Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 F R I E N D S H I P 06steadily decreased until there was none. The road still had lots of activity,no lorries or cars, but people walking, flights of bicycles, and theoccasional rickshaw or cart. The road was raised on a slight moundabove the fields, its surface now red-brown dirt, the colour we wereslowly turning. As we went farther it became more uneven, rutted, anddusty, and then suddenly the fields just stopped, a cliff fell some twentyfeet, and there was a very wide, very sluggish, river. Here it was steadilyeroding away slices of someone’s land.A collection of huts—one selling tea—some government signs, andthen steps down the cliff and a landing stage. We sank down onto abench outside the tea hut, and I ordered tea. As we drank we watchedthe wooden ferry slowly make its way back across the river, the ferrymenleaning into long poles. Once it had beached we clambered downand got on along with a dozen others and half a dozen bicycles. Thatfilled the boat completely, the bicycles leaning against each other in themiddle, and us and the other passengers on seats along the sides. I feltvery close to the water sloshing against the boat, which rocked and sankunder the weight of its cargo as the last passengers and bicycles foundtheir place.The four boatmen were dressed in the working clothes of the poor:a dirty sarong, a vest, and a piece of cloth wrapped about their head.One of them clambered around collecting the fares, deliberately discreetwith the other passengers so I could not see how much they werepaying. When he got to me, he boldly stuck out his hand and demanded“das rupee.” But I had seen the official prices displayed on the governmentsign and knew that ten rupees was eight too many. “Do rupee,” Ireplied. “Das rupee,” he demanded. I had to make out as if I was leavingthe boat, rocking it and the passengers as I did so. Then he became morereasonable, “Cha rupee” (four rupees). He pointed to the two of us inturn and then to our luggage, which was taking up the room of a passenger.I countered with “Ting rupee” (three rupees). He accepted witha tilt of the head, and I paid up.1 0 9