Heart Beats..- Short Story of a Mother and Daughter
Photo credit: hotblack from morguefile.com
The day was calm… with the beautiful sun shimmering in between the dark grey clouds… streams of rays entered the room through the window pane.. The raindrops played tantrums… the room beamed like some new jewel brought into the light after a polishing cut… the room was beautiful in its calmness except for the morning breeze whistling and the tiny birds chirping… the room was covered with light shades of wallpaper..A vase of white lilies stood in a corner filling the air with its fragrance… and a cot made tidy… few art crafts filled the walls… and the table near the window stood with photographs of a little girl and a young woman… and then a teenage gal proudly showing off her trophy… and a photo showed a gal in her twenties adorned in white wedding dress, love filled eyes held by a young handsome man…and a scented page was swaying in the breeze.. An old lady with freckles on her childlike face sat close to the window pane… as I went near to check on her… she looked at me with the same kindness and love that her eyes always had… I kissed her on the fore head wished her “happy birthday”… she smiled and gave me the sheet of paper… it had her still beautiful handwriting… I recognized it was a page from her diary… I looked at her… she wanted me to read it… as I read
“I walked in as usual finishing my morning prayers to my silent den… the day was beautiful… the morning rain has left the grass damp ,showered the flowers and wetted the usually dry ground…the scent of fresh soil lingered.. It felt good when the smell tickled my senses and that made sure that I can smell even now… I sat in my favorite spot dragging my chair nearer to the window… window panes had water droplets… Still fresh as dew drops… I drew a smiling face with the moisture on the glass pane… though not so perfect it looked good… as I sat back looking at the smiling face… memories filled my head…
“Mummy!! The clouds are crying!!” shrieked a tiny figure jumping up and down in the front porch…
I went and grabbed her in my arms comforting her said “darling they aren’t crying … they are tears of happiness” with a smile on my face…
The tiny gal wasn’t convinced…she asked” why are they so happy?? They even flooded dolly’s house mummy… where will my dolly stay?”
“Remember you came first in your class. That’s why they are happy… and our dolly can stay with us here…” she smiled and gave me a kiss…
My heart felt light every time she did that… her little body hugged me and she said “I love you mummy”
I couldn’t hold back my tears.. I kissed her on the forehead and said “love you too honey”
She ran back to get our pup and off she vanished into room… my little angel had grown too fast before my eyes… the first time she called me “mom”. The times she won the music competition… the times she won her painting competition…
And on her thirteenth birthday she cried for a mobile…the first time she wanted to know about her dad and when I said he is dead… for the first time she called me liar… I was hurt yet she was my daughter… she had all the rights… when she learned the truth about her dad’s second marriage she apologized… I forgave her without waiting for her to apologize…her wedding… my daughter’s wedding… I made it extraordinary… and she said I showed off her like a trophy…she didn’t know that she actually was a trophy to me… my most valuable trophy…things changed when I got old.. I needed her assistance for every single tiny and big thing… I became a hindrance to her… she never said it but I felt it… my son –in-law showed it openly… I moved out…I moved out of her life forever…
I got everything; I did everything I could do for her… My angel… I lived my life for her… I didn’t expect anything in return… but today I expect like every year… Just one call from my little angel… because it’s my 75th birthday… and I will still continue to expect that one call till my dying day… Bless you my child.”
A tear rolled down my cheeks… it was then I realized I had been crying… I looked at her not knowing how to comfort her… I am there for you always said my heart… And…as if she read my mind, tears brimmed her eyes.. And they slowly closed… Her breathing slowed steadily and stopped forever…
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