With Love, Father

With Love, Father

Remember the times when you rode around on your Father’s back? Bliss!!!.... And the times when you cried in a shopping market just to get that toy car? .... The times when he took you on those short rides… or pulled a prank with you? …  Unforgettable!! …. I know. Fathers are really something aren't they? Thanks Dad, for giving me such awesome memories.

But our Susie has a different father-daughter memory.

Susie was brought up in a boarding school. Her father had left when she was 3 years old and few months later her mother had died. Therefore, Susie never got a chance to learn who her father was or what he did. But now, after 20 years, a man, claiming to be her father was coming to see her. Susie didn't know how to react to this. Was she supposed to be happy? If so why?

But as days passed, Susie was excited about seeing her Father, rather than angry. So she was seen tailoring a coat for her father, in her bedroom.

“Miss, I have brought you some coffee”, called her house keeper, Martha.
Martha entered the room but immediately turned her back on Susie.

“Miss, what are you doing!!?”

“I’m making a coat for my father”.

“That is not what I’m asking? I’m asking about…. You…”

Susie looked down at herself. Smilingly she said, “Martha, There’s no need to feel embarrassed. It’s nothing. Remember when I had accidentally stitched my own dress with another dress material? I just don’t want to do the same with my Father’s coat. Besides, it’s just you. You don’t have to be surprised”
Fuming, Martha placed the coffee on the teapoy and started to leave.

“Martha. Do you think any of them resemble my father?”  Susie set aside the tailoring materials and looked at the row of faces that were placed on the table platform which matched the mannequin standing beside.

“Oh Martha, I’m finally meeting my father, after so many years. Do you think he would be a gentleman?

“He would definitely be Miss. A daughter like you surely would have a gentleman as her father”. Susie smiled.

A bell was heard. Susie jumped to open the door, but Martha stopped her. She asked her to dress and make herself presentable. Susie laughed. She dressed and ran downstairs. A man, in army uniform was standing. Susie forgot to breathe. This was her Father!!

“Hello Miss Sparks. I’m Colonel Philip Burns. I….. used to work with your father”.

“Used to? What do you mean Sir?” confused, Susie asked.

The Colonel’s eyes saddened. He stared down defeated. Two army officers carrying a huge wooden box entered the house. The officers placed the box in front of Susie. Martha gasped.

“A crew member suffered a plane crash last night. Your father jumped in to save him. The officer was rescued, but your father… he wasn't able to rescue himself….. I’m sorry.”

The colonel handed Susie a burnt picture. It was a picture of a man holding a baby in his arms. It was a picture of a proud father.

Susie’s knees gave up.

Her father… how could he leave her? Even before seeing her? Even before talking to her? Even before…. Tears ran down Susie’s face.

Susie looked down at the photo, the one lasting memory of her Father. All this time, he had treasured her photo, while she had believed him to be dead. And now the treasure became hers.

P.S. Out of all those faces in my room, none of them were my father’s.

Haunted

 Haunted 

“I won’t sleep alone....” cried my younger brother.

“No! You are and that’s final….. And for the hundredth time, this house is NOT haunted”, Mum screamed.

“How do you know? You don’t believe in ghosts”

“I don’t believe in them because there are no ghosts”

“Yes there are!! People don’t cook up stories for fun”

Dad interrupted, “Mike. People always cook up stories. That’s their job… and you know… King Arthur was never afraid of ghosts”.

“I’m just 4 years old.  4 year olds are afraid of ghosts….”

“Mike….”

“Fine, but I’m sleeping in her room”, he said pointing towards me.

“Di? Is it fine if he sleeps in your room tonight?” Mum asked.

I shrugged. Dad creased his eyebrows. Sharing room with a talkative, irritating, 4 year old brother!!! I know… But the rumors were enough to drive your “privacy” out of the window.

Late in the night, the cold breeze started seeping under the blankets. I woke up to close the windows, only they weren’t there. They were replaced by a small little ventilator and walls that dissolved into shadows.

“Di?”

I swirled around.

“Mike!! What- ? How-? Where are we?” I looked around.

He shook his head. “Di……, I think the ghosts have kidnapped us”, he piped.

“We have to get out of here. Search for the door”. And together we searched.

“Di? Do ghosts eat humans?

Ughhhhhhh… Leave my brother to bring out your worst fears.

“I don’t know. Now shut up”. I started tracing the walls slowly in the dim light that was seeping through the ventilator.

“Di? How do you think the ghosts look? Do they really have pearly white skin? Do they have skin at all?

“I don’t know Mike. Will you please be quiet?” The stone walls seemed never ending.

“Di? Why do ghosts have a “smoky” shaped body? Does it mean they smoked a lot, when they were alive? Can they smoke if they are dead?

“Ughhhhhhhhh… Mike I don’t know anything alright? Try and look for the door. Please…..”

“Di?”

My patience touched its peak. I turned, “WHAT?”

He quivered. He pointed to a pile that lay in a corner.

“Do you think those are dead bodies?”

We crawled near to the pile. I bent down and touched it. It felt soft… almost like velvet… I held it up to the light. Skeleton bones hung in mid-air. Mike gasped.

“It’s a costume”, I said

Recovering himself, Mike said, “Why do ghosts need costumes? They don’t have anything to cover up”. And then suddenly he said, “Di!!! If we wear them, we would look like ghosts. They would think us as one of them and let us go”.

He pulled the costume and wore it. He bent over a tin can and when he looked up, Well, I had to say even the ghosts would take him up for a late night party.

I put on the costume. Just then, there was creak on one side of the wall. It was the door. We froze. A pale white hand held the lock and pushed the door open.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Mike!!!! Di!!! Stop screaming” It was Mum. She was locked up too.

“Where are we Mum? I asked.

“In your bedroom. Now wake up and help me sort the house, both of you”.

What? It was a dream? It can’t be. Mike looked equally confused and terrified.

“Di? Was it a dream?  How can both of us have the same dream on the same night?”  We looked at each other thinking the same thing.

The house really is haunted.

Dear Mother

Dear Mother

Spread across with green grass and few scattered dry leaves, our garden decorated the front of our porch. But a garden without any plants or climbers!! That was just unacceptable. So, after a long argument with dad, I had a bird bath set up for our garden.

Every day, after school, I would sit and wait by the window, in hope of seeing a few birds. None was seen until now. I stepped out to search the skies. What is it with this city? Where did they send all the birds to? I went over to the bird bath and, saw that the bowl was almost empty. Mum had told the birds hadn't come to drink water, so where did all the water go? There was only one answer.

“Mummmmmmmmmmmmm!!!” I ran inside to find Mum.

“Mum. Someone’s stealing water from our bird bath”

“What?”

“There. In our garden”, I said. She still looked confused. I pulled her to the garden and showed her.

“I had filled it, this morning. And now see, the water’s almost over”.

Mum smiled. She knelt down and asked, “You think someone stole water from our garden?” I nodded.

“I was home all day. So how can someone steal anything? ”

“Maybe the thief is invisible. Or… he’s a magician. He can make the water invisible and make it float in air”. Mum lowered her head to hide her smile. Well, what better theory would you expect from a 5 year old?

Next day, I waited on the porch. I’m going to catch that thief no matter what. One hour… 3 hours… half a day passed, nobody showed up. I started to feel lazy. Why don’t these thieves show up when you are awake? How come they are always so cunning?

Tired, I was about to give up, when a bird flew by and sat on the bird bath. It drank few “beakfulls” of water. After few seconds, another tiny bird flew and sat next to the first bird. It followed the actions of its mother. I ran to say “Hello”, but they took off.

Every day I would wait for the birds and they would loyally come and drink water. But they never gave me a chance to say, “Hello”, how rude!!

One evening, I was playing outside the gate, while my Mum cleaned the garden close by. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a ball hopping. I turned and saw that it was the baby bird that drank water from our garden. It was struggling to cross the road. It looked like it was hurt. The vehicles slowed, careful not to kill the bird. I stood up to pick the bird. At the same time, the mother swooped down, and pulled her baby. She had barely left the ground, when she was hit by a truck. The mother fell down, her legs pointing skywards. The baby bird was thrown into the air. It landed in front of me. I ran and picked up the bird.

Mum saw me standing near the road and came running to pull me to safety. But I stood transfixed.

“Didn't I tell you, not to go near the traffic?”

I looked at the dead mother bird.

“What happened?” Mum asked. I couldn't answer.

She saw the bird in my hand, then saw its dead mother. She understood. She knelt down and hugged me.

“The mother… died”, I choked.

She held me tighter, and said, “That’s what all mother’s do. Protect their children”.

If so, who will protect the bird now? 

A Golden Star

The Golden star

The Plazeons and The Taleons, were the most peace loving creatures of the two sister planets: The Plazeus and The Taleus.

The two sisters would meet occasionally and catch up on the on-goings. And today Taleus had decided to pay her sister a visit. While Plazeus welcomed her sister with a warm heart, Taleus seemed uneasy.

“What has happened, sister Taleus? Please do tell. I cannot bare to see you like this”, said Plazeus.

“Everyone has to be removed from here. We don’t have much time!!” answered her sister.

“But why? What has occurred?”

“Aeotheus”, interrupted Taleus.

Plazeus felt the ground dissolve under her feet. Her beloved planet… her beloved children…

Taleus had analyzed Aeotheus’s path and knew Plazeus would be his first target. The path traversed by Taleus helped them narrowly escape Aeotheus, but Plazeus fell right in the center. Taleus tried to warn her sister, but in vain.

Plazeus looked into her sister’s eyes. Fright, confusion, hope, horror… she saw them all. She saw the confused faces of her people. In a very small time, all will be gone… consumed… this would be the end of her.

“No! Aeotheus has taken enough from my family. My children will never form his feast”, Plazeus thought to herself. She steeled her will and ordered everybody to move to Taleus.

“Come sister. Aeotheus is almost at your horizon. We have to move before he makes it near your surface.” But Plazeus couldn’t move her legs.

“I’ll check around”, said Plazeus and she left, leaving no choice for Taleus.

The last time Aeotheus had struck, he had taken both her parents from her. She wasn’t going to allow him to take her children too. She moved underground. Who was she searching for? She had seen everyone leave the planet. Who else can be there? Was this the reason her parents never left their planets? They couldn’t simply part with themselves, even if it meant, they would be erased forever?

Plazeus surfaced, but she found herself facing Aeotheus instead of her ship. Plazeus gathered her courage. She took a last look at the sky. The stars patterned as to tell “Go Through! Find its weakest point. It will form your way out. Be careful”. She smiled lightly, and closed her eyes. She and her sister had always rearranged the stars to send messages through.

Suddenly, Plazeus opened her eyes. She looked up at the sky. The message was still there. Go Through. She looked at Aeotheus. Find its weakest point. There was still a way. But, once inside, she knew, she had almost nil chances of coming out. Even if she did manage to come out, Heaven knows, how or what she would turn into!! But until there was hope, she wasn’t going to give up. She owed so much to her sister. Plazeus moved forward. She could feel Aeotheus’s power urging her to give up the futile fight.

Taleus saw her sister turning into a magnificent ball of fire. She saw her sister’s soul being taken in slowly by Aeotheus. Time moved slowly. Taleus waited with bated breath, for what seemed like eternity.

Gradually, everybody lost hope. They knelt and raised their hands in respect for their beloved Holy mother.

Suddenly, a blinding light lit Taleus. Plazeus’s golden form hovered in the sky.

My children fear not. I will always reside in your hearts and guide you on your way. I shall be the light you seek. I promise to be with you... always.

Plazeus disappeared.

From then on, Taleus revolved around their new star, Plazeus.

English at home

This time we had to write a story based on the 5 gibberish words:

Florple,Draemol,Grimble,Strawp,Plarft

English at home

“Mum… Mum… Mum… Help me finish my English assignment”, Josh, hopped in front of me (actually between me and my beloved TV) and said.

“What help do you need?”

“I have to invent 5 new words and provide meanings to them tomorrow in class. I can’t let Ryan score again, please help”, couldn’t help smiling for that. But seriously, inventing words...

“Just put some letters together. Why do you need my help for that? I asked.

“Mum… the words have to be authentic”, he said excitedly.

I smiled at him, tilted my head leftwards to catch a little of TV. He blocked my view. I tilted right, blocked again. Why does he have to be so stubborn? Well, I’m his mother.

“I can’t. I’m busy”.

“Florple”, he mumbled.

“What”?

“Florple. Thinks only about oneself, even if someone near needs their help”, he explained.

“Excuse me!!!.... I… Let me guess, you thought of me, while inventing that word.”

“Not excused and yes, I thought of you. You form the best example!! You are watching TV instead of helping me”. I tried to defend.

“Fine!” I snapped. “We’ll make a deal. We work together to find these words and their meaning. Whoever gets to the 5^th word first, will get their wish granted. Deal?” I asked.

He thought for a while. It had no “visible” loopholes, so he agreed.

 “So, your first word is… “

“florple”

“Right. And, your next word will be….. Grimble. It means… multitasking. Like, I’ll make coffee and still assist you in your homework”.

He gave a wide smile and said, “Nice……..”

I rolled my eyes and went to the kitchen to get some coffee. Josh would come up with few jumbled letters. 

Few he would reject, the rest I.I grabbed a tray, put few snacks on it, placed the two coffee cups and carried them to the hall. But it wasn’t our hall anymore. Josh had spread books, laptop... papers all over the floor.

“What are you doing?... draemolling this place???”

He looked up, confused. I signaled towards the scattered mess.

“These are just for reference... Mum… I need to invent words, not write them. And what did you call this?”

“Draemol… litter a place.” I replied.

He tried few more words. I rejected all of them. He creased his eyebrows, and said” Strawp”.

“And what does that mean?”

“It means modifying your opponent’s thoughts to make them loose.” he explained. How was he able to catch that? I put a poker face and tried to defend, but he cut in.

“Yes. I’m taking you as example”. I had to shut after that. He invented a few more, but rejected them instantly.

“Apart from Strawpping, can you do anything?” I asked.

“What?” Again, I showed the mess.

“Mum... I’ll clean it after I’ve finished my homework, and by the way, its draemol not Strawp”.

“Grimble!!... I’m missing my show” I murmured.

“Mum… you are supposed to help, not confuse. And for your information, its florple”, he said in an irritated voice.

“I’m not!! See, florple – cheater, grimble- multitasking, draemol- selfish, and …Ah!yes, Strawp –litterring”.

Josh screamed, “Mum….

Florple – Selfish

Grimble- Multitasking

Draemol – Litter

Strawp – Manipulating your opponents mind!”

There!!! My work was done. My son had invented five new words and also remembered their meaning!! Else it would be T.A. Edison inventing the light bulb, but not knowing where to plug it in.

“Plarft”, I said proudly. “Plarft - We have a winner”. Feeling proud, he noted down the last word.

Well, we did have a winner. I invented the last word…

On the other side of the Glass

On the other side of the Glass

Traffic jams in urban cities are the most dreadful things, especially when you are running late. But, these jams narrate their own story, and this is one such story.

On a very normal day, sitting in the passenger seat of a very ordinary cab, reading a historical novel, I was waiting for the hideous traffic to get cleared up. Finished a page... finished 2 pages... Finished 5 pages… I had barely moved 5 inches!!

Frustrated I looked out. Cars, honking two-wheelers, trucks… there was no end. I sighed. Disapproving, I went back to my reading. Soon afterwards, I heard a soft tap on my window. A woman was standing outside my taxi asking for money. But I saw, a woman not asking for money, but a helpless person, humbled down by the cruelness of fate, scarce of hope. I took few notes from my purse and gave it to her. It put a smile to her face.

Next day, I got stuck in the same traffic. I opened my book and started reading. A rap woke me up from my reverie. The same woman was standing outside. I pulled a little money from my purse and gave it to her. But she returned it and left. Confused, I called her. She obediently came.

“Why did you return the money?” I asked.

“I had taken the money from you yesterday also, Madam. I can’t take it today too”, was her reply.

“Why not?”

“Yesterday you lent me money, because I had asked you to. But today, you are lending because, you are feeling pity”

My first thought was of disapproval. But then, what did I feel for her? Why was I giving her money? If it wasn’t pity, then what else? I was left without words.

Every few days, when we met, she would wave a soft “hello”. On one such day, when she passed by, I called her and gave her a few loaves of bread. She hesitated, but I insisted. She took with the big expression of gratitude on her face.

At the beginning of this story, I said traffic jams were dreadful. I take it back. It’s unbearable, especially when the skies decide to give you a shower. I wanted to reach office early, but now, I was running late and the icing on the cake formed the heavy downpour and my umbrella, safely resting in my house. I decided to call my supervisor, when, I heard a sharp rap on the window. I looked up, to see the excited face of my new friend. She was carrying a child.

“This is my baby son. I wanted him to see you”, she said in ecstatic voice.

The little boy was peering through the foggy window, trying to locate my face.

I rolled down the window and waved. He turned and hugged his mom. She laughed.

”Where are your friends? How come you are not with them?” I teased him.

The mother answered. “He doesn't have any friend’s madam. He will be with me most of the time, while I roam asking people for money”.

“But in this weather?”

‘It’s fine madam. We never have the privilege of having an umbrella over our heads”, she said.

The signal turned green and my taxi started to move. Both the mother and her boy waved goodbye.

Life is really not the same as read in historical novels.

It is strange though, all this time, when she wanted money, I had them. But today, she was in need of an umbrella and I didn't have.

The Secret Princess

“She’s adorable, isn’t she?” said the evil witch, looking at Amora lying on her tattered bedspread.

“Poor little girl… born a princess, made to live a slave. And now, after many years, she will finally be mine. She will be a princess again, a princess who serves me!!”

“But, what if the Queen finds out that she’s gone, Mistress??” said her pet cat, Lady Evan.

“Well. She can’t cry over what has been long dead, can she? If she does, it would seem like the horror of her daughter’s death finally overcame her, and she would be locked up just like her daughter”.

The High Queen was the symbol of Royalty. But her magic was gradually deteriorating. Because of the curse, the Queen was not able to perform any magic, until…. her eyes fell on her daughter. The Queen declared her daughter dead and used her magic reserve. Every time the Queen cast a spell, she would refill her magical reserve by draining her daughters’.

Amora, now 118 years old, never saw the outer world. Her only pet was Fairy, a dragon Fly. The Evil witch was her maid, who Amora trusted far more than necessary. She was 2 years old when the dungeon became her new world. Occasionally, her mother would visit her, to ask her for a little ‘help’. Amora’s heart ached for her mother. Being the High Queen, she was expected to do impossible things, even if she were sick. Amora, wanted to be a part of the world, to help her mother, to use her powers, instead of her mother’s. But her mother had talked against it.

Amora had a visitor. She introduced herself as Lady Evan and that she was rescuing her. Amora, who had forgotten what leaving meant, stood there… transfixed.

“We have to leave before the Evil witch arrives”. When Amora didn’t show any signs of moving, Lady Evan pounced on her.

“If you don’t leave now, you will never be able to leave this wretched place again. This is your only chance. I’m your only chance. Please come…” pleaded Lady Evan.

“You might not remember me, but before you were captured, we would meet every day at the meadow and play. Later, when my mistress, the Evil witch came to know about your fate, only then did I know you were still alive. I swore that at the first opportunity I get to relieve you from this cursed hole, I would help you“

As Lady Evan talked, brief fading pictures made their way into Amora’s memory. She faintly remembered being in the meadow, the trees, the sunlight, the mist slowly lifting through. Lady Evan begged again. Slowly, with every step, Amora felt her freedom seeping in. But the Evil witch had appeared. With one look at things she knew what was happening. She lunged at Amora. About the same time, Fairy, inserted a poisoned needle into the witch’s neck. The witch collapsed. The three flew the dungeon.

Lady Evan carried little Amora on her back. She took her through the outside walls of the palace, through the meadow... all the while thinking, planning. Fairy’s little stunt would not keep the witch down forever, but it gave them time and…. hope. She knew she wouldn’t be able to protect Amora for a longer time. It was a risk Lady Evan was ready to endure. A risk that would end her life. A risk that would endanger Amora. But it was worth it. A little freedom to Amora was worth it. Amora was worth it.