Mr. Pole

I’m in a govt. job for more than half of my age, meaning that I’m a servant for most of my age.
It even surprises me when I pause and think about the day I joined this service. It appears really puzzling when I put the time in years, it’s for so many years.
Long time service really made me most obedient servant. Otherwise, would anyone of my age, agree to come to this hilly area much away from my home to serve?
I’m a very insignificant member of a family of twelve children. Despite being a well-to-do family, there would be shortage of everything for so many fragmentation. It would definitely escape the attention of our father if one or two out of twelve siblings come home late or anyone got sprain in the ankle while playing etc. My father did not have time and patience to keep track of such trifle matters.
As a result, we all grew up as our own.

Luck played some exception in my case. I could not become like one of my other siblings basically for my merit, I guess.
I passed my Secondary and higher Secondary School with distinction and then left home to study in a renowned University. Having completed my study, I got a job in the selection grade and left home. My other siblings have comfortably settled in the ancestral home.
Our mother left this world early and finally father followed suit. I seldom visit my ancestral home and the frequency gradually decreased to may be once in couple of years.
My siblings quipped by calling me guest, as I visited my house occasionally. As time passed, I became quintessential guest at my own ancestral home.
I married from an acquaintance, fostered through my service connection and thus built a permanent wall between my childhoods and present myself.
In my newly acquired domain, all acquaintances are made through work related interactions. My job is transferable and to a new station if I meet someone with whom I served earlier then relation is further consolidated based on some common memories.
My children are part of this world by birth. But none of my children are with us for many years. They are abroad and living their own life.
My daughter has married and got settled in US after having completed her studies there.
She also serves in a reputed company. They live happily there.
I sent my son to residential school from very early age to cope up with my frequent
transfer. He was also an occasional visitor to home from sixth standard. Having
passed his higher secondary, he has also left for US for study. It would take about four and half years and then he will also be settling in his own world.
My wife went to US to remain beside my daughter as she was carrying a baby. A son was born few days back and she is very happy with her daughter and grandson. It won’t be before many months that she is likely to be back.
It’s about a week, I’ve come to this station on transfer. They have allotted a huge bungalow but I thought of living in this Rest House to avoid loneliness in the bungalow.

One waiter has been earmarked to attend me in the Rest House.
I got a bit confused looking at him on the first day.
His physical appearance did not seem normal like others. He has a gloomy face with sunken jaw with protruding bones around. He has a sharp aquiline nose, two small eye balls are dug into two holes on its either side, sparkling like polished round marble balls. He has a small face perched between two small erected ears.
He wished me as he entered and stood in a staggered stance.
He was standing right in front of me but it seemed that he was far away.
He has a thin physique, looks like a skeleton is covered up with pant and shirt.
Looking at his face gives a feel that he is tall, but once you have a look at his body you can see that he would be barely five feet.
There is a dichotomy between his body and his face.
Given some more nutrition to his face with sharp nose, he would definitely enchant any one. He would look real handsome if few inches are added to his height.

One would get utterly wrong to surmise the age of his zero fat tiny body. His age may be somewhere between forty and seventy.
-What’s your name?
-Mr. Pole
He replied grinning, showing his small yellowish teeth.
He looked beautiful with his smiling face.
I really did not understand the reason for his smile. Is it because of his peculiar name, or to show that he is happy seeing me? But I could hardly check my smile knowing his name.
-Sir, what time should I serve your dinner?

Normally I am a late eater of dinner. It’s early winter but cold spell has set in early this year.
-How late do you sleep? I asked.
- That’s no matter Sir, whenever you want I’ll serve your food. Pole was very obsequious.
Pole is a very obedient and loyal guy. He is ready to serve my dinner any time in this biting cold night. I felt bad for him.

-You need not bear the bite of night hour cold. You just serve the food on my table and go, I’ll eat at my time.
He again grinned showing his small teeth.
-Sir, you will not enjoy cold food in this winter. Don’t worry about me, I sleep in a room in this Rest House. So, not much of problem for me.

-Why, how about your family?
Mr. Pole smiled again on my query.
-None stay with me.
I got a bit confused.
Mr. Pole gave a short narrative about himself just to quench my inquisitiveness.
He is one of many children of poor parents. In his boyhood, his father sent him to work for an officer of this department. As he grew up, his boss gave him this job about forty years back.
His own home is far away from this place. But he consented, for it is a govt. job. He stays here since then. He married a girl of this area and gradually severed all relation with his own home and people.
He has four son and a daughter. He sent all his boys as domestic servant to different officers of this department. They all got jobs through their own bosses and all are living in their own service location with their families. They don’t keep contact regularly but Pole keeps track of them through his known officers. They are all well.
His daughter is youngest of all. She serves in a Garment Factory. He married with a good boy. But his son in law is still unemployed. Since his daughter already attained marriageable age, that’s why Pole agreed to marry her with an unemployed boy with the promise that he would get him a job through his Officers. That’s how his unemployed son in law agreed to marry his daughter.
She was married into a poor family and thus his daughter did no leave the job even after marriage. She gave birth of a baby girl right after one year of her marriage. Her in-laws family were unhappy on her since then because she was unable to continue her job, for looking after her baby.
On the other hand, her in-laws family started blaming her, as her father was yet to manage a job for his son in-law as per marriage agreement.
Thus per force, Pole had to send her wife to her daughter to look after the baby, so that she can again join her Garment Factory job.
Mr. Pole lives alone and that’s why he stays in the Rest House leaving his own home.
Mr. Pole grinned having finished his narrative.
-Sir I’ve closed all the windows of that side. He grins again.
I also grinned with him. But don’t know why?
It seems that Mr. Pole got confused a bit by seeing me grinning.
The aspect of bringing my food, suddenly dawned on him and he scooted out.

I started having pain in the left side of my chest. Pain was on the rise. Drops of sweat clotted on my forehead in this cold winter. I felt like chocking.
I opened the window and sat beside to get some fresh air.
Mr. Pole came with my dinner in a few minutes.
He stared at me for sometimes. I quite did not understand whether his holed up eyes could see the drops of sweat on my forehead.
-Why have you opened the windows in this cold winter?
He said, while shutting the window.
-It’s better to keep the windows closed. Cold wind coming from outside is harmful for you, Sir.
At this age, you better remain happy with conditioned environment inside. You may switch on the AC if required.
I looked at him, with an effort to understand what he really means.
Mr. Pole’s unconcerned visage at the sight of my condition rather gave me some moral courage. Sweat from my forehead got soaked as he turned on the AC.
He laid down my dinner on the dining table.

-Sir, Please eat your dinner, I’ll be just waiting out.
I looked at him. The same unconcerned smiling face.
-Sir, I can’t just stand AC. Cold wind outside also tell on this weak body now a days. It was no problem few years back, now I’ve aged. But don’t worry, I’ll wrap my ears and head with muffler. I have accommodated myself with the reality that life has given me.
He went out smiling.
-Who named him Pole and why? I really don’t know. I am also not sure whether he himself knows the meaning of his name. But one thing is clear to me that he clearly understands that he is a lone inhabitant of a frozen pole.

At the fag-end of my life, I could really understand that there is hardly any difference between him and me. We both are inhabitants of frozen pole.