Creative Writing Competition 2012 India | |
CODE | 897 |
SETTING | Graveyard |
OBJECT | Book |
THEME | And He/She changed Forever |
The land was surrounded by high walls with heavy iron gates. Everywhere I can see the graves marked by headstones carrying a name on it. Yes I’m standing inside a graveyard before a headstone named as ‘Lucy parker’. I came to attend my Mom’s funeral. My Relatives and friends surrounded me and were consoling me for my great loss. I have not felt any emotion and I stand still.
I left her to the Homage about 7 years back. That was the last time I met her and before that, I met her for my marriage. After marriage, I didn’t want her to be a hurdle in my life taking care of her, providing a room and all sorts of facilities to the old women. My dad was also dead. So I admitted her to homage in the city. Five hours before I got a call from the homage as my mom was dead.
I felt someone touching me from back. “Seriously you look so bad my son. I know how you would be feeling now. There is something that your mom left for you.” Some old women who lived in the same homage with my mom handed me a book.
“She wanted me to hand over it to you, once she is no more. Now its time for you to keep it. I have seen her holding the book all the day and she will be protecting it like anything. She handed it over to me just the day before she was dead. Please have this my boy” saying so she left wiping her tears off.
“What would be the great gift that my mother left for me? “. I have already lost everything in my business and now I have got nothing to regret. I left home by 7.pm. I throwed the book on the table and went to sleep.
Next Morning I got a call from the bank asking for the loan debt. I ended up the call saying as “Wrong number”. I’m not sure what to do at this moment. Again I got a call, but now this time its not the bank people, it’s the old lady who gave me the book.
“Hello son. Have you read the book that I gave you?”
“No. What is so special in that book? I have all lost everything. Just because of my debts my wife left me, I lost all my belongings. I lost everything.”
I yelled and banged the phone so that I won’t get calls again. Just then the door got knocked. It was postman on the other side. I never expected that it is divorce notice from my wife. I kept starring at the post that came. Just one thing came across my mind what all of a sudden happening to me. Its only the book that came after to me. I hate this book and I ‘m just going to throw it away.
I went to my Mother’s headstone at the graveyard. I ploughed the land near the headstone and buried the book under the soil. The graveyard gave a musky smell and in the damper areas causing one to shiver for no other reason that it is cool and extremely quiet. After two days when this happened, the old women, friend of my mom came to see me.
“Hello son I have tried to contact you several times but I was failed to reach you. As it was raining heavily for the past 2 days I was not able to visit you. Anyway have you read the book?”
“What rubbish you gave me? Go to graveyard and check it out.” I yelled. She was shocked to get my answer but silently replied.
“What have you done my son? It’s your Mother’s gift to you. It consists of a valuable prize for you. Though you left her alone in homage, She has not forgot her son. The book consists of a note with $100,000 dollars cheque that she had won in a lottery.On hearing that, Small drops of tears came from my eyes. That is the first time I felt my mistake in my life and what an injustice I have done to my mom.
I rushed to the graveyard and ploughed the soil where I buried the book. I found the book with the rubbish on it and it was almost drowned with the water due to rain. The cheque was no more and it got torn into pieces.
I have regretted for what I have done. From that day onwards I decided to work for all the homages. I’m now the son for many mothers. The book that my mom gave me is now decorating my home. My mom changed me forever and ever and gave a son to all Mothers who have lost love.