The Forgotten

Kathmandu is Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The city completely transforms at night. The city is everyone's city during the day. We all share it equally. It belongs to the locals, the young the old, the sadhus, the saints, the rich in their cars, the poor on the sidewalk. It belongs to the street peddlers, the vegetable sellers, the rickshaw drivers, the tourists (sort of). At night this all changes. At night the city isn't shared by everyone. The city is owned by a few. At night, the dogs rule. The dogs take over. They rule the street, Kathmandu is their territory at night, so watch out. At night only the forgotten remain. The city turns from a cheery hustle to a sinister darkness. Only the forgotten are left when the darkness takes over. The forgotten only have each other. The forgotten children staggering with heads full of glue. The forgotten dogs, snarling and guarding their territory with their worthless lives. The forgotten rubish. Wrappers for once delicious food. Vegetable scraps that were in the recent past used to make a delicious curry, now rot in maggot filled heaps. The dogs scavage the garbage heaps along with the grimy street boys. Who gets what? How do the forgotten divide up the forgotten waste? Dogs and boys split the loot... who gets the best food scraps? The rabid terrior or the 8 year old high on paint? Just who ever gets their first. Yes, at night the city transforms. It becomes dark and sinister. Not quite evil though. It won't swallow you up, but you had better be careful. Because at night Kathmandu is ruled by the forgotten ones. At night the forgotten emerge and are all thats left. So you had better watch out, because at night the forgotten rule. They own the city at night. It is theirs, and not yours anymore. No, at night the city is not evil, but sinister. It transforms. In the dark. When it is dark and you can't see, but you start to see more than in the day. When there is no light, you see more. Although you can hardly see, you know things. You can see things clearly in the dark if you try. The only thing you need to know though, is that you are not forgotten, and the forgotten rule. So be careful. The forgotten know their own kind, and that is not you.