He'd made up his mind.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!!"
No matter how despondent and dejected he was, he wouldn't let despair get the better off him! Even if it meant banging on helpless pipelines that refused to carry the waste water through them, spilling them over the funnel instead. Funny thing, frustration is!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!!"
'Take that! And That!!', he said out loud. He hated water spilling over the funnel on the hapless cemented floor of the compressor house. He had a thing for the compressor house. This is where he spent most of his time, when he was down, when he was elated, when he was indifferent to what was going on around him. This place gave him solace like no other, barring only his home! 'How dare you refuse to carry away all the water?' he demanded and he banged the pipeline some more. The pipe gave in allowing a little more water to flow through it this time, but not enough to impress him! He eyed the funnel with contempt. 'And that goes for you too!!'
"Bang! Bang! Bang!!"
They'd had enough. The water level in the funnel began its steady demise. 'You better watch-out, boy! Really!!'
He felt sorry for he had been rude to the pipe that carried all the waste to where it belonged. 'They gave me no choice!', he explained. Spare the rod and spoil the child, he thought. He managed a flicker of a smile on his face this time.
He inspected all the pumps as he walked right below the pipe-rack, checking lube-oil and quench-steam of some, increasing cooling-water flow in the others. Or just giving them a pat on their
But there was something about the morning that had been worrying him. Something about the day before that kept vexing him even as he tried his best to pay full attention to the pumps, for he knew it didn't take much for them to start throwing a tantrum or two every now and then. He been a sorry witness to it a few days back. He winced as he tried not to let morbid thoughts bog him down at the start of the day itself. He contemplated the way things could have been the day before. He stared aimlessly at the bare patch of the bottom-pump discharge pipeline, gazing at the heat-waves that he saw emanating from it.
He shook himself off of his trance and started to walk towards the furnace. He tapped on each draught-gauge to check if it would show any other reading. He'd known they were fickle from bitter experience. He ascended the stairs leading to the second of the three furnaces that lay close by. The others were a stone's throw away from there and he knew he'd be paying them a visit too! He did that everyday. But today was just not like 'everyday'. Today was different and dull and depressing. He walked right to the peephole glass and saw his face on the glass just as he was about to pull the shutter-ropes to make the heaters' internals visible to his eluding eyes. 'How apt!', he said to himself. For he knew he'd been burning with indignation all the while he was there. He didn't feel sorry for himself. He was just sorry things turned out the way they did. He pulled the rope and saw the flames of the heater, more beautiful than he'd ever seen. He knew he couldn't enjoy the sight, but he tried nonetheless. And succeeded, although he felt like a cheapskate right away. They were all at their best today. He came down and walked towards the phosphate dosing area checking the level in the dosing drum and running the mixer for a while to allow the settled phosphate to mix thoroughly, for 'why should a chemical suffer the injustices that life has to offer', he mused. He glanced at his Timex and knew at once that he'd have to quicken things up, for it was nearly 8.
He quickened his pace and was among the furnaces again. Only these were 'Non-IFP' heaters and pretty small when compared to the furnace which he'd inspected only minutes ago. He was weary of small things. For he knew, small things were often overlooked. He tapped on their draught-gauges too. It had become a habit. -10mmWC. He knew it was too high a draught. He knew what was needed to be done, but he wasn't up to it. Not today. He decided he'd ask his operator to do the needful.
On his way back from the furnace he heard abnormal noises coming from the Compressor House-2. Not the ideal place to be hearing abnormal noises from, he knew. He knew what the matter was. This time, though, he did the needful himself for he knew the consequences. Draining Delayed, Is Draining Denied! He was ready to upset anything but his compressors. He had 17 and he took pride in taking care of each one of them. He spotted an Operator nearby. He admonished him for not being careful enough. He walked away feeling really silly for having given him a earful, but he knew, that it would serve the purpose.
Such is life, he thought. He'd made himself adept at laughing at the face of desperation, but all he could manage today was a bleak smile.
Life & Its Bite-In-The-Bum Syndrome!!
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