Contemporary Meyme Helehele

I am sure everyone has heard of the legend of Meyme Helehele, about whom your grandfather would have told and retold sitting by the fire with embers just glowing. If it is Hum Jaiga in India, it is Meyme Helehele in Bhutan in the past, reputed for his foolishness and stupidity. The story goes, …..Meyme Helehele is out in the mountain strolling. By mere chance and luck, he stumbles with the diamond ball, he swaps it for the cattle with the man (much worthless comparatively)……….this goes and goes, I mean the change for cheaper things than what he actually had. It goes till he meets a man singing melodious “chumo Aley”. He finally changed it with the cock finally to slip by the wet rock and forget the verse……

Here is man who did no better job than this legendary foolish man. Only that this time it involves the change in cars he thought it better changing everytime. It started with the foreign corona car, splendid and showy. This is the car he was proud himself to drive. But sadly enough, it was more than he could handle when even the smallest repair part really gave pressure to his small purse. Going by the income he earn, he smartly thought, “this car is too expensive for me to drive”. He bumped over a prospective buyer one summer and sold it cheaply to him.

The return and little addition made it enough to go for choice of second-hand short body landcruiser. Afterall, both are foreign made he supposed. That suited his short and sturdy body stature. If there is any car, it was this car that made him feel driving the real car. Then where did it went wrong?

It started giving him problem while igniting. It has to park downhill so that he can ignite on movements. It was enough problems when he had to keep it in engine running for full two hours when he was stranded in double-laning of Thimphu-Phunstholing highway. When his fuel meter swiftly started dropping down, he put stop to the engine. But when the highway was finally clear, he had to let go all cars behind and bring back the engine with men pushing from behind.

He finally got convinced that Indian car is upto his standard. He settled with the maruti 800 model. The repair parts were easily available and cheaper too. He was comfortable with it but somehow one day he changed his mind when the project provided him with a motor bike. He couldn’t handle two engines with fuel and opted to dispose either one. But project bikes come with the terms of reference that the beneficiary had to utilize it atleast for couple of years. So, he let go the maruti car and survived with motor bike.

But with the summer came the rain and winter too comes with cold. This was hardly favorable weather condition for the biking. He thought it is better with atleast cheap Indian cars with the roof to protect from rain and sun. Not yet happy, he sold it off and now he walks all the way to and from office. But, isn’t this healthy? He defends himself when insulted about his Meyme Helehele nature.

So, I wonder if this is legendary Meyme Helehele reborn in his form!