Storieo

Author: Shelja Alawadhi

  • There’s a blanket of love you can lift today

    There’s a blanket of love you can lift today

    I was searching my mother in sky, but she was….

    Uncanny how our minds meld and play in synch, and I wasn’t supposed to be like this. I wasn’t supposed to fall so hard.

     

    So many years after the wedding the god completed a wish. Our premature daughter was born just before a couple of days. She was admitted to the hospital. Today, it’s is Wednesday and she came home after such a long time. After her feet stepped into our house and lives, she filled our lives with joy and happiness. When the neighbors, relatives and our friends came to know about this news our house was filled with lot of people. At that instant only I took up my daughter in my lap, I rushed to the first floor of our house because she wants to meet her mother. I always call my daughter as a fairy. I along with other family members and with my wife was too much involved in rushing to and froth from house to the hospital.in between this I almost forgot even about my mother. I had too much eagerness in my heart to meet my mother and was too excited. So, I was blessed by my mother for introducing such a fairy in my home. I thank her a lot.

    The sky was full of stars, it was like an umbrella is covering us but in between those stars I couldn’t recognize my mom and had no clue about the whereabouts of my mom. After gazing the sky my heart melted and my eyes were full of tears. I had an imaginary picture of my mom in my mind which was full of sacrifice and motherly care. Why was she upset with me? I was too much involved in the current scenario of my daughter’s birth that I couldn’t pay attention to my mom. Now there is no worth of wasting these tears. I was angry on me dur to my careless nature and my bad habits. Was I not able to give only five minutes to my mother? Was I that selfish?

    The smiling face of moon, the twinkling stars and the beautiful sky was not enough to convince me. My heart was pounding a lot and was suffering to meet my mom. Mom, where are you! I have come here to introduce you with my fairy please meet her and give her blessings. I was standing on the terrace and was yelling to ask you; “Will you meet her?”

    Please assume this as my lesson which I learnt from my mistake, when the little, cute and pink hands touched me. The fairy touched me and by merely a single touch I could feel the innocent love that was in between two of us. I felt that love. I hugged my toddler with lot of love. After this there was a flashback of golden days that I spent together with you and my dad.

    The fairy’s giggles made me travel from the past into the present, I wrapped the stars blanket on me. I know that I was wrapping a blanket of mom’s love. I was kept searching for my mother’s star in the homogeneous blanket of stars. It was very difficult for me. I was not able to see it.

    I still remember that my home was craving to listen the giggling and laughter of the little kids. I was hearing the echo of them. At that time only my mom told me the story of the frog and the princess that how a love can turn the frog into a prince. This is the power of love. A couple of days after the story my mom died, and after seven months I saw the birth of a fairy.

    Now, I have come here to make my fairy meet you. But now I am unable to find the star. Your star. I was annoyed my myself. Suddenly, the little pink hands touched me again. I peep into her eyes and was saw the reflection of you in her eyes and the smile on her lips. As they were saying me, “hey! Why are you searching me in stars? I’m here in your lap” every inch of my body was filled with excitement.

    Suddenly, the voice from the fairy’s maternal relatives came, “Hey, Jatin where are you?” I rushed downstairs and in the midway the same voice came asking me where is Veronica? My relatives used to call my mom veronica and know her by this name. I yelled again, “in my lap!” the whole terrace was filled with giggles of fairy.

  • Kinder joy of her family

    Kinder joy of her family

    bitter crust

    Bitter crust, sugar coat. She was the kinder joy of her family. Wherever her anger perishes, there she replenishes.

  • Do you need a favor?

    Do you need a favor?

    Covered by bushes, herbs and shrubs, the barren land turned into forest 100 years ago. The forest was covered by tall trees, where the canopy of trees provided shade to every animal residing there. Every shade of green was there. It was a dense forest which had immense richness of species. The king of the animal, Lion had a control over each animal living there. The pride that the lion carried was amazing. Every animal was feared of him. Animals living there had a huge respect of him. All over the forest was incredible.

    In a cave near to mountain lived lion and lioness with his cubs. The river which flowed near the lion’s cave was filled with pure crystal like water. The water was shallow. The clubs used to play there and that glimpse of happiness they carried on their face was incredible.

    On a bright sunny day when the lion’s family consumed all the flesh that they had. The went for hunting. Searching for their prey they went too far way leaving their cubs all alone behind them.

    It was dawn when the cubs realized that their parents hadn’t returned home back. They were starving a lot since they haven’t eaten since morning. They started fighting with each other in frustration. There was a goat nearby which was seeing the scenario by standing behind the tree but was afraid to go in front of them fearing the cubs would eat her. But due her soft heart and the kindness that was filled inside her. She went towards them and feed them with her milk. The cubs didn’t even make a scratch on her. After getting their stomach filled, they were roaming around, playing and were having fun. Suddenly, the lion and lioness returned and they went all blue the lion wanted to hunt goat to keep their cubs safe. In-between all this the cubs all together said that she has helped us and has done a great favor on us, otherwise we would have died.

    The lion went on cloud nine and said gratefully we will never forget your this favor. Go and explore whatever you want and enjoy it to the fullest with the freedom. No one will ever say you anything. Now, the goat roamed all over the forest fearlessly. She would even sit on the lion’s back and reached to heights to tall trees eating the leaves of the tree.

    Observing all this, a giant black eagle asked with bewilderment to the goat about this and understood the importance of countenance. Eagle kept thinking this all day long, and thought why not to experiment this. Eagle saw that a group of new-born rats were trapped inside the swamp. They were making hard efforts to get out of the marshy swamp, but as they step one inch out of the swamp they would sink two inches in the swamp. All their efforts went into vain.

    Eagle grab each new-born rat at a time with his claws and similarly with other rats and made them reach a safer place. Rats were completely wet when they were brought out of the swamp and were shivering out of cold. Eagle was full of kindness and helped them by wrapping his wings all around the little rats so that they might get warmth and will stop shivering. The little rats got stiff relief from it.

    After a very long time when the eagle started flying made eagle stunned with eyes wide opened. Eagle was in a perplex. The little rats gnawed the wings of eagle.

    Eagle rushed to the goat and told her about the vents that happened to him. Eagle said I did these act of favor to little rats and you did the act of favor to the lion. “We both did the same. We both reaped the same crop then why ere the fruits were different.” He exclaimed.

    Goat laughed so much at this incident and sedately said to the eagle, that you can only do the “commendation” to lions not to the rats.

    Cowards like rats will never remember the benevolence  that you did to them, they think that forgetting the favors that they get is a sign of bravery for them. And spirited lions will never forget the favors they took for their whole life time.

     

  • The Piggy Bank

    The Piggy Bank

    One, two, three, four, five Annie counted the coins from her little hands and then would keep them aside. But the issue was that when she starts the other round of counting coins she just forgets the one she counted before. It was a tough task for her. So by encouraging herself, again she would start counting up to five and then keep them aside. Doing this many-a-times, the piles of coins were generated and she very cutely keep saying to his mom, Elia” Look the buildings of money”.

    I was looking my 7-year-old girl for a very long time that how she was engrossed in a little beautiful activity. Suddenly, I heard the voice of the vegetable vendor, so I went outside to get some vegetables. The vegetable vendor didn’t have the lose money. I was short of five rupees, therefore I drew out some money from the coin piles which my daughter was making. My daughter Annie didn’t like this activity. ‘Why did you drew out money?’ while saying this she started weeping and raised a great clamor.

    I realized that I was in a huge trouble. I managed to find out some coins from wherever in the house. After finding I gave her the coins, but she denied. With her teary eyes she kept looking at me and said, ” These coins are not my coins.” I tried to convince her somehow and gave her 50 rupees note, even after making all this she wasn’t convinced. She never allow anyone to touch her coins. She wanted to compile all her coins together and wanted a Barbie set. Wherever she would find a coin in home, she would rush to the coin, and within no time the coin would land in her piggy bank.

    It was Thursday, which was my wedding anniversary day, but me and my husband had a fight on that day due to some silly reason. The atmosphere of whole house was sad. We were having a debate , at that moment Annie came and said, “Mom and dad close your eves.” We closed our eyes in an offended way. She kept the two gifts on our hands separately, and her words were full of love when she said, “Happy Anniversary”. Our anger vanished at that moment only. Following this we hugged her. We asked her, ” From where did you got this huge amount of money?” She said, One day me and mom went to the beauty and products shop which is nearest to the colony, and there my mom told me that she wanted to buy this perfume set, but it is too costly, so I will buy it some other day. That is why I bought that perfume only for both of you. You both always keep buying something or the other for everyone, but when you buys something that you liked very much and wanted it since very long?

    I rushed to the kitchen to get some sweets for her. What I saw there in the kitchen made be surprised, my eyes got filled with tears. The was her piggy bank which was broken and pieces were scattered at one side of the kitchen. I was deeply moved by her compassion. Annie was behind me she said, “Mom I broke my piggy bank and took all the money from it.

    I thought everyday she would do an uphill battle to collect each coin, it was a very tough job. And she spend all that money on us, instead she would everyday build new dreams that what would she buy from this money. She would use to say, “I would buy a toy set, a doll, kitchen set or a Barbie set, and sometimes this that and would used to linger on. But on that day, her wishes, her piggy bank had become goose eggs in in front of mom and dad’s wishes. I was very touched and overwhelmed by all this. I started sobbing and gave her a kiss.

    A child’s mind is so pure that they always do these kind of adorable things. The adults cannot think like children, but the children always climb up a mountain without any hesitation.

  • The 4 Dollars

    The 4 Dollars

    It was 6:30 in the evening. Sunset reflected all the hue on the clouds. Birds were chirping. ‘I always travel by feet from college to home after 6 said’ David to her friend Verona with the smile on his face. I get double bonus of benefits while doing this. Firstly during the dusk reminiscing the sunset, I complete my daily dosage of walk. Secondly, I can save 2 dollars which I spend when I travel via bus. David belongs to a really poor family. His parents can barely afford the college fees, so he does this job himself by working in night shifts in the café. He can earn that much by which he can only afford his fee. His father earns so that he can make a bread out of it for the whole famiy. This is how he and his family relishes.

    Just like everyday, I stepped only five inches outside the college from the college main gate what I saw that a man was approaching me. He was a tall young adult, very thin that his bones were peeping out of the skin who was not wearing attractive clothes. His clothes were dull and a bit teared off. He came to me folded his hands and was asking of 4 dollars with his eyes full of hope and was hoping me to be very kind that i can give him the money he wants. He asked me to offer him 4 dollars, and said “I want to go very far brother, kindly give me 4 dollars.” It was really awkward for me, so ignoring him I quickly went ahead of him on my way, “saying I don’t have the lose money, or coins, I only carry big notes.” Listening to this, he wanted to stop me to continue his conversation. I crossed him in a speed. I went a little far away of him, and then I realized that my mind was still in between his conversation, and I kept thinking about the 4 dollars he was requesting me to give him as alms. I thought that if in reality, he really wanted to go to a far place and begging for it must have been a restraint. He was only asking for 4 dollars, not for the 50-100 dollars currency. At least I should have enquired that will he ask others for money or not, or else he was asking me only. And he was asking for money from other people too, there could have been a reason that he needed huge money, and he was asking a little amount of money from everyone because no one will hand over a huge amount of money to him. It might also be a possibility that he was a drug addict. It could also be a probability that he needed money for drugs like cocaine, marijuana, ganja, or some sort of synthetic drugs, but he cannot ask for money in one go because then people would doubt him, so he was asking for only 4-5 dollars from people. I didn’t like the way he was asking for money by holding his hands, that is why I didn’t even stopped to talk to him to clear all my queries. He could have earn the money, by doing hard work as he was a young adult.

    While my mind was still there, thinking all possibilities, I kept looking at that guy that he will surely ask the other person for the money. Turning my face towards him I really wanted to go to him, but I stopped myself when I saw a middle-aged man was stepping towards him. From my side I wasn’t able to hear what they were talking about but they had a talk for a long 2 minutes. Also, I was not sure that did the middle-aged man gave him the money or not. So standing there only, I kept waiting for that men, from whom that guy was asking for money. I went to the middle aged man, “What he was asking for?”

    ‘Who?’ The man said

    ‘Did you gave him the money?’ I said.

    ‘I didn’t have the change’ said the man.

    I asked the man again, ‘How did you felt?’ Was he speaking the truth or it was his acting skills.

    ‘I don’t know.’ The man said. After asking him all about the situation, I went my way. While walking I was still thinking of that guy only who was asking for the 4 dollars that why he was approaching people who had their bags full of books? Then I started raising questions to myself that why didn’t I helped that guy? Why didn’t I heard the situation he was suffering from? Was just that because of 4 dollars that i couldn’t face him? I should have asked him, ‘Where do you want to go?’, ‘From where are you coming?’, ‘What do you do ?’, “What made you needy to ask for 4 dollar from people?” If I was satisfied by his answers to these questions, why would I be having any problem giving that guy 4 dollars? Instead I was having the lose money. I don’t about the reasons behind, that why I didn’t remember the lessons of kindness and helping others as human at that time. Thinking all about this, I convinced myself that if truthfully he needs the money, someone will give him 4 dollars for sure.

    Thinking all about the situation that happened, I was promising myself that from the next time if someone will ask money from me directly I will have a conversation with him. Having money or not, will not be a problem, at least I will not regret it afterwards. It was a lesson of remorse for me.

    “Why be become so alert in front of people who asks for help, that we no longer find them being truthful and assume it a case of falseness?”

     

  • Pause and Jump

    Pause and Jump

    Clouds were rolling in, it was a calm sky. On a high mountain plain there was a village away from the hustle bustle of the city. The mountain plain where the sedge bushes, shrubs and playground arranges themselves out of the snow. It was welcoming of the spring, water was calm in the rivers. The small cute fishes were jumping in and out of the water. Sun was shining bright. There lived a man named Mike handsome and tall. He had a remarkable hair coat burgundy in color which kept shining all throughout the day. The hair were long enough that it touched his waist. The hair would glint in the sunlight. The hair were lustrous, clean and full of sparkle. Very few people in that village were blessed with this magical spell and Mike was one of them. It was such a great honor for him. And to make it more glorified he would used to do tap dance. The high healed shoe that he used to have would beautify the dance. He would dance for his neighbors, skits, dramas, dance competitions and parties that came across his way. The people were so influenced by him that they used to enhance their high stepping dance technique. And the people who were not able to dance, just shake their body to enjoy with the rhythm. So, people all together would join in the play. The audience used to appreciate them by hooting. It would look a complete and happy picture of the village living in harmony.

    Suddenly, what the village saw one day was very terrible. The huge incandescent cars moved in the village. There came a man from the city who was very rich and looked like evil. But he was quite polite from outside. He was a businessman who used to make his money by selling the maleficent stuff occurring naturally. Why he arrived in village was only because of an atrocious intention. He found people who had the hair like Mike and arranged a meeting with them. He convinced the people to sell their hair and in return he would offer them bag full of green currency. People declined his offer and ran away. Mike on the other hand thought, why not to sell them. His hair are nature’s gift and they will grow again. Also, he could make some money out of this, which compared to the dancing was high so that he could afford to live a happy life. So, he agreed! The razor whirs over his head making him bald. The man assured him that he will provide him a good amount of money that could make him extremely delightful. What happened next? The man ran away without handling him the money he deserved and sell the hair in the market by labeling them as “Inspired from exotic berries; the most gorgeous and rich hair” Mike after two to three days thought that he got trapped and it was a scandal. How strange is life with its changes? He looked himself in the mirror; thought for a while; and started sobbing. All his proud was gone. He could not face anyone in the village. He was so ashamed because of the damage he has done to himself. Building a bit of confidence in him, he came out of his home. He was hiding from everyone that he knew. When people saw him, they started giggling and laughing aloud at him. He used to ran away. Days passed. He used to shield himself inside the home from the village people. Mike which was one of the joyful and vivacious person has turned into full of sorrows and his days went gloomy and filled with bleakness.

    On a bright sunny day, a ray of hope was approaching him. Jumping and rising from the slope came a great man named Albert who was famous for ascetics values to meet the first three goals of life enjoyment, practical goals and duty. He was an old man with a pale face and wrinkles all over his face with a supporting stick for walking in his hand. He was and enlightened man with chock-full of hope. He paused and stared checking out Mike. He asked Mike” Hey kid! Why the mope?” Mike got up wiping his tears off and cleaning his nose. He said in a shivering voice, ” I used to be the man who was proud for his hair covering the scalp”. And now I don’t have any. I used to dance in the sunlight and show off my stuff to the villagers. Then, the lavish city people carried me away in a very rough way. And then they shaved my hair off and dumped me back here in the blonde. And if that is not enough, my friends and my neighbors laugh at me because they think I look funny, ridiculous and bald. They giggle by looking at my pink colored scalp. Albert gave a look at neighbors and was startled when he saw that they were giggling aloud. He said to Mike, ” What is wrong with being pink colored and bald”. It seems you have a wrinkle in your thought. Does the body color, shape or form etc. matter? Well the answer is “No”, albert said. Be it pink, gray or heliotrope. Whether it being bald or having hair. Now, sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down, and when you find out that you’re down, well take a pause and look around yourself. You still have a body, good legs and pretty fine feet. You have your head at the right place, and hence you are complete and perfect. Always look at the bright side. This made the eyes of Mike wide opened and gradually a curve was seen on his face. He smiled. Albert said to Mike that, “now, as for the dancing you can do that more as much as you want to”. You can achieve great heights, in fact you can ascend how much you want to! Get up, Just lift your leg up and pat it down, and you will find that you’re up in what is called “a leap”. Jump. jump and the again jump. Jump, and you will find that you are next to the sky. And I believe that you can do it, if you give it a try. It is so simple, said Albert. Firstly, get a leg up whack it on down. What you will find is that you are bounding again and again, higher then the previous jumping and in no time you will be touching sky. Mike in a similar way saw that he was communicating with the sky. He was on cloud nine. Audience started hooting people, people and neighbors start shaking again following him. The old Mike was back to the stage. Seasons passed by, The sparkling long hair were back again. The stepping dance again came into action, and now Mike was full of life.

    So, after every three years, long about may. Mike himself would and hauled his hair away and start selling them to other sellers. He shaved his burgundy hair away that lead his scalp all naked and bare with a smile on his face. He learnt to live with it, he didn’t care. He just jumped, jumped and jumped again. Now in this world of ups and downs, happiness and sorrows, it is so nice to see that so many Alberts are around

  • When donkey becomes wrestler by God’s grace

    When donkey becomes wrestler by God’s grace

    Sitting on the ground partially covered with blood stains Kevin was having coffee. He smirked at his fiancée and continue glaring at sky. Her fiancée was Queen Maria and was too adorable whereas the Kevin was shady and was not so talented or hardworking. What made them brought together? Was it a coincidence or it was all planned by destiny.

    It was dawn, Kevin woke up very quietly and filled his bag with raw cocaine all stolen  from the field because he was addicted to it. He began running from that place  so that he is not caught by the owners of the cocaine. He ran so swiftly that was unimaginable. He wanted to move out of that city and thought of going in any part of the country. He took every means of transport that he could to escape. He dozed off in-between the journey. When he woke up he saw a different air was there, people there had different action, had different cultures. He inquired a person nearby of whereabouts that place, he was amazed when he heard that it was a different country.He again started running to ran as far as he could so that soldiers aren’t able to caught him. He reached a village, where he saw every person was running here an there. There was a great hustle bustle. He got confused, and what he saw made his eyes left wide opened, he saw a lunatic elephant running behind people and destroying everything that came on his way. He was so scared by looking at all this. He began to run so that he could save his life. He fell down in anxiety when he got plough into the tree log. He got flabbergast when he saw elephant running towards him. By the mercy of God, when he fell down the cocaine was lifted in air and the elephant snored it by trunk and fainted. The King announced whosoever killed the elephant will be awarded. In the durbar Kevin declared that he killed the elephant. The king thanked him and send a couple of soldiers to check if the elephant had died actually. The soldiers went and concluded that he was fainted not died, so they killed the elephant by their swords. As a thankful greeting he ordered Kevin to spend some days with them in the palace. He was cherished and praised by each person in the palace. He was extremely happy that he could spend some days in palace like a royal king.

    What was next? The king announced that along with Soldiers and Kevin he wanted to go for shooting. he told everyone to choose the horse, and gave a gun to everyone just for the sake of protection. The king really wanted to investigate was Kevin that tenacious or he was just building a heap of lies. Kevin very shrewdly choose the horse whose leg was injured so that he would be behind every person on this hunt, and will remain under the shield from tiger. The king thought that the Kevin is super intelligent and choose wisely because he selected that horse who runs really fast among others beside of the injured leg. He was quite startled when he saw that due to his agile horse, he was leading all of them. Suddenly the tiger peeped into Kevin’s way, this made Kevin astonished. He could saw his death in front of his eyes and prayed to God to safeguard him. The tiger began to leap on him, and in panic Kevin hit the trigger, and bullet was fired across tiger’s flesh. He again got accomplishment for killing the tiger. He began popular in the kingdom.

    The King was  impressed by him that the decided to fix the marriage of his daughter Maria with Kevin. Kevin was on cloud nine when he heard this. The news of Queen’s marriage spread like a fire in the town, and when it reached the ears of Zimba who was in passionate love with Maria, but it was one-sided love. Zimba declared that there will be a war. The king nodded for this and announced in the town that tomorrow will be a war. Zimba made some arrangements to stay in the night. Meanwhile, Kevin was snoring cocaine which was given to him as a thank you greeting. He was doped, and was carrying the gun the king had given him for hunting the tiger.

    While Zimba and his soldiers stayed in tents that night. It was midnight that Kevin fired a bullet in a blunder, because he was under the influence of cocaine. Zimba thought that the king and his soldiers has attacked them and are ready for the war. In a haste Zimba and his soldiers started shooting and each other across the tents, as a result along with Zimba everyone died. Kevin was still doped and was sleeping on the ground. Next morning, when he woke up he was shocked to see all this and again planned the whole story in his mind of how he killed them. The king came and inquired about what happened yesterday’s midnight. Kevin asked if he can have a cup of coffee?

    Image Source : nytimes.com