Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Bubble

Short Story

"Isn’t it always nice to admire the bubble from distance..
Why touch and break it and sink into the sad reality"


I remember how I was awed and was made to be scared of a same lady, every one in the neighborhood said she was mad and out of her mind. But she was not, to my eyes. She smiled at me, and shared sweets with me, I was grateful to her and in turn would take her home when even I see her lost in our vicinity, especially in the railway station behind my house. She would say that her son and husband were coming in that train and she was waiting for them.

I would take her hands and say in my childish tone, "Did you not see aunt? your son is at home I saw him come..”, and then she would drag me as fast as her fragile body would take her and run back. But in the mid way she would stand still like in a daze. Then would take me to the nearby park or store and pass off the time, like she forgot where we were heading. I used to rejoice at her stupid mind that forgot things so fast.. and how easily I could fool her but now as I look back, I am amazed by her mastermind and prudence and how her mind had beautifully changed track..


She always had money in her hand and their were some relatives of hers who stayed with her in pretendence of taking care of her.. my mad lady was always clean and clothed but never healthy, I knew they seldom fed her, mom said that the relative were always behind her money and were waiting for her inevitable death, which according to them were to occur sooner. She was well learned too.. I have looked at her pace with which she spoke the language of Shelly and Wordsworth with wonder. There was also an Anglo accent in her Tamil, which was so nice to hear.



At times I sit and try to remember her, and draw her with my mind, the thin frame of body, the fair pale wrinkled skin.. The top and skirt and the hat that reminded me of the pre-independence era.. She was an Anglo Indian


She used to sit near me and talk and talk a lot about her brave husband who used to hunt for hobby and her intelligent son who never gave his first rank to any one else, including my dad. When I asked my dad about him, he would let out a small sigh and say in affirmative that her son was a great friend of his and was very intelligent.. But where was he now.. My dad gave me a long silence as answer. My mother said she didn’t know. I was a brave girl and so I asked her.. Ignoring my friend’s advice.


She smiled and made me sit on her lap and went on and on about how her husband and son are in the sea fighting the pirates, I would imagine all of those. Her strong son in the boat, water splashing in his face, and her husband slashing a one eyed pirate with his sword. They were the hero’s of my childhood stories. I awaited them just like her. No one told me that they would never return.


Then a day came, she was gradually thinning but on that day, she was very lean and delicate that I felt a little breeze could easily lift her off the ground, but she was glowing and smiling at me, she called me out and my mom asked me not to go too far.. My parents were never scared to let me with her, she never attacked any one. But other parents were scared, they even warned mine. My dad would say, "Ignore them, I know her from childhood, she is one of the kindest lady.. Sad is her fate.. " the last few words always trailed and I found it hard to hear..


I went with her to the park, and we sat in the swing, she on the swing and me on her lap, I was scared that my weight would hurt her and smash her like tooth paste for she was that slender. I got down and sat in the nearby swing, she looked away for a long time, smiled to herself and said..


"Why touch and break my bubble of life and sink into the sad reality"


I didn’t understand her, I looked wide eyed at her, and she smiled.. She said, "child can u keep a promise.."I nodded obediently, and kept my hand on my heart and swore that I can.. She said, "My son and husband died when they went to Bombay, before 10 years.."


I was shocked.. I never knew they were dead, I thought they were combating monsters in the sea. She continued, "I knew it always, But I never wanted to acknowledge it, so I lived in a different world, the world that I weaved with care and delicacy, the world that I re-lived with you.. When I share those stories with you I imagined them too, I enjoyed the ecstasy that danced in your big eyes.. “and so on.. I didn’t understand the rest, or I don’t get to remember the rest


Then she kissed me for the first time in my life and gave me chocolates, I remembered how my mother eyed me sternly when I tried hard to hide the big secret of mine from her and lied about the chocolates. Then my partner in promise was gone, I never saw her again. Mom said she was taken to hospital and was in hospital and dad sighed, I never got to know where she went


But now I knew, she went to live in her bubble her beautiful little world..in the pirate ship with her husband and son..

26 comments:

  1. I am speechless. I don't think I have the courage to say anything after your magical words. Soulful...

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  2. Touchy....It reminds me of one lady in my apartment who was labelled as insane...she was actually insane...I have written a post about her called 'Sanely Insane'. The last lines are really catchy...keep going:-)

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  3. that was touching...you have written it so well that i felt like i was there seeing you and your 'partner in promise' talk...

    Cheers!
    SUB

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  4. its touching! good content and choice of strong words. looking forward to read more from you.

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  5. It's heart touching.... really a good work!!! :-)

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  6. 'partner in promise', 'bubble - world'.. loved these terms.. the feel is conveyed well.. liked the story line:)

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  7. Hi all..

    It is a special day for me! I was born today! :) None of the gifts made me this happy but I am grinning from ear to ear now!

    Thanks a lot for all ur encouragements..!
    @ Saru - :D I am speechless after reading ur comment.. infact I am flying now!

    @ Nasnin - thanks dear.. I did go through "Sanely Insane.." it is very nice..! chk out my comment there!

    @ SUB - :) If u really felt so, then that means I am improving.. and that makes be double happy!

    @ Ketan - Thanks a ton!

    @ Sneha - thank u dear.. :)

    @ Pygma - Thank u.. thank u

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  8. Very touching with such a lovely message! Thanks for sharing...

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  9. WOW! I have goose bumps! Beautifully Written!

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  10. yesterday was your b'day?? Happy belated birthday.....:-) where's the cake??

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  11. Gr8 Story.. Stupendous imagination... I second pygmalion's comment about the terms "partner in promise" WoW i liked it.. Awesome presentation...

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  12. Hiii All..

    @ incessantme - Thank u.

    @ Dee - Thanks dear..

    @ Spicy Sweet - he he enjoyed ur comment.. :)

    @ Shena - Yep.. and thank u.. why dont u come over and get some..:) Or may be I can draw it.. if u would help.. he he

    @ Sathish - Welcome back.. seeing u here after a long time.. glad that u liked it..

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  13. Belated wishes for a happy birthday.
    My eyes turned moist when I finished reading your touching piece. How sad it was to read the line "Why touch and break my bubble of life and sink into the sad reality"

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  14. Hi Parthasarathi.. thanks a lot! very happy that u liked it.. thanks again.. :)

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  15. Happy belated birthday! Thank you for sharing your experience. I enjoyed reading it -- the pace, the descriptions, the moral. Very well done.

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  16. Thank u Michael.. so happy to see u here!!
    Thanks a lot again..! :)

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  17. Wow!,I luved reading it.Nice work.Thanks for sharing ur heart-felt experience here.

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  18. Lovely and touching story. It is also the story of so many old people in this world today.

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  19. Hi Christy Thank u! really happy that U liked it..! :)

    @ Meera - Thanks and as u said it is very sad.. and the suicide rate of old people is raising in alarming rate now a days, and it is mainly because of being forgotten.. and not loved..!

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  20. Hey Prabha - thank you dear!

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  21. Very touching..!! Great work KP... :)

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  22. Hey Surya.. thanks a lot!! I knew u will like it ;)

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  23. As Sub said, you make visualization possible, the way you write it.
    soul touching story.

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