Corruption

The man in the white uniform and black hat waved us over while waiting at one of the very few traffic signals. I was sitting at the back of my bike, my white skin an obvious target, and he was sitting at the front, driving. We only went to pick up a few things at the market.
The policeman and he started speaking in Telegu and I knew they were discussing the fact that I had still not validated my license plates, as the papers have not yet arrived. The yellow tags on the plates gave away the secret.

I sat nervously on the back of the scooter, not sure what was happening, and he reached into his pocket and secretly gave the man in uniform a 50 rupee note, and then we were on our way. I took a breath, after not breathing for what felt like minutes. This is nothing new to him, he said.
I was quiet, and my silence was deafening . He took his hand off the brake and squeezed my leg. This is the first time you've seen this, haven't you? He asked me.
Even though he was facing the front, he knew I had nodded.
It's India, it happens here, he told me matter of factly.

I thought to myself, how bad could it be that someone could be bought for 50 rupees, an equivalent to $1.18 CDN?

For the rest of the way home, I realized how far i was away from everything I knew. I had read about the corruption, but seeing it, made it reality. Things will change in time here in India, but for now, until it does, I carry a 50 rupee note in my pocket, my white skin making me more of a target than everyone else.

Where to now? he asked
A few seconds had passed before I answered.
Let's go home. I said.
The gravel crunched under the tires of the scooter, and the left turning signal made an alarmingly loud beeping sound, or perhaps it seemed so loud through the unusually quiet Indian roads that day. And we turned off the main road and drove down the dusty path to my apartment passing children with torn clothing and dirty noses running through the streets laughing and having fun.

India isn't perfect but there are so many things that make it one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

Yes. I was home.