Family Short Story – THE BEAUTY OF BEING HUMANE
Family Short Story – THE BEAUTY OF BEING HUMANE
Photo credit: irkengirdib from morguefile.com
Lazily, she made an effort to rise from her bed. The winter had crept in late this time, and as per the unwritten theories of human nature, it takes time for man to switch over from a strange warm summer to a strange bitter winter. Her eyes being still in dormant state, she moved her hand on the bed as if searching someone and as her little search failed, she murmured in her sleep,” Oh! Joy is already up.” Reluctantly she withdrew herself from her sleep, sat on the bed, her legs still enjoying the warmth of the blanket she had bought from the China fair last winter, and then threw her eyes towards the digital clock on her table.
“Oh! Holy winter!” she shouted as if Tom, the cat, fried up Jerry, the mouse, on the Disney (her favourite pastime). “How can I be late, dear?” she sighed again, “7:40 and I’m still on bed on a new year Sunday! Joy will be killing me now! I promised him that we would have our breakfast on time.”
She jumped out of the bed, arranged the bed in the best possible manner and almost ran to fetch her toothpaste and get ready for the day.
Miss Anjali Banerjee. Yes, that was her name. The age on her identity card that was neatly placed on the table beside her bed read twenty seven. She had lost her parents in her childhood and was mentored by her grandmother whom she owed every breath of her life. But, old Grandma passed away two years back, leaving her alone with the little house she had inherited from her father. The name plate on the gate read- House No-13, Tagore Street, Kolkata.
A man’s life is not a collection of dreams; sometimes even dreams do come true. And Anjali discovered her true dream when she had met Joy at Blissful Café, the town’s best coffee shop. Joy was an orphan like her; both liked each other and within months, became very happy life partners. Today, it is Joy that gives her life a reason to live every drop of it. Otherwise……
She returned from the bathroom and ran outside to see Joy. She kept saying to herself,” Oh God! May Joy not be offended!” But Joy was not there outside. She returned to the kitchen.
“I must cook something good on breakfast to please him. Hhmm…Yes, I’ll bake his favourite chocolate biscuits and burn some chicken soup for him. Then, there’s no chance of disliking the dish and ofcourse, me,” she looked extremely happy and looked like Archimedes when he had shouted “Eureka”. She smiled and murmured to herself, “At work, Miss Chef.”
After 26 minutes on the oven, it was time for a new year Sunday breakfast.
“Joy,” she almost shouted. “Joy….Joy.”
The door creaked on being pushed and in came Joy. His eyes shone with greed on seeing the seemingly palatable breakfast plate.
He walked in gently, his gait like the Duke of ancient fairy tales, and took his seat on the couch.
“Oh, my Joy. See I’m sorry,” she said to him. Then she hugged him and uttered,” Oh! My sweet Doggy. Happy New Year, 2012.” He replied in a nod.
Joy was a dog whom she had met at the café a year back. He had been lost from his home and looked helpless. It was then that Anjali had adopted him and both had been living a complete life of friendship and smiles amidst tears.
After her breakfast, she went over to her table and picked up her cell-phone to see if there were any greetings of the new year conveyed. But, the screen showed messages only from the subscribing company with new year offers on call rates. That saddened her. But this wasn’t the first time that she looked gloomy on a new year. Every year and on every occasion, there was none except Joy, to wish her; even colleagues from her office hesitated. In fact, everyone ignored her and since childhood, this had been her story. Tears trickled down her face once again, like on every occasion but Joy curled himself at her feet and showed his feelings for his partner. She submitted herself to her little friend and both hugged each other for a long time. She wished that had her Grandma and her parents been alive, she would not have to long for anyone’s greetings. But, an empty life filled with the poison of Time was her truth.
After bringing herself back to normal, she pulled out the drawer from beneath the table and drew out her doctor’s prescription to read the names of medicine that she had been asked to fetch for herself. And on the prescription in a part below was written in bold: “FEMALE. 27 YEARS. HIV-POSITIVE.”
As I end, I remember the words of a friend: “The beauty of being humane is lost…Learn to love a man, my friend, love not the time!”
