One Fine Morning

It was 8 in the morning and I was still awake. So I was asked to go to the ration shop and update the book(An extra sheet for 2011). I thought no big deal. But when I reached there, I saw a big queue though the shop was not yet open. Around 50 souls standing and still there was pin drop silence. When I realized I am supposed to stand in this queue for another hour or so I died a little. There were few people with newspapers/business magazines and the rest with a cold stare. I joined the herd with a cold stare, for newspapers, according to me, were always a weapon to kill gross insects. I decided to make it interesting on my own. I imitated the standing postures of all the people in-front of me and the face expressions of all the people behind me.

As my fun time continued, half hour later I got a phone call. I didn't want to be the odd man out in the queue. I asked the lady next to me to save me a space and she smiled. I stepped aside and took the phone call. When I returned, she got all worked up and started speaking like an attorney in a very loud voice. Her points were

• I left the queue.
• To be fair I should join the queue at the last position again.
• Since I had already waited half hour she will let me join the queue beside her but never in-front of her.

I figured one person is not going to change anything. Plus she accepted to help me(or at-least I thought so). But then the guy in-front of me(I don't know what he thought) offered a position in-front of him. Before I could turn down his kind offer, she started yelling at him and he started yelling at her and a group of people joined in each persons defense and a whole debate went on. Nobody knew who threw the first stone. Finally I somehow stopped the quarrel and stood after her. But two guys pulled me to the front saying "நீங்க வாங்க தம்பி. நம்ப பாத்துக்கலாம்", and forced me to stand there. Effectively I created one extra enemy on earth.