I think for the first time I met him in my first week. I went the first day a lot on foot, the area around my guest house around exploring, I was fastest in the city, etc. So I went one day through the "French Quarter", the quarter, adding even French colonial houses, the French street names and with nothing to do much with the rest of Pondicherry, has actually not even with the rest of India, relatively quiet, clean, little waste, no beggars.
It happened quite suddenly, suddenly I hear a voice beside me: "Hello Sir, how are you? I look to the right, and look into the face of a boy, a young child's early Had to take responsibility, I liked him between 9-12 years. A friendly, smiling face, with or without a sales pitch.
And then he starts to talk to talk, uninterrupted. "Nice bags, sir, you can use it for mobile phone, Money, only 20 rupees." My gaze wanders from his face down on the arms of the boys, both of which are festooned with small, colorful cloth bags. All produced by his own mother, he says, which of course is perfectly clear! He is good, really good, know where you can make the most Westerners, in their compassion. With his left hand he pulls on his shirt and told me there "My Mother need the money for buying the school uniform," he now not sold enough, he can not go to school tomorrow, so he continues!
While I'm here until the first week, but did not travel to India without any prior knowledge. If I have a read again and again, this never a child to beg or even wants to sell something to give money. We know that is never where it ends up there in the rarest cases, what one hears from the kids so to stories, so it can well be that the boy in the evening after 12 hrs. rennend by the heat, squeeze the few rupees to some sinister types, and for that receives a meal and a bed in a dilapidated shack. It can of course also be that he really evening after comes home, greeted by his mother is happy, you make him a meal and he can proudly report that he can go back a month longer in school. But after everything I've heard, seen and experienced, I think this is the least likely option!
So I was so relaxed, but firm, said repeatedly "No thank you i do not needed". I stress several times because as I said the guys on it have all the tricks and stubbornly remain, but the point we are in our likeness, and after some "No's" to ignore and he was gone as quickly as he had come.
the days passed, I was once almost every day in the city, and as the "coincidence" would have it, met I kept the same bag-seller. I was looking more and more conversation with him, leave me with a smile on the "sales pitch" which remained in my "no thank you", because I say nothing of the fate of the boy really did not need a "bag". But I liked him, and whenever I saw him again, I made my thoughts.
One day I was with a German from my Guest House in front of a Kokosnußstand, we both enjoyed the very cool refreshment. Suddenly, out of the blue, he stood before me, with its myriad of plastic bags around his arm, I greeted him with "Hello my Friend," he smiled, walked up to me and hugged me! Not Next erwähenswert he immediately began his sales pitch, but I continued to purchase any. This time, and even at the last times, I gave him was the 20 Rs a candy, he grabbed the same, put it into his mouth, then spat it but with a "Uh," from, ok licorice candy from Germany not really common in India :-)
After this meeting, I made myself really thought somehow I had made the boys in my heart. I spoke with a friend from the Guest House on the basic situation of such children as a seller. He was of the opinion that if you give them something, it must be a matter of what happens to the money and to whom it ultimately goes. I saw and see it differently, because I think it may be that also the "suffering" this enlarge children. But still I wanted to do something good for him, help him a little cheer for a brief moment, his hard daily lives. Only what?
I got a decisive boost by Sonja, and their generous help for an Indian family. She bought that is mainly, clothing, fruit, food, ie things that you can use or consume directly. So I went 2 days later with my bike to a fruit shop, bought a bag full of tangerines and bananas. Today I had planned to get any bag-boy appeals to me, a mandarin orange and a banana, he can eat right and has at least as in the stomach. I drove through the streets, along the beach promenade, through the French Quarter and other areas where most tourists and walk around thus hawkers, wanted to again let you decide the "coincidence", but it was jinxed, I met even no saw not one, as if it were a law, if you really want to something, after looking, you find it!
I took the bag home and tried it again the next day, again without success. Not even beggars at me saying that I would, of course, where just what. So I drove a little resegniert home front in the bicycle basket is a bag In fact, full of fruit
was our encounter with the "Coconut Woman" our last until I left, after that I never saw him again. He probably will again but right now whiz through the streets of Pondicherry, approaching from behind a "wise men" with his best smile and ask: "Hello Sir, how are you"
All the best my little friend ...
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