Requiem for a fellow walker
Requiem for a fellow walker
I have a long maintained habit of walking very early in the
morning, for various reasons this very early walk is very satisfying for me. I
walk so early that for the most part of the year my walk is only occasionally
shared by watchmen and few animals, like dogs and very few cats. Only in the
peak summer time when the time for prayers is close to my walking time do I
encounter other residents. For last some years I have had fleeting encounters
with a porcupine (possibly hystrix indica, as this is the most common one found
in these parts). These were very brief encounters. I usually came upon the
porcupine foraging in the garbage and hearing my footsteps the porcupine would
swiftly run away, so swiftly in fact that I for long did not even know what
creature this was; I initially thought it was a large lizard. One day I was
able to identify the creature it was a full grown porcupine with large multi
colored quails.
For last many months I continued, occasionally, see fleeting
images of my fellow occupant of the raid, I was surprised as to how the
porcupine survived in this urban, organized jungle, the area I live in is
developed with houses constructed since long. My fellow walker was always alone
I do not know if porcupines moved in pars if he had a wife I did not meet her.
Those encounters continued for long time and my friend had respect for me and
would shy away at the sound of my footsteps. I was more curious and did want to
see the porcupine but was always never able to do. We had developed
a strategy of mutual survival. The porcupine was more prudent and kept a safe
distance away from me. Man and creature had developed boundaries
which ensured mutual well being.
Two days ago I saw a heap on the road, I was a little cautious
but coming near to the heap I was shocked as it was my friend the porcupine who
lay there , crushed by a car , blood had oozed out and the porcupine lay dead,
the magnificent quails were lying all over the place . Seems that the mutual
boundaries we had worked out did not include safety mechanisms for the
technological developments that my kind had made and which resulted in my kind
to achieve speeds which the usually prudent and careful porcupine could not
match. It failed to evade the car, which may have been speeding and unaware of
the death the car had caused. Another victim of technology I would say. Seems
that we are bent of destruction of all other life only life that thrives is
what is useful to us, like chickens, cows, horses etc., or life which has
evolved mechanisms to outwit us.
Dead dogs and cats are common but I am not sure why but the
death of the magnificent porcupine saddened me. Good bye friend. To me it
seemed that in our zeal for development and progress we have forgotten how to
coexist with other creations and also failed o provide for these creations in
the urban jungles we are creating.
