Monsoon (Mumbai, India)

When I arrived in the Mumbai office early Monday morning, my friends Manish and Vikas said I was very lucky.

“You know its monsoon season but with global warming – everything is off,” Manish explained.

“Yes, usually on the first of July it’s raining buckets.” Vikas added. And with that we started work.

When I left for my hotel late that night, we had scheduled to meet at the customer site around 9:30 in the morning. We had about 15 KM to go but with Mumbai traffic it would take about 2 hours if not more. So I had my driver picking me up around 7 AM to allow for me to miss the traffic.

The next morning when I heard the wake up call – and the sweet ladies Indian voice being very polite but reminding me I had told her to call and wake me. I always play this game – even if I just woke up – I act like with my voice that I wasn’t asleep.

I taught myself this trick when I used to get the call from the radio station manager at my apartment when I was in college. I was working two jobs and going to college and I was usually late once every two weeks. Fred Webb, the nearly centurion year old station manager, would call me irate because it would be 5:30 AM and I was supposed to already be at the station warming up the transmitters. And I would hear the phone ringing and scream out of my dream with burning eyes and a fiery brain. Everything inside me yelling, “What? Who? Where?”

I would race in my underwear down the hall of my apartment under Professor Foley’s house and collect myself in 2 seconds and pick up the phone, “Hello?” I would say calmly.

“Its 7 am, sir. Would you want any coffee or tea brought to your room?” the lady on the phone asked.

“No. Thank you ma’m.” I said collected. “But thanks for asking,” to reaffirm in my game that I was not asleep.

“Well have a good morning,” and with that we said cordial goodbyes and I failed to put the phone back its in cradle – so it rattled and I slid it around and finally hung up. Damn, I lost.

That’s when I saw the rain painting the balcony windows and the rattle of wind spraying it in blobs across - making a louder racket. I got up without thinking and went to do my morning ritual.

I wasn’t worried until I got to the lobby and asked for my driver.

They called out on the loud speaker for “Jackson’s Driver” and the rain was falling like liquid from a glass. No one answered. I figured I was early. So I told them not to worry. And I sat out on one of the comfy couches. I waited for nearly 30 minutes. And finally the guy who had asked for my driver over the loud speaker came over.

“Sir, I think you need to seriously reconsider going out today.”

I was surprised. “Why?”

“The monsoon has started today. And it’s horrible out there. The water is rising and traffic is horrendous. Where are you going?”

“Near the airport.”

“Sir, you need to make a reservation with one of the hotels near the airport then. You will not make it back tonight.”

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