ACROSS THE MILES

THE POSTMAN

She stands at the door, her eyes travel to the end of the long dusty road, straining to see the image of the postman on his bicycle. He is no where to be seen and she is sad. She waits untill noon hoping he would come, but he does not, because there is nothing to deliver. Before the days of Western Union, courier services, E mail, and electronic money transfers, there was a very important person the postman .He was the bearer of news Good and Bad , Births and Deaths, Arrivals and Departures, sickness and Health, Failures and Success via the Telegram. He also brought letters from loved ones near and far. Packages of food and clothes and most important was the Money Order. It was the only way people sent money across the country.And this was what she was waiting for, money that her husband would send every month to pay the rent , bills and to buy food and clothes.The money was important but the note at the bottom of the money order was what made her heart pound and her eyes light up.It said P.S. " I love you and I will be home soon."

She looks around and sees the hungry faces on the children, so many mouths to feed. She can get by without paying the rent and the bills on time but the children need food. He works in another state coming home only twice a year.Happiness and joy floods her life when he arrives and all caution is blown away and another child is born. The sun is setting its beginning to get dark and the children are crying, she gives them water to drink, wipes away their tears and rocks the baby to sleep. She walks into the darkness , frequently looking behind her, not wanting the neighbors to see she walks fast. In the stillness of the night only the rustle of her saree can be heard. She arrives at the Pawn Shop, the place she detests because she has been here before giving away the things that were dear to her. All she has left is a set of gold bangles given to her by her father. She trades it in hoping in her heart to buy it back later. She needs money to feed her children.

She stops by the same grocery store that refused to give her credit, they have always been good to her before.She buys bread and milk and walks home hoping no one had seen her. She feeds her children and puts them back to sleep.She lays her weary head down and falls asleep for tomorrow is another day, and the Postman will arrive.