The sanctioned prayer⁵⁵

Quite often I see the two soldiers, H. and T., running along the street. As soon as H. sees me, even at a distance, he puts his right hand on his heart. T. either folds his hands or gives me a smile. H. smiles through his eyes and T. smiles through his teeth.

Today I was returning home after running only one mile. When I had only five hundred metres left, I saw someone running very fast on the other side of the street. In silence I said to him, “I am not envying you. Go ahead.” I looked carefully and saw it was T. But this time he didn’t greet me. I thought, “Had it been H., he would have greeted me.”

As usual I was going very slowly, at my Indian bullock cart speed, so T. passed me and continued on his way. When I finished, I saw somebody practically hiding at the foot of a tree across the street. He gave me the biggest smile and folded his hands. I said, “My prayer has been sanctioned.” It was T.