Last man standing
He stands there — quiet, stern and dignified. There is a chair sitting next to him but he won’t take a break. He’ll stay in his position as long as he can. Nothing escapes him. He is the only one whose job description involves glaring at people like a security camera, rubbernecking every detail. Although he seldom speaks, you can hear the unexpected ‘hello’ and ‘namaste’ from time to time. Sometimes, if he likes/respects you, you will notice a mini-bow too. Regardless, he will maintain his physical stature. Something about his aura tells you that if you were to ask him to use that godforsaken chair, he might feel offended. The way Udupi restaurant waiters used to do once upon a time if you asked them to note down your order instead of memorizing the whole list.
Being a security guard comes with its highs and lows. People respect uniform on an adult. Given the protective nature of their profession, you tend to speak with them in a tone that is seldom out of context. Which is also why their silence has a major role to play in their (perceived) personality. They don’t mess around and neither should you.
Whenever I am looking at them, I notice a lot. And I wonder a lot more. The obvious one being, aren’t his legs aching by now? But a deeper understanding is required because we are dealing with a set of folks who mostly come up from disadvantaged quarters of our society. Circumstances have toughened them up; some of them have a past in the army too. They are diligent souls who will take a bullet in the line of duty. For real.
However, to me, their tendency to remain alert trumps every other facet. They can’t afford to turn a blind eye to anything. And by anything, we mean everything. [Did you know the phrase ‘turning a blind eye’ arrives from a real life incident of the celebrated British admiral Horatio Nelson who turned a blind eye during a battle not because he wanted to but because he was blind in one eye? He won the battle because of this very handicap.] The entire floor is their responsibility. At any point of time.
Speaking of which, I also wonder what’s the point of their job? When was the last time we had a hostage situation anyway? Wouldn’t it be great if they were doing something else, some work demanding more mobility with their time on earth? Moreover, wouldn’t it be awesome if they were allowed to read during their working hours? Where are they heading in their career? Will they hit the wall of consciousness someday? Or will they continue to stand against the wall in an office? To break it down further, why are they stuck when there are thousands of other avenues to walk and opportunities to kick?
Maybe the answer to the last question lies somewhere in the same neighbourhood of why the rest of us are deliberately stuck in a position of our own making. Just that we don’t realize it. Just like they can’t afford to.
