharge from the hospital. He was told he would have to remain in the hospital for three more days.
In the evening that day the contractor, Ramesh visited him. Ramesh was happy Vinod had regained consciousness and that there had been no debilitating injuries. Ramesh quietly slipped Two thousand Rupees under the pillow and left, promising Vinod he would visit him the next day. But Ramesh never set foot in the hospital again.
True to their word, the doctors discharged Vinod on the fourth day after he regained consciousness.
At home it was a slow grind. The pain was excruciating. Vinod's aged mother looked after him as best as she could.
Though doctors had told him, he could go back to his work after two months, he had to stay off from work altogether for six months. Of course there was no money left. Vinod had to borrow heavily to make both ends meet.
As he had been quite good at his work, his clients had waited patiently for his return.
There was no dearth of work when he resumed his duty.
Two years on, he managed to save some funds after paying off all the debts.
It was at this time, Vinod had taken a rush job in a two storied building. As he had always been a loner, there were no supporting electricians. But there was a timeline to beat.
After the completion of wiring in the ground floor, Vinod went after the first floor. Here, he had to fix the concealed wiring on the exterior. It was a sight to watch. He stood at the highest step on the long ladder. Ever since his accident Vinod had always been careful. He would wear the Helmet. He would tie himself to the window bars with the other end tied around his waist. It was the standard precaution all electricians had been taught to take though flouting it had been the standard norm. Since Vinod had learned his lesson the hard way he never dared to violate the norm.
As he had felt safe with the contraptions in place,and since it was very hot he had put away the Helmet for once.
Alas, as he stood on the top of the ladder with full concentration on the work, he didn't notice the climate cooling off. Suddenly, there was a heavy down pour. Any normal human being would climb down from that elevation as best as he could. But Vinod just couldn't do that. The knot that had secured him to the window bar was so tight he was unable to untie himself. from one end or the other. Poor man, he had to stand their clinging on to the window bar for almost an hour, taking in the onslaught of the heavy downpour on himself.
When the rain receded, Vinod managed to climb down after untying the knot. It was a lengthy process. He could have cut it off if he had the knife with him. But he had only the screwdriver,the nails and the hammer with him.
Back at home he began shivering in the night. He had a high fever. The next morning, he had to visit the hospital. He was admitted there at once as the fever didnot subside. It took a week for him to get well and get himself discharged.
As he had been laid up for more than a month, Vinod had to resort to heavy borrowing again to pay off the hospital bill and meet the expenses for the convalescence.
When he became well he resumed his work. But a bad cough was irritatiting him. The doctors on examination diagnosed it as an infection that could be arrested with medicines. But they didnot bar him from carrying on with his work.
But Vinod told me as an abundant precaution, he was avoiding taking up work at houses that had little children to save them from catching any illness from him
What astounded me was the manner in which Vinod had related the turmoil he had been through on the two occasions. He was laughing it off. He did not curse his fate.
Even I couldn't contain my laughter as he drew the picture of himself hanging on to dear life in that heavy downpour. It made me admire him for his courage.
He maintained that turbulence was part of life and he had to accept whtever good and bad that came his way.
According to him the inner peace he has is helping him tackle the unexpected throughout his life.
Vinod. What a gem of a man!
