Zebra Crossing

" Hurry up guys..hop on...we are kinda late!", I blurted out as I got my car to the podium where two eager souls and a calm heart was waiting for me. We were to go for a movie and were running late.  It was a date with much awaited movie show for three generations..me, my mom and my kids. "Some one's mom is gonna fly us to the theater", said my mom. And before everyone was comfortable in their seats, I drove off! Not only the movie, but the trailer of the upcoming releases, ahead of the show, was something I really loved to watch, always! So did not wish to miss them. 

Murphy's* law (if something has to go wrong, it will!) was very much interested in proving itself right that day. And I feel, rather strongly feel that when we are running out of time, it does turn out as the naughty goblin...And it did! We were stuck in the traffic, courtesy the marriage procession and then some un-supportive traffic signals. The movie theater was just few blocks away from where we had started. But...here I was, stuck at the last traffic signal, with few minutes to go for the show to start off...I could see the movie theater and was hopeful that we would make it in time! Alas...the amber had to turn red at this very second, why- o- why..I wondered.

My thoughts were talking loudly with me. But then I sensed some commotion outside. From the rear view mirror, I saw a gentleman frantically waving and gesturing. Suddenly I could hear the loud honking. Again I checked in the mirror and realized that gentleman was asking me to go ahead. I was clueless. The red signal was red enough yet! I was just behind the zebra crossing. Few pedestrians were half way through the road crossing. 

"Tuck Tuck"...there was a knock on my side of the window. As I lowered the pane, I saw the same boor, standing right next to me and arguing to take the car ahead. How fast this man had jumped out of his car, I wondered, as if in jiffy...I was really impressed!!!! His noble point of view was that I should have taken my car ahead of the zebra crossing, and should have saved some time. I could see from his expressions that he actually meant to call me a lousy lady driver! Veraciously, I replied, "Do you think, I am going to build my house here at the junction? Or build some garage for my car here? Red does seem to be red yet....whats your opinion?" The gentleman got the message and murmuring some not so good words, he went back.

To make the situation lighter, my daughter said, "Mom, do you know one thing? All zebras have white and black stripes. But like our finger prints, they also have different patterns! Imagine if our roads also had different patterns of the zebra stripes..." I was amazed at this thought! 

That very moment, my mother, who was sitting next to me, pointed at the mother and daughter duo who were crossing the road. The daughter, a kindergartner, was happy to hop and jump on alternate white strip and was singing some rhyme. For her, the entire world had frozen and she was happy playing on the keys of the piano to make the most melodious song! She was the performer and she was her own audience... a pure bliss! And mother wore a terribly frustrated look! What a contrast I thought! But that's what the life is all about!

So which side of the zebra crossing are you on?

----------By MocktailMommy Anagha