The rogue porter

This is an amusing story. I was staying on the fifth floor of the hotel in Bombay. I had two suitcases, but it took the porter two trips to bring up my bags. He just managed to place my small bag, which had the 70-pound weight, in the elevator. Then with greatest difficulty he brought it near my door.

An old man was cleaning the room. The porter said to the old man, “Since you are an old man, you carry the small case and let me carry the big suitcase.”

The old man tried to lift my small bag with the heavy weight. He lifted it perhaps a few inches and got a cramp on his left side. The other fellow, the rogue, immediately ran away. He didn’t even enter into the elevator. He just ran down the fire exit.

What can you do? I felt miserable for the old man, and I gave him 20 rupees. Then I took my suitcases into my room.

— 1 March 1986