The Night Train

Our first trip to Madras was on the overnight train.
“Why is the train not moving?” I ask impatient for the trip to begin.
“It will in a few moments” Appan assures me
“Make it move.” I knew appan could make anything happen. Appan put his hands on the windows and pushed and pushed and ohh la la the train started moving.
I stare out of the window and see the trees and houses rushing past us and get the feeling that we are standing still, the world is moving.
Then the silence is broken by Vena’s bawling, loud ear splitting. Amma tries to feed her and calm her down. Appan carries her around. Nothing works. Half an hour later she is still screaming at the top of her lungs. Everyone around is watching us, some are amused, others irritated and all are surprised that a six month old can be this loud. Appan and amma are at their wits end and then a man who had been watching them for sometime comes over. ”Can I help? Give her to me and let me try to calm her.”
Amma does not know what to do. She doesn’t want to give Vena over to a stranger but then what was the harm in trying. She hands over the baby and the crying stops. He carries her around for sometime and she settles down and goes to sleep. He brings her over and hands her to amma and the bawling starts again louder than before. The man takes her from amma and sits down near us. Vena goes to sleep on his chest and stays there till morning.
I am sleeping in the upper berth with appan and tell him, “You smell of snuff. I hate the smell and it is going into my nose.”
“But I did not take snuff now.”
I know he did, he always does. He loves his snuff very much.
In the morning, when the stranger hands over the baby he is apologetic, “I have this effect on children.”
He does not want to hurt Amma’s feeling and make her feel inadequate.