Auto Rickshaw Rage

The weather has been wet again this week and one afternoon both the kids and I were climbing the walls. On the spur of the moment I decided to bundle us all into the car and sample a children's play centre for the first time which is located nearby.

Kumar said he would return to the house to finish some jobs and I told him we'd only be about an hour, 'OK Madam phone me'.

As he drove off splashing through the puddles it dawned on me that in my rush to get out I had actually left my phone at the house. Oh well, I thought he'll probably return in good time...only he didn't. The play centre was OK as these places go in India but DS needed watching like a hawk - doesn't he always!

After 50minutes, one of the staff came up to me and told me that we had to leave as we'd only paid for the hour, OK but the hour's not quite up yet! 10 minutes later I take the kids upstairs to wait by the door and look out for Kumar, only it was a little hard keeping them out of the play area now that they knew it was there and much frowning from the staff followed. I tried to explain that I had left my phone and was waiting for our driver to return but they weren't impressed. Half an hour later after DS has gone into meltdown, dinner is spoiling in the oven at home and even more stony stares from the jobsworth staff I decided my only option was to try and get an Auto-Rickshaw to take us back. Knowing I was about to get ripped off big time for the fare I enlisted the help of the only soft faced and helpful member of staff to get one, and bless her, she dashed off into the rain to hail one and agreed a price of 30rps. One of the other jobsworths tries to get me to pay another 300rps! What? For standing by the front door?! Perhaps she'd rather we had stood out in the rain.

Just as we bundle outside, Kumar arrives looking worried. 'Madam you left your phone?' Yeah, yeah, I know! I explain my brave attempt to get home and give him 20rps to give the Rickshaw driver for the HUGE inconvenience of pulling over his vehicle, who by this time has caught sight of us and obviously sees a meal ticket disappearing before his eyes....And. He. Goes. Ballistic! Kumar literally throws me and the kids into the car locking the doors, meanwhile the Mad Rickshaw driver has now turned on the kindly girl who'd helped me. I felt so bad, even the 20rps wasn't going to appease him.

Moral of the story...NEVER leave home without a phone. Put a list of emergency numbers in purse and don't try and have bright ideas!