July 1, 2003, New York



"Where can I put my things?"

"In the locker room, over there.
You'll need a card for that. Are you a member?"

"No, not yet."

"You could get a card from the reception."

I got the card from the main eantrance after the girl at the reception directed me. I put my stuff in one of the lockers.

After the work out I took a shower and came back to my locker. The environment was a little unfamiliar for me and I wasn't totally at ease.

"Did you just use that towel?"
I was startled. There was a big old naked guy in front of me. He was drenched. He looked pretty angry..

"Yeah."

"Did it have a plastic sheet on it?"

"Yes", I realized it must have been his towel outside the shower room. I had assumed the club had provisioned these.

"I apologize, its my fault", I said softly, maintaining my self esteem.

I noticed that it had a tremendous disarming effect on him.
"Do you want me to bring a new one for you?", I asked.

"Please", he said in a loud angry tone.

"What do you think was the plastic sheet on it for?"

He was rumbling. It was embarrasing for me.
"I apologized to you. I' gonna get you another one, okay", I said, suspending my apologetic tone this time.

I got him another one, aplogized to him again and put it on the table outside the shower where I spotted him.

"Thank You", he said loudly.


I was amazed at the composure I had shown. I was feeling emabarrased at what had happened.
Though unintentional, it was my fault.

I got back to my locker and packed my stuff; spent a while in front of the mirror and reached the exit room.


"Is that small towel hanging outside the shower yours?"

I saw the big old man still naked, "I don't think so. I glanced over just to indicate I meant what I said."

"Well, you didn't have one, did you?"

"I didn't know the towels are not supposed to be in there. I am not familiar with the customs here", I felt impatient at that point.

"I understand", he lost eye contact and it seemed like he was getting embarassed at being angry when I was not reacting.

"You are supposed to get your own towel or else pay for one at the reception", he instructed me.
"But you are a member", he saw the club card in my hand.

"I beacame a member today", I was getting frustrated trying to diffuse his suspicion. I wasn't very much used to talking to naked guys.

"I apologize again", I left.

As I drove back home, I replayed the episode in my head. It was embarrasing for me. My fault was unintentional and the naked man's anger was genuine. I felt frustrated at the possibility of appearing vulnerable. But I somewhere down below knew I was right not to have reacted. I thought perhaps the man was concerned about being fooled by a young person and wanted to make sure he knew the truth. He won't let himself get faulted, it seemed to me.



A few days later ...

After my shower I was taking my stuff out of the locker. I heard somebody say something. I didn't care assuming somebody was trying to talk to somebody else. I didn't know anybody there.

"Young fellow."

I turned around. I saw the same big old man, naked again.

"I said I like the brown towel you have", he said trying to intiate a conversation.

I smiled, not knowing what to say.

"I seemed pretty angry the other day, didn't I?"

"Oh, thats okay" I said in a soft tone appreciating his saying that.

"When you work out, take a shower and find your towel missing, its very irritating".

"I understand, its very frustrating", I said politely.

"But you brought me another one. And you looked innocent", he smiled.

"I was innocent", I laughed.

There was silence for a while.

"You live somewhere close around here", I said, trying to break the silence.

"Yes, but my work is one hour drive from here"

"Ah thats bad.
Seems like you come here frequently"

"I try to. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I would come daily if I could."

After a pause I said, "I work for IBM, I am new here".

He didn't say anything.

"What kind of job you have?", I asked.

"I am a lawyer."

"Really", I said in an impressed tone.
"Do you have your own practice?"

"Not any more. I used to. I did that for 30 years before becoming an agent. You know what that means, its just like lawyers who work for companies like IBM"

"Seems like you have a lot of experience"

It seemed to me that he felt happy about the compliment.
"Is your last name Singh by any chance?"

"Yes, how do you know?", I was amazed.

"My friend, he's a psychiatrist, his last name is Singh, you look like his son"

"Does he practice somewhere around"

"Yeah. Is Singh a common last name?"

"Yeah thats pretty common"

"Having that last name doesn't mean you are related, rigth?

"Not necessarily, but we could be, I don't know", I laughed.
"I am not from here. I go to school at Stanford"

"Here? or in California?"

"In california"

There was a pause.

I picked up my bag and said, "Nice to meet you."

"Very nice meeting you too"

I was about to leave.

"So you are with IBM for the summer. After that you'll be back with your undersraduate studies, or graduate ones?"

"I am doing my PhD. I am taking the summer off for internship."

"Oh, you look pretty young, how old are you?"

"24"

"So you're done your academic requirements; working on your thesis?"

"Its been an year. Before that I finished my masters."

"So you're gonna be a teaching fellow after that." he was wanting to smile. I sensed a mix of reluctance and admiration in his mannerism. Well, he would have been one ambitious lawyer all through his life, pretty successful. I wouldn't blame him.

"Not really. I'll probably join a research lab, just like IBM", I said.

There was a brief silence.

"Okay. See you later", I said.

"Allright"

As I drove back home, I replayed the incident in my head again and tried to correlate it to previous rendezvous with this lawyer gentleman. My suspicion and insecurity were suspended.

Experience had taught me, once again, the super newtonian law: Objects react but human minds can choose not to.

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