Jack’s Nation and NATURE at rebel with each other!!

Standing at my usual Gate for the bus, I was looking in the dark, black garage at a distance for the fading sign of my bus…..!!! I turned to my side, a dark man in his late sixties was standing beside me. He was reading a small religious book. His hands were dry, scaly revealing his hard work, but were strong enough. I felt, his face was more mature with age as compared to some other guy of his age.

I said, ’We have just missed the bus.’

He nodded, ’I guess so.’

‘Where do you work in the city?’ I asked.

He replied, ’I work in Long Island City, in a company. We lend Cameras for movies. I take care of the stuff required for the lenses and all. The cameras are most sophisticated and exclusive. Recently we lend it for the shooting of ‘Hangover’ starring Denzel Washington.’

‘Wow…..it’s wonderful.’ I complimented.

I introduced myself to him. He said, ’Glad to meet you, my name is Jack.’

‘How long are you working in this field?’ I inquired.

He smiled, ’I am working there through my life. Actually I am from Haiti; I came here with my dad, after I completed an Instrumentation course in my country. I joined a college here, I have a liking for cameras, luckily got a job here and am still continuing.’

My mind was more curious to know about Haiti, I said, ’Jack, it must be very terrifying situation in Haiti now, due to recent earthquakes, do you still have your relatives there?’

He replied sadly, ‘My wife’s relatives are there, but they have luckily escaped with minor injuries. You know Priti, some countries have bad destiny and so is mine. My parents migrated here after a massive earthquake in Haiti in 1965. There was no means to earn living. My dad started working here and raised our family of three. ‘

I asked, ’Jack, what’s your mother tongue?’

He laughed, ’I know French as Hiati was French colony for many years everyone there is well versed in it. I speak Spanish, as the Dominican Republic is our neighbor and English after I came here and studied it.’

I was surprised, ’Oh!! How long were the French ruling Haiti?’

Jack replied, ’We got Independence long back in 1805, but unlike India revolutionaries in Haiti just drove the French away. There was anarchy in the country. Followed by Military rule and a series of Dictators. They extorted people by levying high taxes. The spices are main agricultural products grown there. We have rich reservoirs of Aluminum ore. But the common man never earned the fruits of his efforts. The atrocities of the government were most horrible with no Law and Justice.’

I said, ’There seems lot of political instability in Haiti.’

Jack added, ’Yes, but President Clinton sent his troops in 1995, took over the military rule and now finally we have democracy.’

I said, ’I recently read that people in Haiti are conjured by voodoo and other traditional practices, Is that really true?’

He nodded in dismay, ’Yes, you are absolutely correct. The masses are not educated; children don’t go to school, forced to labor in fields. Lot of mistrust amongst relatives and friends. So they practice this black magic, instead of visiting a doctor even for ailments.’

Our bus was entering the Lincoln tunnel. Jack said, ’You know this tunnel was built in 1930. They had amazing foresight; it’s the lifeline of the two cities still today. I know your country too got independence from British colonies, but see now you are racing at an unbelieving pace with time and having a global face. We never got an opportunity. Each time something is done, it either gets destroyed with massive earthquakes or by the ruthless government or by the ignorant, corrupt people themselves. Our generations don’t inherit a single legacy from the past; they have to start from the scratch each time, so nothing productive is built. With this annihilation going on, can you tell me how a country can be build?’

I was speechless for a moment.

I said, ’Jack, how is your family?’

He said, ’My kids are good, I have grandchildren too, but you know they don’t understand the hard work our generation has endured. Freedom sometimes sways you away from your goals and life becomes aimless.’

I wondered the vast knowledge Jack had!! I bid goodbye to him. With heavy heart walking to the footsteps of my home, my mind was all hazy. We can never ask questions to our destiny. For the first time I realized countries too have their destinies. The hap and hapless occurrence reflect the whole human development and ultimately the mankind. Fortunate are the human beings and countries on whom the mother NATURE smiles or else she can sabotage the whole mankind!!