FEB 3, 12 .. PONDICHERRY
And today’s sixty four thousand ($64,000) dollar question is :
IS VIRTUE ITS OWN REWARD ?
Robert Ripley had a years-running column .. Truth IS Stranger Than Fiction .. read on .. I am not making this story up just to have a post ..
I have put up two posts .. one here at babakaps.net (FWIW.. 112.. February 1, 2012) immediately below this post .. and one on my photo web site .. bobbacaps.blogspot.com (FWIW (Pondi).. 152.. February 2, 2012) .. both dealing with the issue here at my internet cafe with the manager (Thangavelu) .. where (he goes by a shorter version of his full name) ‘ Velu ‘ announced to me that I owed him in arrears one hundred rupees ..
After I wrote the photo web site writing last Thursday .. I checked VERY carefully to be sure I had all of my belongings when I left the internet cafe .. I made a point of this .. a big deal so-to-speak .. knowing I am losing things and leaving things behind me ..
I even kidded ‘Velu’ as I did this saying .. “If it is possible.. I will lose things” .. ‘Velu’ just smiled his winning-smile .. a very sweet human being .. and nodded quietly ..
Let me tell you all .. it felt really good to have maintained my good relationship with ‘Velu’ and not blown things up over the one hundred rupees !
And out and off I went ..
About ten minutes later .. I was SHOCKED TO REALIZE that .. in spite of my carefully and my deliberately checking my work area for things .. before leaving the internet cafe ..
Of all things .. I had (I could not believe it) .. LEFT MY CAMERA BACK AT THE INTERNET CAFE !
So back I raced .. up the steps I bounded ..
And .. holding my camera in one hand and smiling broadly .. stood ‘Velu’ !
He said .. “I ran down the stairs but you had disappeared up the street into the crowd and I could not see you” ..
Had I made things ugly over the one hundred rupees .. what would the outcome have been ?
So you answer me .. Is virtue its own reward ..