Central Indian roads, traveled mainly by old trucks, with such exaggerated charges that exceed the limits of the imaginable. Trucks that force their resistance to the maximum and whose conductors strive so that, in the curves that descend from the mountainous areas, the load imbalance does not lie in the middle of the road.
But sometimes it happens. The truck does not stop on time, sees its trajectory dominated by excessive weight and turns. It is known and accepted. For those who suffer the accident and for those who, eventually, they are crossed along the way.
Everyone accepts that what happened should have been avoided by carrying the vehicle less. But, at the same time, everyone understands that, in a country of great precariousness, doing the right thing is not possible and is out of control.
And, surely, they accept the possibility of the accident and resign themselves to suffer its consequences. In the best case there will be no physical damage and you will only have to regret a loss of money and time. For a long time.
When we crossed with the wrecked vehicle, he had been in the road gutter for three days. His numerous occupants could not abandon it. And they had to wait, very patiently, that, in one way or another, someone would take care of sending them a crane to help them lift the truck and thus be able to follow their way.
I asked them how much more they could wait and they answered that, surely, three or four more days. They told me that it was not easy to locate a crane, circulating on a road less than secondary and being so far from any important city.
And that didn't worry about them much? I wanted to know. It turned out that no. They had assumed the risk. What they didn't want had happened. And now it was about accepting it naturally.
And, with the same naturalness, seek water and food to continue waiting. Between long conversations. Songs to the divinities that never stop protecting. And jokes and laughs.
Pepe Navarro
