|
There is no mistaking the sound of the approaching garbage truck that comes
thrice weekly to collect the garbage from the houses in our area. The roar of
the diesel engine compounded by the puffing sound of black smoke from a broken
exhaust pipe is a clear signal for residents to bring out their garbage.
Furthermore, the local dogs add to the din with their confounded barking each
time the truck comes. The yellow garbage truck comes almost half-loaded with
garbage already collected. I remember that it was new about a year ago but
constant usage makes it look old and filthy. I guess it cannot help but be
filthy for all the garbage it holds. The yellow paint is now a dirty brown. Five
men are perched on its side.
The truck stops near my house. The men alight and go about collecting the
garbage bags from the houses. They dump the bags into the back of the truck. The
driver then operates the device that compresses the garbage deep into the middle
of the truck. It is a wonder how much garbage the truck can hold.
When the garbage is being compressed, foul-smelling liquid leaks onto the
road as a result. This is a small inconvenience that we have to put up with.
Anyhow the garbage is compressed within a minute. The men hop on the truck and
off they go to another part of the housing estate to continue their garbage
collection.
It is a small but important event in our lives every time the garbage truck
comes because it takes away the garbage that would otherwise
clutter up our living space. There were
occasions when the truck did not show up as usual and we know how bad things can
get. Bins overflow and the foul stench of
rotting garbage is quite unbearable. Dogs, crows and rats
rummage through the rubbish and distributing it all over the
neighborhood. The return of the garbage truck s like heaven sent. We breathe a
sigh of relief when it comes.
Stinking and dirty it might be, but the garbage struck is a very necessary
part of our lives. |
