"COME AGAIN......"

There used to be a narrow gauge Railway, styled, Barshi Light Railway. The train used to be sickeningly slow on the track.
The jokes on the speed used to be galore. One I recall, goes;
“The train driver complained to the authorities, that, there was a menace of cattle on the rail-track. It was a perennial problem not a casual one.
Sure enough , a committee was set up to investigate in the matter. They went about the job seriously, for quite some time. Submitted a report eventually.
Their finding was a shocking one. It appeared that a buffalo was the villain of the piece. The surprise came in the concluding remarks of the report; which stated that it was the same buffalo which was obstructing the travel of the train, on the rails, again and again and again.“ Some speed !
English language keeps on adding new expressions to say, the same intent in different styles.
The good old expression, whenever one failed to hear someone clearly, used to be;
“I beg your pardon Sir.” Too prosaic and archaic British, perhaps.
“Sorry?” would be more contemporary. The stylish would say “Come again.” Slightly continent- oriented, etiquette.
I am reminded of the BLR joke, and the expression for the unheard conversation after observing the repairs, to Pune roads.
All roads, should have been kept in good order and condition, in the first place, to face the monsoon, which comes annually, at the appointed time punctually.
This was woefully left undone. The rains devastated the communication arteries of the city totally. Consequently, there was furor over this inaction, incompetence, and faulty administration.
They blamed torrential rains, contractors, civil servants, municipal authorities, faulty raw materials, incorrect process, camber of the road, the travelers on the road. (They were advised by authorities, to use roads sparingly, “TAKE TO FLYING”, ha...ha….).
After long last, some semblance of repairs was undertaken. There was a precondition, put before they embarked on the Good Samaritan task, of road-repairs. Rains must take a holiday for the repairs-chaps to work uninterrupted, peacefully, they are susceptible to cough and cold.
Rain-gods obliged.
We got to see the roads again, all black and inviting.
All the guilty, who were bearing the brunt of the public wrath , which was expressed roundly, squarely etc. commenced surfacing, at the public functions, again, again and again. .
All heaved a sigh of relief, that the rain for the season was over .
It was too loud and premature perhaps.
The fury of rain, which had abated, for some time , came back with a renewed vigor.
Last whole week, there is unprecedented rainfall. There would be new statistics which will feature in local newspapers. This is the first time, in living memory that ;there is such heavy rain-fall in September etc. etc. Skyward all the guilty will all ask in unison, “HOW is that ?” Cricketer’s style.
The contractor will get his second contractor , to re-repair the damaged road, again ,again and again.
I overheard the contractor pray to the rain god,
”Come again ,”
Does he not know, that the buffalo repeatedly obstructing the traffic , in the anecdote of BLR as above, is the vehicle of YAMA, the death god?.





M S RANADE
Chairman & CEOPlacewell Consultants,
Pune 411007
mranade@vsnl.com