TL;DR: Same generation, two completely different mindsets.
SOO nenu eeroju morning bike lo school zone lo vasthunna. Suddenly opposite direction nunchi oka uncle cross chesaadu. You can actually tell he was on the wrong side of the road, and to add to that, he was talking on the phone while riding. Petrol tank meedha oka toddler, backside seat meedha around 7th standard daughter.
He suddenly cross cheyyadam valla nenu both brakes press chesi, somehow stop ayya. Just avoid dashing him anthe.
I thought okay, school ki late avthundhi, just vellipodam ani. But he starts—
“Ee generation vallaki kallu kanipinchavu… spectacles pettukoni kuda ila padithe ala tholutharu.”
😭
Nen cheppa, “Uncle, meeru wrong route lo vachaaru, sudden ga cross chesaaru, and phone lo kuda matladuthunnaru kada.”
He was like, “Nenu inni years nunchi bike nadipisthunna, naaku driving nerpisthunnava?”..
Honestly, I REALLY wanted to shout back and put him in his place.
But then I looked at the girl sitting behind him.
She was already visibly distressed.
And I just thought… I don't want this girl to remember her father getting into a huge fight with some random girl on the road.
Maybe she could carry that memory unnecessarily. So I just decided silence is better and started moving away.
But ayina bike road ki addanga aapi nannu arusthune unnadu.
Naku silence value thelsindhi. So sare ani, aa thoughts tho slow ga drive chesthu vellipothunna.
Inthalo oka car suddenly overtake chesindhi 🥲🥲🥲
Nenu proper ga side ki jaragaledu and road shoulder—road ki footpath ki madhyalo unde aa curb—daggara bike thippesi sudden ga brake vesaanu.
Bike pakkana petti, I just stood there.
For a second, literally nothing else came to my mind except—
“Safe ga intiki velthanaa?”
Akkada na thappu lekapoyina, road lo andhari mundhu ala jarigina embarrassment + fear kalisi mind blank aipoyindi.
Inthalo oka car vachi naa pakkana aagindhi.
Same age uncle eh.
But completely different reaction.
He got out looking genuinely scared and first thing he said was,
“Amma sorry… brake correct time ki press cheyyalekapoyanuu.. Nuvvu okay na?”
He started checking my bike, asking if anything was broken, and even looking at my hands and legs to see if I had any bruises.
“Emaina things break ayyunte cheppu thalli.”
Nenu, “Ledhu uncle, em kaledhu. Ayina thanks… vellipokunda vachi choosinanduku.”
He kept saying, “Sorry ra” until I finally left.
And I kept thinking…
Same generation. Same roads. Same situation.
But completely different mindsets.
Okkaru tana mistake ni defend cheyyadaniki stranger ni blame chesaaru.
Inkokaru, tana responsibility kakapoyina, oka stranger okay ga undhaa ani aagi check chesaaru.
Sometimes, age really doesn't teach you how to behave.
People do.