SORE SOLES

I was soon back in New Delhi.
I left my shoes back in the countryside.
Now I had only a shirt and pants on.
At some point I had even lost my dark sunglasses.
My feet were cut and very sore from walking.
Even though I didn't have any money, I walked into a brightly-lit pharmacy, and showed the person working behind the counter my bleeding feet.
He just shook his head when I couldn't produce any money.
I walked a few blocks and came to a small park.
I saw a low-canopied tent and a small fire inside where some men were keeping warm.
I crawled inside.
One older man saw my feet.
Another man handed him a bowl of warm water.
The older man dipped a cloth inside the water and gently dabbed it on the bottoms of my bleeding soles.
I think there was something medicinal on the cloth.
It was very soothing and eased the pain.
I left and kept walking.