Jara- old age

I was travelling to chennai in pallavan express in second sitting. A old man got in at srirangam. Some young boy came left his bag along with him. The man was very tired. He seemed ill. He frequently visited the toilet in the train. We the co-passengers realized that he had continuous dysentry. In few more hours, he seemed very weak. His dress started smelling. Any question we ask him, he replied in a very detached way. We enquired him where he is going in chennai... who would receive him at chennai. No idea!! He was silent. He seemed very determined not to say anything.

His bag had one bed sheet, few books, one more dhoti.

At Egmore, he said he will go all by himself and requested to get an auto. We did. He just told the automan something. He had no energy to smile at us. But he definetely did not want to tell us anything.

Dont know what happened to him. He very much looked like a disowned, orphaned father, who was unwilling to speak against his own children. This we inferred from tit- bits of conversation, we tried to have with him.

While disowning parents is increasing on one side, there are also cases of rich parents withall money, medical facilities but no one to talk to them or listen to them in the old age.  Old people need our time, few kind words more than money. Give them some, in turn, we will get lots of unexpected wise thoughts and blessings, which are priceless.

Respect old age.