Proximate cause

I had just moved into my apartment after being away for a decade .I was busy getting things organized like getting gas and telephone connection, fixing a paper boy, cable connection and such like. Most of the residents in the colony were new to me. None came forward to check whether I needed some help or to introduce themselves. They acted as strangers busy with their own work. My tenant had kept a well maintained garden with many flower plants roses,jasmines,sunflowers,and different varieties of crotons. These needed some attention. It was a week after my arrival I stumbled on Govind in my backyard early morning. He was cutting branches from the crotons in my garden for transplantation in his garden. I had seen him going for morning walk daily in his track suit and canvas shoes but we have not talked to each other. He was living in the adjacent block. A fifty something, he had not paid much attention to his appearance with unshaved face, unruly hair and a much worn T shirt. I did not fail to notice that his hands were muddy showing that he has been at this work for quite some time. He was startled by my unexpected appearance and mumbled something as he got up. I smiled at him and told him “It is perfectly ok. Make yourself comfortable but take care not to damage the plants.” There was a look of surprise in his face as he presumably expected me to be upset. He said “Sorry for taking these without your permission. Your earlier tenant used to allow me. I am Govind in the adjacent block residing in ground floor flat .” Our friendship commenced on this positive note grew as we exchanged greetings daily as he passed my house and occasionally walking together for short distance.
One day I had been to his flat at his insistence. What a surprise it was to find a beautiful home with cozy furniture, carpets, curtained windows, well painted walls with soft music playing in the background. There was the fragrance of incense as he had just finished his daily puja.He was clean shaven in a spotless white dhoti and shirt in contrast to the disheveled appearance on the first day. He introduced me to his wife who had brought us steaming cups of coffee. He had taken voluntary retirement after a heart attack and was doing some consultancy work from home. A well read man he could engage himself in conversation on a variety of subjects. Unfortunately they had no children.. Gardening was his hobby to which he devoted considerable time. We discussed about this common topic frequently and he had offered some plants that were not there in my garden. I found him a helpful person when he brought his gardener to remove the weeds and tidy up my garden. When I went to the nursery I brought for him some flower pots and left them in his garden without his knowledge. When there was a power failure once in my flat very late in the night which he happened to notice, he spoke to the Assistant Engineer on his own and got it fixed within an hour. We were becoming good neighbours and enjoyed each other’s company.
There was a wedding in the family of another resident in the colony. I was going in my car to the marriage hall that was close to my apartment around 9AM when I noticed Govind’s wife walking slowly . As I thought she was alone and as the hall was not far I drove without offering her a lift. It was after thirty minutes I found both Govind and his wife entering the hall. Evidently he has been following her as I did not notice him walking side by side with her. There was big crowd in the wedding hall and I could not talk to him. I came back after an hour and had a short nap. Around 3PM I saw an ambulance standing opposite their complex that had eight flats. I presumed someone must have taken ill and did not make further enquiries. It was around 5PM that the Secretary of the colony rang my door bell with a wreath in his hand. Shocked as I was, I asked him who was the person who had expired. He said “Don’t you know Mr. Govind after returning from the marriage had a massive attack and passed away before medical help could reach him.” He added he had walked both ways in the hot sun and that could have been the proximate cause for the stroke.
I was numbed by guilt. Had I stopped the car on seeing his wife and looked behind I would have seen him too and would have taken them in the car and brought them back. I blamed myself that it was not the sun but my foolishness and carelessness that was the proximate cause for my good friend’s end.