In Transit: Jagdish

Walking from the east and heading on Regent to the corner of Dwight, a sheet of paper screened with the image of Gandhi slid with the wind in such a way that when Jagdish stepped the paper became flat in perfect unison with the sidewalk.

He stopped and looked not down, but back to see its source. Tacked to the door of the outwardly abandoned eyeglass store were at least fifty more copies of the weaving slice of Xeroxed white– Gandhi half toned, bald with brimmed spectacles. Some win dark, quote of wisdom pasted below in an off angle. His foot lifted into the air as he walked forward reaching and ripping another that he scanned and read,

“Hatred ever kills, love never dies. Such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality, for it increases hatred. The duty of a human being is to diminish hatred and to promote love.” Mohandas K. Gandhi

Floated through his mind numbing salt marches, distant spinning weaves, remembering his blue uniform and red tie, the hero cycle that he commanded through the streets of his youth. The cold chill of the winter California air returned him to the present and he dropped the past as well as the future and walking forward to reach the backdoor of Ajanta. On the counter he saw the leftover mutton that he would soon fold into samosas; he faked a smile and looked at his co-worker Bhim and proceeded forward into the kitchen…