one third of a moment #10 - part two

the mother stood up, fuming with rage, no sense of plea or request can be now found in her eyes. with no second thought, she pulled her box of money from somewhere beneath the stove, went to the back of the van, and emptied it on the floor carpet. the leader, looked for a second and lose the grip on the kid. the kid, scared as hell, ran and hugged her mother. with no further ado, the van zoomed of to find another prey.
          the fear of policemen in me gave way to pity for this women. i was ashamed at myself, but i was not much clear of the reason why. somehow, i felt a need to do something. maybe i should start with another cup of tea. the women was now packing up her belongings.i went up to her and asked for one more tea. there was some left in the jar. the people who ordered ran away. i took the cup and stood there, by the tree. the kids were now sitting near to their mother, aloof and sad. probably, all that cash in the crate meant their afternoon meal.
         "how long have you been at this place?", i asked. another sip of tea, it was still good.
         "five months", she replied in a damp voice. her voice was shivering. but she was holding her tears in front of her kids, putting up a brave front that the kids will remember of her mother. later, she will find a solitary spot.
         "is it illegal, sitting here in the night?", i already regretted asking this.
         "who goes for laws when the stomach is empty, sir" she replied. their was a silent cry of helplessness behind that brave face. but she made it very hard to be noticed.
         "why do you do this, i mean, doesn't your husband have a job?"
         "yes he has a job. to drink and gamble all day, then to drink some more in the night and beat me and my children", she took a breath, tried hard to stop the tears that were slowly oozing out from the corner of her eyes, and continued, "selling tea ensures our two times meals and saves my children from beating".
          i had no more daring left in me to ask any questions anymore. i paid up and walked on my late night stroll. there were a lot of things to be thought upon. the 'aunty ki chai' has been a great aid to that.