SHRIVELED PEAS

A witch does not make a good friend. Let’s remind ourselves how this particular witch works. She is near a person and she is jealous of that person, that person falls from a swing and bashes her head. The witch meets a person and there ensues a situation of a shriveled-pea, he falls ill. Sherlyn is a shivered pea and she looks like a witch and her husband left family and vanished just because of her.

She is like a witch. She is like a shriveled pea. She is Sherlyn Morgan. She is Viviana’s mother. She is always in booze, she is drinking and drinking, day and night.

Viviana is not happy for her mother’s drinking habit. But she could not stop her from drinking. Her first shock is vanishing of her father and second shock is her mother’s drinking habit. People have to struggle for compromising with the life they are awarded with and they should be happy for what they have. Viviana is in that category,

Viviana is a girl. She is very beautiful. Nobody knows how such beautiful girl is the daughter of such an ugly and bad natured mother Sherlyn. It happens. So it happened.

Sherlyn’s husband Robert left her long back. Nobody knows what happened to him. Somebody says that Sherlyn is a murderer and she killed her husband. Somebody says that Robert is vexed with Sherlyn and he left home in a night to get rid of her and he must be somewhere on earth happily.

In gilt letters on the ground glass of the door were words: “Robert & Carman Detective Agency”.

Robert is a old man, fifty, something like a shriveled pea, but is an overweight beau His Assistant Carman is a young man, quite opposite to Robert’s physic and nature. He is a blind follower of his own interests. But he has great respect to Robert for the company is grown to this extent on Robert’s efforts..

Carman is about to leave, when a tall man in a grey suit came and wished Robert. He is with the air of mystery and he went up to Robert and said something in his ears in a low voice.

“I’ve found where she lives,” he announced in the portentous half-whisper that makes the senior detective at work a marked being to his fellow men.

Robert scowled him into a state of dramatic silence and quietude. But by that time Carman had got up and set his tie pin to his liking, and went out to his metropolitan amusements with a debonair nod, He was normal.

“Here is the address,” said the detective in a natural tone, being deprived of an audience to foil.

He gave a piece of paper with some address.

It is her place. Robert nodded.

Robert gave him a hundred dollar bill. The informer’s face is very bright. He went away.

*****

Viviana is in search of job. The city is big and she is new to the city. The city is like a jungle with wild animals and unlike jungle, recognizing the animals in the city is difficult.

“Are you lonely?” William asked. He is the owner of the store.

Somebody asked her to try her luck there. Viviana looked at Williams. He is a forty or so and he looks decent. So Viviana said that her total family consists of her mother and herself.

“What happened to your father?” Williams asked with interest.

Viviana is silent. She is not interested to speak anything about him.

“What is his name?” William asked again.

“Is it important to answer? If you are giving me job or not, it is not much important. Don’t ask me anything about my father.” Viviana said in a firm voice.

William gave her the job of sales girl in his shop.

A sales girl gets a salary of 1000 dollars, but Viviana’s salary is fixed 1500 dollars, equal to a senior sales girl in the store. This made other sales girls envy her.

Robert comes to see William and he looks at Viviana working happily there.

William knows that Viviana is the daughter of Robert and William’s business is developed with the help of Robert. So William had special affection towards Viviana.

Sherlyn Morgan is happy for Viviana is earning. She has a bad habit. She is always in booze. She has no friends. The neighboring women never like to meet and spend some time with her. They found in no time that her intentions are not good and so they keep on avoiding her.

Sherlyn Morgan is not happy for her neighbors. The young man in the street by name James is attracted towards Viviana. But his profession is selling fish in the nearby shop. He knows that it is not an attractive one. So he is hesitating to approach Viviana.

He opted for another way. It is getting good in her mother’s looks. He knows that Sherlyn Morgan is always in booze. So he tried to make friendship with her by offering a bottle of whisky in the beginning.

Sherlyn Morgan did not think that why he is offering the whisky.

James made it habit to bring a bottle of whisky every day for her and sitting for a while chatting with her.

“If anybody is against your thinking, kill him. Killing is not bad for your happiness.” Sherlyn said.

James is not that much bad. He wondered at her thought.

“How can we kill people mother? Everyone has right to live.” He said.

“I know that you sell fish. What right you have to kill fish?” Sherlyn asked.

“It is for living.” James said.

“That’s it. This is also just like that. Don’t be kind to people who are against you.” She taught to James.

One day, James asked the secret thing of her life.

“Mother, what happened to Viviana’s father?”

Sherlyne looked at him sharply. James looked like a kid. He looked as if asked this that where is my toy, mother.

“See, James. He is a nice man. But I use to torture him for earning more money. I use to tell him often that if he will not earn more, I will kill him one day with my kitchen-knife.” Sherlyne stopped.

James is searching a killer in her. But he could not see one.

“One day he went out, saying to me that he will not come back to get killed in my hands. I thought, he will say like this but he will come back. But he did not.”

Tears are rolling on her shriveled cheeks. James first time understood that she is not that much bad.

*****

Tears are rolling on the beautiful fluffy cheeks of Viviana. Doctor checked her mother’s condition and said that the operation should be done in less than a week, otherwise her life is not guaranteed. She can die any time in ten days.

Time is decided. This operation needs twenty thousand dollars. Viviana is disturbed. How she can arrange that much of large amount.

Sherlyne is on her death bed. Viviana is on the sage of fire. She could not concentrate on her work.

William grasped the disturbed position of Viviana.

He asked her to come to his room and asked her, why she is so much disturbed.

“My mother sir, she is on her death bed. Doctor says, twenty thousand dollars I have to pay for her operation, but how can I arrange that much of large amount?”

Viviana said. William heard and he is silent. He did not say anything.

Viviana also did not expect anything from him. She took leave for one week and she stayed at home.

Her little brain is working like mad and no hope from any side is coming.

Just then James came and said that he has a small house and he is trying to sell it for twenty thousand dollars.

James said that he is waiting for a party and he may do it in a week and he will come back with money.

“Why should you sell your house for my mother?” Viviana asked in a sharp voice.

“I want to be good for your family. Your mother is like my aunt. I love you, but I don’t force you to marry me. Let me do what I can for my aunt.” James said.

The voice of James is faithful. So Viviana could not react on his voice.

*****

James is before Robert.

“Why are you selling your house?” Robert asked.

Robert knows what he will say. James said what Robert expected.

“I do this to save the life of aunt Sherlyn. I love Viviana and so her troubles are like my troubles.”

“Who is Viviana?” Robert asked.

“She is the daughter of Sherlyn. I love her. But I don’t know, she loves me or not.” James said.

“Suppose, Viviana may not accept to marry you, is this big amount be waste or not? Is it necessary for you to risk your ancestral property, your house?” Robert asked with a serious thought.

“Sir, I have decided. My intention is good. It is to save my aunt’s life. I know, her intentions are not good. She is like a witch and like a shriveled pea. I also know that her husband, I don’t know his name, left her and her daughter just because of her bad tongue. I believe in doing good to a human soul. If that soul is good or bad, it is not important for me.” James said.

“Ok. When do you need money?” Robert asked.

“Immediately before the registration I need money. Can you arrange it in two or three days?”

“Come on day after tomorrow and take money” Robert said.

*****

After two days, James came to Robert. He took the money.

“But when will be the Registration?” James asked.

“After one week” Roberts said.

“Thank you” James said.

He rushed to hospital. He has to pay the money in the counter. Meanwhile, Viviana saw him and said that her mother’s operation was successful and she expressed her thanks for paying the money.

James is in wonder, He said, he brought money just now to pay.

“Who has paid the money yesterday?” She asked in wonder, in the counter.

The clerk in the counter saw the old man coming towards them.

“That gentleman, He said he is your father.” The clerk said.

Viviana is happy to see that old man. He is Robert.

“Daddy” She ran towards him and hugged him.

Tears are rolling from Robert’s eyes.

“He is my daddy.” Viviana said.

James wondered and he tried to return the money to Robert.

“Now this money is not in need. So I am not selling the house.” James said.

“I am also not purchasing your house” Robert said.

“Then take this money back sir.” James said.

“No. I am not taking it back. This money is my gift for your goodwill. Use it to start a business on your own.” Roberts said.

Viviana’s eyes are damp.

“My daughter’s hands will be in your hands. I promise,” Robert said.

Viviana smiled looking at James. James heart beat raised in ecstasy.

__END__