“The cut outer requires repair. Not going to Munnar”. The announcement came late. I was all dressed up and ready to go.
In fact I was whirring around as the lorry from the morning. Stopping intermittently for a few minutes and starting again with an announcement 'The red lorry has started again'. I had not named him yet.
So to the lorry we went, my brothers, all elder, and me, with the hope that it would start up some how. It was parked inside the eucalyptus plantation quite away from our house.
I was the first to reach him. His bonnet was raised, a sure sign of being under repair.
The driver stepped out of the cabin. "It is the cutouter, Could have driven it if it were anything else", he claimed, pointing to the lorry. I looked at him, to me he looked good to go. According to the driver 'the platinum point of the cut outer had burned out' he pointed to a small strip near some coils deep inside the bonnet.
Climbing on the bumper I had a good look at it. I was seeing inside the bonnet of a lorry for the first time. My elder brother, who was knowledgeable about such matters, suggested rubbing the platinum point with the rough side of match box. They had already tried it. Replacing it was the only option according to the driver.
Climbing on the bumper I had a good look at it. I was seeing inside the bonnet of a lorry for the first time. My elder brother, who was knowledgeable about such matters, suggested rubbing the platinum point with the rough side of match box. They had already tried it. Replacing it was the only option according to the driver.
We had planned to go to the cinema that evening in Munnar by the lorry and stay overnight at my uncle's home and return by the same lorry next day evening,
No movie. It was certain so we returned home depressed. I was more unhappy because getting a chance to ride on the lorry now looked very remote to me.
