-Brian Mendonça
Scene I
It was a Saturday evening. Sparkling shoppers were milling around
the entrance to a mall. As the security guards discharged their office,the
incoming crowd was almost pushed into the foyer of the mall. A vast array of
stalls were spread out on the ground floor. These included trinkets, handmade
bags, lanterns, children’s books, woodwork and assorted knick knacks. Curious
onlookers took in the spectacle. Few paused to inquire about the products.
Since I was only passing my time, I took in
the views and looked out if I knew anybody in the throng of people. There was
this heightened excitement on the faces of the consumers as they strode
confidently into the mall eager to make the best of their precious time. With
their beady eyes they seemed like rats coming for the cheese.
At the peak of the evening, I made my way to the exit door.
Not a soul hovered nearby. It seemed as though it was the Emergency Exit. I
checked twice if people were avoiding the door deliberately. Safely out of the
door, I was about to head out when a middle-aged lady in purple dress – the
sort one sees for a feast Mass in Goa – caught my eye. She was sitting on the
ground towards the far right of the cemented approach to the entry and exit
gates of the mall. It seemed odd. Periodically she would look back at the mall
as if searching for somebody in the crowd.
What struck me was that in that
ground zero where there were so many
people, and so much available, no one had the courtesy to offer aunty even a
chair to sit on. It was a stunning indication of the callousness of the crowd. As
long as one was inside the mall and possessed purchasing power, the market
looked up to you. As soon as you ceased to be a consumer you were reduced to
nothing. You did not count. You ceased to exist.
Scene
II
Children’s Mass on a Sunday in Goa. Just before communion, there is a commotion
in the ranks. A young boy is not feeling well. To add to that another boy just
behind him also sinks into his seat from weakness. I notice both are very thin
for their age. One of them looks almost anemic. The flutter is noticed by a
catechist nearby. She calls the attention of another catechist and sees that
the boy is chaperoned out into the open for fresh air. Meanwhile she instructs
another boy to source a bottle of water for the second boy. An orange bottle
proffers itself. After a swig this boy is also ushered outside under the
watchful eye of the catechists.
Questions
Why did
people behave differently in the two situations?
What
best practices did the church follow?
Could
they be implemented in malls so we can be more human?
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Mall
rat:
a person who habitually spends a lot of time in shopping malls (usually without
buying anything). Also see ratsense.com Published in Gomantak Times Weekender, St. Inez, Goa on Sunday, 12 August 2018. Pix courtesy Pinterest.
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