The Good Samaritan

 Saturday (16th September) evening as he was preparing for a holiday get together with his friends, received an unexpected call from his neighbour. The neighbour from the opposite Villa has recently moved into the house and some occasions introduced himself in the house owners meeting in the Humming Garden. Being one of the representative of the administrative body of flat/villa owners he was a known face in the neighbourhood. Whereas the new member's wife is an employee in CTS and he himself was expected to join CTS shortly having resigned from TCS.

The request over phone was, he along with family is away at Nellai to attend a funeral of a relative leaving his ailing mother in law at Chennai home alone. Another elderly neighbour was asked to attend on his mother in law for food and medicine. Since afternoon he was unable to get her on phone his would be colleague was asked to see what is happening. If need be was asked to feed medicine and inform back the condition. He agreed to perform the Good Samaritan (GS) work.

When the GS entered the house, he saw a sick lady unable to move from the bed. GS asked his wife to join him to help the hapless old woman. The immediate request was; can you please take me to a hospital? Heavy rain outside but was unable to deny the request; GS took his car out ready to perform and asked his wife to dress her up to go to the hospital. On the nearby desk there was a discharge summary of a hospital a week back alongwith the medicines.

His wife after dressing her helped her to put the slippers and assisted her to enter the car. She was taken to the previously discharged hospital, and initial examination shown that the condition was an emergency which required immediate angioplasty. Immediate deposit of ₹2.50 lakhs and signing of documents. The GS who took the patient was surprised to hear the condition of the patient politely replied to the hospital authorities that he is not the blood relation to sign the documents and do not have the required money for deposit. Immediately the condition was conveyed to her son in law over phone who started to rush back to reach next day morning.

But the doctor said to withstand till morning an injection of thrombosis has to be administered to the patient immediately for which you have to deposit ₹50000/ immediately. As he had not taken adequate money with him two of his close friends was asked to transfer that money immediately. The money was deposited and injection given but the ugly turn of events the patient died in the intensive care centre.

To help him in this emergency situation one of his wife colleagues came to the hospital with her two infant children. Another to assist from the Humming garden also was there in the beginning. Both of them disappeared to have supper at the time of crisis, never returned. He had only mobile contacts with wife to console, that too after making frequent phone calls from evening for various information and permissions was in red at this hour.

The hospital had no mortuary and the authorities started demanding immediate removal of the dead body after payment of dues. Now where to go for payment, and where to take the body. The situation of the GS who ventured to help a neighbour was precarious. Without food from evening now nearing midnight; two task in front of him how to pay the dues and where the body to be taken. Additional problem how to recharge the mobile to get in touch with various contacts.

It was then the son in law informed that he and his family are returning to Karur their home town from Nellai and the to send there in an ambulance. For this documents required are a death certificate from the hospital and the original aadhar card of the deceased.

At 1.00am the body in the ambulance waiting at the Humming Garden entrance the house was searched with son in video call the aadhar card unearthed from the cub board. The body was despatched at 2.00am with only guardian angel in guard fully believing the ambulance driver.

When reached home after 2.00 deposited the tired body in bed the events from evening was replayed in mind as a nightmare evading a sleep. The GS who has undergone all above trials and tribulations is none other, my son in law Magesh.

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