Autobiography of A Rickshaw Puller
I am a rickshaw-driver and popularly known is
‘rickshaw-puller’ in our part of the world. That is the name by which I am
called. Sometimes passengers shorten my title and call out Halloo rickshaw, as
if I am the vehicle that I ply. But J know what they mean and at once rush to
their service. I cannot afford to have any false sense of vanity either.
I am poor but not
miserable. I suffer poverty but no unhappiness. I feel proud to earn my living
by the honest sweat of my brow. I thank my star that I am not a thief.
I drive a
three-wheeled vehicle that you call 'rickshaw'. I do not own my carriage yet
but hope to buy one in the near future. Nonetheless I love the 'rickshaw' that
gives me an honorable living. I love it with the care of a father and always
ply with caution and tenderness. I keep it neat and tidy and protect it from
rain and sun.
Shall I tell you a
bit of my daily life? Yes, let me tell you. You may find it somewhat interesting.
I rise quite early in the morning, eat my poor but pleasant breakfast, and go
out with my three-wheeled car. At times I have to paddle a long way off before
I get a passenger. As the sun rises higher and higher, my trouble increases.
How difficult it is, after all to drive along several mounds of weight with no
stronger things than two human legs. And
often f have to run far miles without any income. But on the whole my
income is good. After meeting the dues of the cruel, I am left enough to feed
my family except on rare occasions when
natural calamities disturb my work. Usually I work from morning to sunset, with
a break after the midday for lunch.
Generally after a long trip, I rest for a while and take some repast.
I have a home- a
small but loving home where I live with my loving wife and beloved children. When I go out tn the morning, my
children see me off at the door. When I return
home in the evening they receive me on the adjacent road. They rush out
of my small cottage as soon as they hear
the sound of my bell. As I go in with them, my loving wife receives me with a smile and then sits by me fanning
off my fatigue. Shortly, afterwards we
all eat our dinner together and go to bed rather early.
But on top of all my
joys I have a permanent fear which robs me of much of the relish of life. I have no security. I am now young and
energetic and can keep off starvation by the power of my muscles. But what will happen when I grow
old? Who will feed my children if I fall sick
or die of an accident? Whenever I think of these problems, I find no
reply. But I depend on God and believe
firmly that He will give me and my family the protection we deserve.
