In Search of the Good Citizen

 
Sir, sir, good pointed gourds! Will you take some? Fresh as fresh!
Potatoes, eggplant, beans... need any, sir? I'll give you a good price...
Before he could finish, I slapped him hard across his left cheek.
Lockdown is on, you must stay home now. What are you doing here?

He stood there stunned! I told him, hold your ears right now! Do it!
Without another word, he grabbed his ears.
I began: sit...stand...sit...stand...sit...stand...
No need to say more, now he's following the rules. This is how Bengalis learn!
Now he's an obedient citizen. A good citizen. Let's have some applause!

I pulled out my mobile phone from my pocket.
Must capture a photo of this good citizen. My own handcrafted good citizen!
Hey you! Keep your hands stretched out on both sides! Click! Click! Click!
He's not smiling—the photo would look better if he smiled a little.

The ups and downs continue...ah, how wonderful! Ah, how wonderful!
Uncle has learned his lesson. Mission successful! Uncle is packing up his wares...
Everyone's watching. Everyone's becoming aware. Some are running away—let them run! Everyone go home!
Stay home! Stay home! Keep washing your hands...keep washing! Watch out, no one comes out!

There, over there! Bastard, driving a rickshaw during lockdown—feeling clever, are you?
Stop, I'll show you fun! Here, catch him! No one learns without a few blows on the back.
I ran after him! My stick fulfilled its duty with unwavering determination!
Everyone must become a good citizen. No one can come outside now.
Must stay home, even if you die, die at home.

The poor fellow fell down. I saw. Felt terrible pity! Oh dear, oh dear!
Pity is a very bad thing—if you have pity, you have no money in your pocket.
That shop over there was open. I bought a sack of rice.
Gave it to him. He was so happy. His body no longer hurt.
He's praying for me. Happily, I took a selfie with him.

The vegetable vendor was watching the whole thing. He came running to me!
Sir, will you give me a few blows? I really need a sack of rice. My two granddaughters haven't eaten!
I'm looking at him, I can't understand what I should say now.
I'm embarrassed! Have to get him away from here. Reluctantly, I bought rice for him too.

Then I fell into great trouble!
A few more people came and gathered. They're looking at me.
Why did they come? What do they want? What do they want from me?
From what they're saying, I understand they all want a few blows from my stick.
I saw some of them had lined up in orderly fashion, hoping for a few blows.
Slaps or punches would work too, whatever I prefer!
They have no work today, no money in hand, no means to buy rice.

I was stunned! What are they saying! What are they doing here during lockdown?
Brothers, please go home! Stay in safe shelter. Times are not good now.
This crisis will pass. Then you can come to the streets. If you stay alive, there's much work to be done!
Go home, shut your doors and keep washing your hands. Sleep for now.

They're not listening to me. They're shouting. They have no rice, they need rice.
They are disobedient citizens. They are hungry. They understand everything, yet follow nothing.
Some of them have no homes. Some have homes but no doors.
They have no way to shut doors. They must survive with doors open!
Children are crying in their homes. They don't understand pandemics, they only understand hunger.

No one's listening to me. The commotion keeps growing.
Seeing the situation getting out of hand, I fled from there.
I have to go to other areas too. Not another moment here!
These are not good citizens, these are just hungry! These just cry for food!

Ignoring such senseless disobedience,
some good citizens surely somewhere
are sleeping in their own homes, washing their hands. May God bless them.