Sunday, February 19, 2006

A Series of Unfortunate Events...

It was 5.45am on Sunday. I just came back from watching the final one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan (India won the match with a blast). I was supposed to go for Andre House seva by 7am (breakfast service for homeless people in Andre House, which is a homless shelter in downtown phoenix). It is my duty today to make coffee for 200+ people. I have the huge coffee maker with me, I followed all the instructions and started the machine. I did other things and came back to switch off the coffee maker at 6.30, which is about the time I should leave. Then I realized that I didn't put the coffee maker properly and it didn't even get started on it. That is just the beginning in the series of unfortunate events.

I also had sandwiches with me that we (the young adults from Sai Young Adult association in phoenix) made yesterday, so it is critical that I have to reach Andre house by sharp 7am. Since the coffee didn't get done, I thought I'll use the adaptor in my car and connect in the car and let it boil/brew while I'm driving to the place. But when I went to the car, the adaptor apparently broke and it didn't work. This is the second one.

While I was hurrying to get to Andre house in time, I left my house stepping hard on the gas. Soon after, I came to a sudden halt, as there is a long train on the tracks nearby my place, and I had to wait for 10 mins there. The time is now 6.45am.

Since I had to pick up two other friends and go the Seva, I wanted to call them to get them alerted and started searching for my phone in the car. I then realized that I forgot my cell phone at home. Without any other option, I thought I'll go directly go their house and get them. But I forgot their apartment number. I thought it is on the second floor and I banged on the doors of some 5-6 apartments, in the area where I thought the apt would be. No answer (I later realized that their apartment is on 3rd floor). I couldn't call them, as I didn't have any means of communication with me. I then realized how handicapped I'll be without my cell phone and how dependent I was on the technology. With nothing to do, I left the apt complex without picking them up. The time is now 6.59am.

I rushed from the apt complex and ran in my car as fast as a bullet, cursing myself and my luck and that I'm delaying the breakfast for homeless people. I rushed to the Andre house and when I finally took the exit and was about to take the turn in the street to get there, I realized that the street is closed and that I have to take a detour. I tried to take the detour, but I got lost and at last I found my way to the place. Finally I reached Andre house at 7.17am, rushing to brew the coffee and hand over the sandwiches. The seva has already started and the young adults are already serving the food to the homeless people. To my amazement and by God's grace, they are also serving coffee. I later realized that someone else also got the coffee ingrediants by coincidence and made the coffee after he came.

Anyways, the seva went well, despite the fact that the sandwiches and coffee came late and that we were short of people (I was supposed to pick up two of the young adults). After the seva, I had to immediately rush to my music classes which start at 10am. With no sleep from the day before, I rushed home and went immediately to my music classes. After the music classes, I realized that I left the car headlights on and the battery drained out. I had to jump start the car and had to drive around for another hour while I was really sleepy after the night out.

Finally the series of unfortunate events came to an end at 1.30pm, by when I hit my bed and tucked deep inside my cozy comfortor :) :) God is great!

2 comments:

s. Toufeeq a. Ahmed said...

Sala Tera badluck hi kharab hai!

Unknown said...

Just perfect.. with new tech world