From & To Sathish #5 - Page 58

Pain is as diverse as a human. One suffers as one can. Victor Hugo

Pain is a fundamental truth of life. Pain is the first sensation a baby feels as it comes out of its mother via the entrance made by God and nature or through the incision made by the surgeon through the procedure called C-section or Cesarean delivery.

The baby comes out of the womb and feels the pain from the trauma of being born, being delivered, being removed from their safe haven, and protests by crying. New life's first action is crying.

Pain Crying. Actually, not all babies cry with their first breath after being born. But all babies will cry within a few seconds if they are not immediately reunited with their mother. This is a simple adaptation that makes it less likely that they will get overlooked.

There is no coming to consciousness without pain. Carl Jung

Pain. There is that pain that is of the body and there is that pain of the mind. Physical pain and emotional pain.

Rape. Yes, rape. Take a woman who has been molested. Her body will heal sooner or later and she will be ready to go back and join life. But what about her mind. It's not only her body that has been assaulted and ruined but also her mind. The trauma and the scars of the mind heal slowly and sometimes never heal at all and the person is reduced to being a vegetable in the true sense.

Suffering is the entrance to the person. It is the door to something much larger. Eric Cassell

Each one of us copes with both physical and mental pain in our own unique way. Some wither and dry away to dust. Some bloom and blossom but give out no fragrance while some bloom and blossom for a higher purpose.

The pain of losing Ravi turned Meenakshi into what she is today while the pain of losing Madhu turned Ravi into something else. Losing Ravi did not make Madhu bitter instead she put her head down and surrendered to life and destiny.

The pain from the lightning strike turned Devathoothan around and gifted him with both vision and purpose.

The painful divorce did not harden Daksha's heart and instead made her realize what love was all about and maybe that is why she and Partha are together.

The pain from losing both her parents to disease and then experiencing more trauma from her messy divorce at first made Gayatri miserable but soon she learned to cope with it and live with it.

Physical pain can be cured with medicine and surgery. Psychological and emotional pain almost always is cured and can be cured only by the person who is experiencing it. But, their recovery is sped up when they have people around them. People who really care about them and love them and are willing to do anything for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkWbKSn71vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN6bEJDu-cM

Avan, Aval Adhu 182

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, But for the heart to conquer it. Rabindranath Tagore

Through the dense fog, walking on slippery living green and dead rock that had been left wet from the kisses of the misty night made Ravi's progress a bit difficult. But, his feet forged forward and without his own knowledge, one foot whispered to the other.

' I have never seen him so agitated in a long time.'

' Yes, that fateful night was indeed a long time ago.'

' So, what do you think drives our man today and why has he been feeling different?'

The other foot fell silent and then rousing itself whispered, ' So, you too felt the difference in him?'

' Of course. Since we are twins I guess we felt it more as both his body and mind have weighed down on us poor feet.'

' we are not twins. Brothers yes but not twins. At least not identical twins for my large toe is bigger than your toe.'

' Your toe might be bigger but my toes are straighter and perfect.'

While his feet were going on with their walking and talking, his heart whispered to his brain and mind

' I feel heavy. I feel as if I am going to explode. I can't take it anymore.'

' You are not going to explode. You are just stressed by the anxiety that our body is feeling about the situation.'

' Panic attack ' the heart asked and then replied on its own self, ' what if I suffer a heart attack? what then brain? '

A quieter, softer, gentler, calmer voice spoke and it reveberatetd throughout the body by the feet, heart and the mind and all of them listened and heard THE VOICE. The voice was also called the Soul.

' Hush now children and just do what I want for I listen and follow instructions from a higher power and not from the whims and fancies of a mere mortal body. Ravi and all of you are experiencing what looks like a panic attack but out of this will come answers for he will stop and he will question and he will find the answers and then follow them.

Ravi's eyes caught sight of bright white lights and knew that he had reached the area that housed whispering rocks tea estate workers.

He stood under the lights marvelling at their brightness and thought, ' Partha could have settled for sodium lights but he plonked in the latest LED ones'

His eyes caught sight of Solar panels on almost all the roofs of the tiled houses and saw that the shiny solar panels domianted the red tiles.

He slowly walked towards the center of the housing area and felt an immense sense of pride as his eyes surveyed all the houses. Each block of house were made up of five and ten independent houses that must have been about 700 to 800 sq feet of built up area and along with that they had land in the front and in the back and a little on the sides. A variety of flowers filled each and every garden of the houses and then his eyes caught sight of the people as they moved around and began to go about their foggy day.

The sun was an absentee. The heavy dark fog was present and it promised showers later in the day. But, in all the gloom, the happy faces of Whispering Rocks estate workers were bright and shiny in happiness and in content.

Ravi sank finding a wooden bench and whispered to Partha and Daksha, ' Bravo, bravo my friends. This must have cost you crores to have built and yet you have done it. Bravo.'

His eyes caught sight of a mother talking to her child, gesticulating and then he saw the mother place a large clay mug in her daughters hands and pointing to him.

Ravi's eyes tracked the child as it walked towards him carrying the clay mug in its tender hands.

The little girl smiled and said in flawless English, ' Master sir, welcome to our village. Mother sent this cup of tea as a gift and to show you our gratitude.'

' My gratitude?'

' Yes' the little girl said and then pointed to her mother, ' She told me that you were the one who designed this place along with our boss and also pushed him to build a place for all of us.'

Ravi's eyes went soft and wet with tears and respect for the child and with love for his friends and he replied, ' No, child. Your boss and his wife are the reasons. Not me.'

He sipped the tea and felt Kodai kanal burst in his mouth with all its fragrance and beauty and sighed and his lips hummed an old song.

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams, I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light, I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never shared

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools" said I, "You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you"

But my words, like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

Then the sign said, "The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls

In tenement halls"

And whispered in the sound of silence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkUOACGtGfA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wG2XplWDRE

Avan, Aval Adhu 183

I once saw a video on youtube of lions fighting among themselves. Two young lions had taken control of a pride from an old but once mighty lion. I knew what was coming and that it was going to make me feel bad but I watched it anyway and came away with a few thoughts that have over the years taught me some valuable lessons.

The powerful young lions in their prime were the new pride owners and had chased the old king away and now had him cornered near the edge of a cliff that fell into a river below. Rivers in Africa are usually filled with two of the deadliest animals and both mean that. Certain death.

Yes, the river was swarming with large crocodiles and hippos. The old male fought valiantly even with his spine being broken and his rear limbs paralyzed and in the end, slipped and fell into the river making a huge splash. Like missiles homing in on their targets, several crocodiles streaked towards the lion who managed one last roar before he was dragged under.

Death comes to us all in the end and in death we are all equal. Still, cold, and lifeless. In life, it is a different story. Some fight for a bit and give up. Some don't ever and still a further few fight valiantly like that old king until the last breath is taken away. Gently or painfully.

Fighting to make a life out of the life given to us does not mean that and so I will not try to expound and thus insult the reader's intelligence and sentiments.

Only in life are we truly alive and conscious. Alive with a burning conscience.

Ravi looked at his watch and saw the time was nearly 9.00 am and decided that it was time to get going and got up and walked towards the house where the lady stood with her daughter framed in the doorway.

Ravi returned the clay mug and thanked her and then asked her for directions to Devathoothan's house.

The lady's smile fell away and she spoke worriedly, ' That man is a drunkard. He is better now but still drinks heavily and that makes all of us in the village a bit wary of him. So..'

' So. So what?'

' So, all of us as a community decided to banish him from this place and to the edge of the forest.'

Then feeling guilty about what she and the others had done, she pointed to the narrow road, ' A km up ahead and don't think of us as bad people for we endured a lot and that too for many years what he and his wife did to us before sending him away.'

Ravi nodded with a slight smile that meant that he understood and also meant that sometimes certain decisions taken can be harsh and cruel. But, have to be taken.

As his feet moved forward towards Devathoothan's house at the end of the road, the feet of his memory walked backwards and back into the year 1987 when he and his parents had sat in the balcony of Central cinema and watched the cult classic film Nayagan.

Ravi had been eight years old and yet he had understood the significance of those lines each time they were uttered by a character in the film.

' Nallu perukku udhuvumna edhuvum thappu illa.' There is nothing wrong in doing bad if it means good for many.'

Somehow those words had got imprinted in his young brain and even at that age, he had understood those lines a bit differently.

' If it means good for many, there is nothing wrong in one person sacrificing a little bit, or suffering a little bit.'

Ravi whispered to the ghostly fog, ' I did not suffer and I have done nothing wrong and I have sacrificed nothing. Nothing at all.'

He thought he heard a whisper, a familiar voice and he stood straining his ears and turned in all directions to hear the voice more clearly.

' Imagination, my own imagination' Ravi told himself and then his eyes caught sight of a small house with its front porch lights burning brightly and casting light through the thick fog.

Ravi's heart and mind whispered to his soul, ' He has spent most of his life in service of others. He has not taken time off for himself or for his own pleasures. He thinks about others and never thinks of himself.'

The soul roared, ' your point, heart and mind?'

' What about you, his soul? what about his commitment to you and to your well-being?'

' what? what did you say?' the soul stammered in reply and then fell into silence.

A sudden wail filled the trees with creaks and squeaks from its swaying and caressing branches as a gust of wind began to blow steadily through the clearing and cleared the fog away.

Ravi's sight became clearer and then he saw a short, stout woman step out of the house and walk toward him. As they neared each other, Ravi could see the woman was holding a paper in her hands that looked like some drawing.

The distance between them shortened and then they stood looking at each other with just a few feet separating them.

The sun that had played truant now came out strong and willing and shot off beams of light towards the earth.

Ravi saw that the woman was staring at him fascinatedly and to be exact at his face that cast a shadow on her face by blocking the sun.

The woman lifted her hand that held the paper and Ravi took it and saw a crude drawing of a fish with an arrow in its eye and then saw the woman gesticulate towards the sun that had now slipped out shining brightly.

He stared at the crude fish drawing and whispered ' Fish eye means Meen kangal' and looking at the sun, he thought ' Ravi, which means me.'

Pointing to himself, he spoke rather mouthed his words slowly hoping she could read him, ' My name is Ravi which also means the sun ' and pointed to the star in the sky.

Deavthoothan's wife nodded and pointed at the paper then pointed at him.

' Meen kangal means Meenakshi ' Ravi thought and in his heart, he knew that Devathoothan had seen the danger coming towards him and Gayatri and that it was coming from Meenakshi his old nemesis.

' Where is he now?'

She shook her head and then waved both her hands to say that he was gone and Ravi saw tears in her eyes that were a message themselves.

With soft and caring hands he gripped Malli's hands and said, ' I am here for you. Anything you need, come to me.'

Then he turned and began running towards Whispering Rocks.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vIAZpSEJytU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WvJoSbtnN4&t=723s

Avan, Aval Adhu 184

The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins. God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners. What if the tyrant is the martyr? what if the sinner is in the end the saint?

It was only 9.30 am in the morning but it did not surprise Devathoothan to find his old friend Murugan setting up his business for the morning. He stood in the fog and watched Murugan remove the large table that was hog-tied to the rear seat of his two-wheeler that looked like it was a mutation that had come about after a motorcycle and a scooter had enjoyed a one-night stand.

He smiled to himself and watched his old drinking buddy place the full bottles of Rum, Brandy and whiskey on the table and then placed a few water bottles and disposable plastic cups that were the curse and bane of modern society.

Devathoothan had known Murugan from the time he had left his Paliyan way of life behind and had entered the tea estates working for daily wages.

The Paliyan, or Palaiyar or Pazhaiyarare are a group of formerly nomadic Dravidian tribals living in the South Western Ghats rain forests in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They are traditional nomadic hunter-gatherers, honey hunters and foragers. Most have now transformed to traders of forest products, food cultivators and beekeepers. Some work intermittently as wage labourers, mostly on plantations. They are a Scheduled Tribe. They speak a Dravidian language, Paliyan, closely related to Malayalam.

It did not surprise him at all to see a couple of women customers walk up to Murugan's enterprising enterprise and set the day's business off to a glorious start.

' Everybody drinks and women do too. Many women drink, to bear the pain of their physical ailments and to be functional as they toil from morning to evening in the estates picking leaves while a few do so to get a temporary reprieve from their mental ailments.

Devathoothan felt a strange sense of Deja Vu swirl around him and he whispered to himself, ' I guess in the end it is all about pain and how to escape its clutches. One starts to drink to feel numb and pain-free and then begins to drink more and more and soon he is addicted to it. He is now prey to both pain and to booze and only a very few breakaway and manage to escape that vicious cycle.'

Murugan sensing someone behind him turned around thinking it was a customer approaching him and was left feeling shocked on seeing Devathoothan, his old acquaintance.

' Deva, what a surprise? It's been what, three years, since we last met?'

' Yes, and three years since my last drink.'

Murugan's face went a bit red with embarrassment and looked down feeling guilty.

Devathoothan patted his head, ' Muruga, why are you feeling guilty about what you are doing here? Do you think people will stop drinking if you shut shop permanently? No, they will find other ways and other venues. Drunkards always do and like homing pigeons, they will home in on the place where booze is being sold.'

Devathoothan ran his eyes over the table surveying the bottles, and glasses and then he saw a transparent plastic bag with small packaged items and looked at Murugan who smiled and said, ' homemade idlis with chicken gravy. People seem to love it after a couple of drinks.'

' Not bad Murugan. You have indeed come a long way from the days of yore.'

' Deva, please don't take this badly. But, you being here will make my customers uncomfortable.'

' Don't worry I will leave but today, right now I too am your customer.'

Murugan stared at his old friend and then with a pleading face begged sadly, ' No, Deva. Please, I beg of you. Don't start again.'

Devathoothan stared at Murugan with open eyes and said, ' Today is going to be a difficult day for you. The hours to watch out for is between four and five and remember this and please do not forget. Do what they tell you to do and don't ask any questions.'

Murugan did not know what was going on and felt totally confused. Then he saw his friend's eyes and the confusion new transformed itself into fear.

He bent down and took out a jute bag that he always kept in his bike for buying vegetables and provisions and quickly looked up at Devathoothan who whispered, ' Muruga, you know that Rum is what I prefer' and glanced at the bottles and looked up at his friend and said, ' I hope you know better than to cheat me.'

Murugan nodded and hurriedly placed the only original bottle of Old Cask Rum that was there and then placed a packet of food in the bag and said, ' Will that do?'

Devathoothan thanked him and said, ' remember my words Murugan for it will bode well for you.'

'Okay. Thank you, Deva. I will keep them in mind.'

Devathoothan smiled and walked away into the fog, towards his favourite spot where the tree stood and thought, ' I guess it is true that fate cannot be beaten. But, I am going to give it a try.'

https://youtu.be/mrDNsg0NaJ0

https://youtu.be/Xjc6k-eEmMk

Avan, Aval Adhu 185

I twisted shut the tap in the kitchen sink and stood watching as it dripped a drop and told myself, ' need to get it fixed before drop becomes drops ' and went about life. The days passed with the ebb and flow of time and a few weeks later, I found myself staring at the tap as it shed drops that were threatening to become a trickle sooner than later.

I used all my strength and closed the tap and to my relief, the drops slowed down again to a drop a minute and I thought, ' Okay, there is no playing with this issue anymore and I better get it looked in a couple of days time' and went about my life.

Needless to say that a few weeks later I did get around to eventually changing the tap entirely. well, that's me I guess.... and a few of the general public.

Ravi is a man whose head and heart are rooted in science and its methods and not a man who believed in stuff such as prophecies, and wild predictions. But, his brief interactions with Beedi man Devathoothan had done more than just stir up his curiosity and had gone deeper into awakening his instincts.

His only thought as he hurried back to Whispering Rocks was the safety of Gayatri and how he was going to convince Gayatri and also how much he could afford to tell her about his past and all the troubles that he had faced with Meenakshi.

' Knowing Gayatri, I am sure she is not going to back down and step away and that too if it involves Meenakshi. It will only give her more impetus to wade straight into battle and take the bull by the horns and in this situation, calling that mad woman a bull is a bit tame ' Ravi thought worriedly as his feet finally brought him back to Whispering Rocks.

He stood wondering how to go about it and then sketched out a wispy plan in his head and walked towards the cottage where he knew Gayatri and his friends would be.

He found all three of them seated around the dining table in the kitchen and it was Gayatri's eyes that saw him the moment he entered, and she stood up and asked, ' where have you been all this while, Ravi ' and seeing the time on her wrist watch, ' Its nearly ten and you must be starving.'

If life had given more time for Gayatri to have known Ravi even better, she would have easily read and understood the slight smile that he offered and the subtle things he did with his shoulders and eyes were hints about his evasive measures to her question.

Partha did and so did Daksha and dived in to rescue him.

' Dei, you said you were going for a long walk?'

Gayatri hearing Partha say this looked at Ravi and asked, ' walk? You told me that you had some important work to do.'

' Walk is important and the work too was important. Got both of them done and I am here now.'

He looked at all of them and asked if they were finished with breakfast.

Daksha told him that they were done and asked him what he wanted to eat.

' I am not very hungry. A couple of slices of toast with honey and a cup of coffee, please ' and saying that he sat down in the remaining chair and right next to Gayatri.

Ravi was caught in a dilemma as he thought, ' What should I tell her or rather what shouldn't I tell her?' and just as he was about to begin talking about what was going on, Gayatri placed her mug on the table and yelled, ' OMG! Ravi, you are not going to believe what I am going to tell you and the person that I met just after you left me.

His eyes flickered sideways at Gayatri and then flickered straight at Partha and sideways at Daksha and all three old friends looked at her with a hint of anxiety in their minds.

Gayatri seeing this and capturing their anxiety laughed beautifully, ' Why are you guys looking so worried? No, I did not meet some bad dude but a gentleman who passes himself off as a vagabond or worse, a beggar.'

All Ravi could do was muster and fire a weak, ' Oh!'

' No, master, just an " Oh!" will not do. OMG! better suits this man. Just that he smokes a lot and continuously.'

Ravi smiled and Partha and Daksha joined in with their own half-hearted smiles.

Gayatri stared at them and inhaled a long breath and exhaling it, tapped the table loudly to get all their attention which she did.

' I don't know what is going on with you guys. But, frankly speaking, you are beginning to creep me out and worse, you are starting to irritate me.'

Partha smiled and protested but Gayatri shook her head, ' There is a saying that I am sure you are all very familiar with and that is " The eyes are the windows of the soul."

Leaning back, she looked at all of them and pointing to her own eyes, ' In my world, I am considered a very good photographer and one whose photos see what others don't see. But that doesn't mean that I miss the obvious. No, I see everything like I am seeing that there is something going on here with all of you.'

Pushing back her chair, Gayatri stood up and looked at all of them, ' I came here for him and I am glad that through him I found you both. But, I confess that I hate people doing things behind my back or blatantly keeping me out of their thoughts and conversation after having accepted me as one of them.'

Ravi stood up and apologized to her. ' You are right Gayatri. Please forgive me for I am the reason for your anger and frustration.'

Gayatri stared hard at Ravi and heard Beedi man's words whisper strongly in her soul.

" You will be, fine, child. Just remember not to push him and not push and force time and life. For there are certain things in life that need to come to you and when pushed they will push back or you will push yourself away and far away."

Both sat back down in their chairs and Gayatri's heart fluttered in worry on seeing Ravi's handsome face creased with worry.

Without even being aware of doing it, her hands grabbed his hands and she asked, ' Why do you look so worried, Ravi? I cannot take it. I can stand anything but I cannot stand you being worried or upset. Please, tell me how I can help you with what is obviously worrying you.'

' Gayatri, you just mentioned meeting a person.'

' yes. I did. So what? what about him?'

' I met him too.'

' Who?' and with that question turned around to stare at the fog outside the window and then quickly turned back hearing Ravi say, ' You met beedi man whose real name is Devathoothan. Correct.'

Gayatri nodded and then with a smile that was more like the crescent moon, ' Yes ' and then her eyes opened wide in full realization and she asked in a voice filled with trepidation.

' What did he tell you, Ravi? It is obvious that he said something that has got all three of you spooked.'

' Yes. He said that you are in danger.'

Gayatri sighed and closed her eyes and thought hard and then she opened them and whispered, ' That man is good and he must have allured to the incident in the temple where I intervened and foiled a crime from happening.'

Seeing the instant relief in all three of them, she growled like a tigress, ' Oh God! This is what you people are worried about?'

Daksha nodded, ' Obviously we will worry Gayatri. God only knows what those thugs are going to do and it is not a joke for you are a witness in this case and you will be called to testify against them.'

' Okay. Now, what do you want me to do. Run and hide or fly away back to Mumbai. Tell me, what do you want me to do. Stop breathing, stop living and bury myself in a hole.'

She stood up and said, ' Never. I have been to places and seen things that would keep you awake for the rest of your life. I have been to some really evil places like Africa and the middle-east and have seen some horrible stuff that will make you want to kill yourself.'

Reaching for her mobile phone, ' After experiencing all that, you want me to worry about two common criminals. Sorry. But, no.'

Pointing to her phone, ' I will be back in a few minutes after I have finished with my calls.'

*Comfortable attitude*

I asked one of my friends who has crossed 60 & is heading to 70.

What sort of change he is feeling in him?

He sent me the following

very interesting lines,

which i would like to share

with you all.....

1) After loving my parents,

my siblings, my spouse,

my children, my friends,

now I have started loving

myself.

2) I just realised that I am not

“Atlas”.

The world does not rest on

my shoulders.

3) I now stopped bargaining

with vegetables & fruits

vendors.

After all, a few Rupees more

is not going to burn a hole in

my pocket but it might help

the poor fellow save for his

daughter’s school fees.

4) I pay the taxi driver without

waiting for the change.

The extra money might

bring a smile on his face.

After all he is toiling much

harder for a living than me

5) I stopped telling the elderly

that they've already

narrated that story many

times.

After all, the story makes

them walk down the

memory lane & relive

the past.

6) I have learnt not to correct

people even when I know

they are wrong.

After all, the onus of making

everyone perfect is not on

me.

Peace is more precious than

perfection.

7) I give compliments freely &

generously.

After all it's a mood

enhancer not only for the

recipient, but also for me

8) I have learnt not to bother

about a crease or a spot on

my shirt.

After all, personality speaks

louder than appearances.

9) I walk away from people

who don't value me.

After all, they might not

know my worth,

but I do.

10) I remain cool when

someone plays dirty

politics to outrun me in the

rat race.

After all, I am not a rat &

neither am I in any race.

11) I am learning not to be

embarrassed by my

emotions.

After all, it's my emotions

that make me human.

12) I have learnt that its better

to drop the ego than to

break a relationship.

After all, my ego will keep

me aloof whereas with

relationships I will never

be alone*.

13) I have learnt to live each

day as if it's the last.

After all, it might be the last.

14) I am doing what makes me

happy.

After all, I am responsible

for my happiness, and

I owe it to me.

☘ 🥒

why do we have to wait for so long,

Why can't we practice this at any stage and age.......

A American walks into a bar and orders a beer.

The bartender tells him : "20 Dollars!"

The American is shocked - "20 Dollars? yesterday it was only 3 Dollars !"

"Well, today it is 20 Dollars

- "But why 20, damn it?"

Bar tender : "I'll explain it,

-3 Dollars is beer,

-3 to help Ukraine,

-4 assistance to European countries who have imposed sanctions and are not members of the EU.

-4 dollars in aid to the UK, for successful implementation of sanctions against Russia.

-Then 3 Dollars are sent to the Balkan countries as aid to buy furnace coal.

- and finally, 3 Dollars for a gas subsidy for the EU and fund to help maintain sanctions!"

The American silently took out the money and gave the bartender 20 Dollars.

The bartender took them, entered in the cash register and gave him 3 Dollars back.

American in disbelief : "Wait, you said 20 Dollars, right ? I gave you 20, why are you giving me back 3 dollars ?"

"Ahh... We have no beer!" 😂