Wheelchair

20th July 08
Ahmedabad


“Can I use your mobile phone to make a call?”

I just got in Jet Airways flight from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, and from there I was going to take flight to Singapore.
The old lady sitting besides me looked at me with some hope.

I hesitated for a moment and then said “Yes”.

I had Singapore SIM, so clearly I was on International Roaming. She made a short call to tell someone that she had made in the Aircraft safely.

“Are you taking connecting flight from Mumbai?”

“Yes.” I said. “How about you?”

She replied, “I am traveling to Vancouver, and I am having knee problem, and I have no idea how I will move my baggage from domestic terminal to international one.”

I just listened to her for a moment, and then I realized that may be(there was a slight chance) that I will get on board at the last moment.

Yes, thats me. Like those few idiots fooling around on the earth, jumping on every opportunity of being nice human beings and then paying for it.
But I don’t mind doing that, as long as I feel something in that.

Dhabu used to tell me, “Vishang, Think before you do anything and think before you say anything”
And I used to reply to her with my smile, eventually she gave up on “Think” topic.

Back to Jet Airways,
The old lady turned out to be ex-principle of Prabhudas Thakkar college in Ahmedabad, and that also for 30 years, then she was in management committee.

And I told her that, I and my friends used to be Pain in nose for school and college professors and eventually principles, but she didn’t mind that.
She was 70 years old, and was hyper-careful about her health and her trip. Thats the thing I notice in old people, they become way much careful, about their stuff like food, accommodation, medicines and it crosses limits on traveling.

Does it cross limits?
Who decides limits?
You, me or any other young ones like us, roaming around feeling like king of the world.

We landed on Mumbai Runway, she turned to me, and said, “Please wait for me, I am going to ask for Wheelchair and they will let me out after every passenger has left aircraft.”

I was ready for that, actually I was ready for anything after I made up my mind to stay with her.
Everyone slowly moved out of the plane, but then she stood up, and started taking her begs out. I saw that she was fine with her legs, but still asking for wheel chair.
I told her not to take wheel chair, because if she can walk out normally, its faster to do then taking wheel chair. So both of us, with I holding her cabin baggage got out of plane, and waited for other wheel chair patients to come with us on the last bus.

But again, she asked for wheelchair and then I had to convince her that its only one step to get into bus. Thankfully she left the wheelchair and got in bus by herself.
I got in after her with her suitcase.

Again, third time now, when we got off at Domestic terminal, she asked for wheelchair, and again I explained her that as she can move without it, not having wheelchair is better for us to get on airport coach.

I didn’t know, at least at that point, that why she kept asking for wheelchair, and whenever I explained her, she got convinced.

We got on and off Airport coach, and now we were at International Terminal.

We got inside the Terminal, and I had to move fast to catch my flight, but I was making sure that she gets her flight safely and her luggage transfers properly.

Then finally, moment came for me to leave her and get on with my immigration, I hated that moment.


She thanked me for all helped and asked for one last help,
“Can you get me a Wheelchair now? please.”

I got my answer that as her wheelchair is going away now, she needed an actual wheelchair.




And I couldn’t arrange a wheelchair for her.