The clunking sounds bring me out of my reverie while I sit and wait for the traffic signal to open. It is Saturday afternoon and I wait through the busy Mall road traffic which is ever-increasing. As my eyes skim through the side street looking for the source of this noise, I find an aged man in shabby clothes standing in one corner of the busy street by his stall.
I see him playing around with a wooden toy cart, which skids along the road behind him to and fro as he pulls the chord attached to it singing in merriment,
"Reds, Yellows, Blues and Greens,
Pick the colour that shines and gleams.
Buy it for five rupees,
And flaunt among your friends and cronies."
I can see various people taking a good look on the carts and some are even buying. Mostly they seem to be the ones who have spoiled brats, who will not budge from the spot if the cart is not bought.
English: A traffic signal with specially shaped li...
Typical light mounting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
Marshalite traffic signal. Formerly fitted in vari...The sales are occasional, perhaps because of the quality of the toys. I can hear people complaining loudly about the unpolished edges causing chips of wood to come off and get stuck in children's hands. However in my opinion, another reason could have been the inapt location of the stall.
"Beep! Beep..."
All of a sudden I realize that I am blocking the traffic from moving on as the traffic signal is now open.
As I drive home, I think about the unfortunate chap who was selling the wooden toy. If only he would give a proper finish to his toys and shift the location of his stall which obstructs the path of the pedestrians, maybe he might achieve a little more success in making a living.
English: Installation of a traffic signal in San D...
Children traffic signal
Traffic light in Munich, Germany, showing a specia...