[The Cloud with the Silver lining – A short story]
The Cloud with the Silver lining - A short story
Maple was a lazy town.People here took their own time to do things.The town hall clock would ever so softly tick away as days would lumber into the night.Early morning dusk would shimmer on the grassy driveways as rays of the morning sun would lighten up the green fern leaves lingering onto the diamond like dewdrops.The clock would stand tall as if giving salutations to the orange sun as its shadow gradually crawled onto the cobblestone road.Little children would be hopping and running playing their favorite games with the elderly sitting on the sidewalk reading the morning news or being engrossed in playing a game of chess.
A furlong away stood a house with shiny red walls,green garden and an apple tree.A young girls face would be seen reflecting from one of the large glassy Victorian styled windows.Her eyes were gleaming and a smile which could light a million candles.She seemed to be longing for chance at the hoopla a young toddler was trying to play.He was trying to wriggle his belly and move the hoopla around his waist.Every moment the ring would fall and the boy would land on his bum.The girl by the window was giggling away seeing the little boy falling over as he moved his hips like a belly dancer.she wanted to run to the little boy hold him in her arms and cuddle him but she had no strength in her legs.
Soon it was dark and she waited by the window for her grandmother to cook for her.She sat besides the window gazing up to the sky.The night lights,the shiny twinkling stars stars always fascinated her.The moon light in all its beauty and serenity cast her into a trance like state.The stars appeared to her like shining dots that represented something greater,something magical.As her bright face glowed she soon saw the stars metamorphose into butterflies and she had wings.Soon she was flying along with the butterflies into the sky.A kaleidoscope of images passed by her eyes.She could see her parents tickling her.She was suddenly driving along the mountains entwining path with the magical sunset in the horizon.The rumbling sound of the rivulet that flowed below in the valley and the whistling breeze caressing the canopy of trees filled her with joy.She was very happy.
Suddenly there was a huge bolt o loud noise and a blast.She was startled and came back to reality.It was that fateful day when she and her family met with an accident.In that incident she had lost both her legs.
But her spirit was strong.She would be inspired by seeing birds fly.the flying eagle,the swoop of the seagull,the pigeon fluttering with its companion would make her want to fly.She longed for the cool winds to flow by cheeks and into her hair.To be suspended in thin air with no restrictions on movement wa something she aspired for.
But she was lonely.She longed for a true friend who would talk to her and teach her to fly or at least tell her stories about soaring into the eternal blue sky.cruising along thin air was an ethereal experience she longed for.
Soon it was dinner time and her grandma walked towards her and cuddled her.”Maggie its time for dinner,darling.have some food.You have hardly eaten today”she whispered into her ears.
“yes Grandma”
Maggie had a quiet dinner with her grandmother.Then as her grandma went to sleep she slowly rolled her wheelchair to the giant window overlooking the road.The green creepers by the apple tree stood casting a shadowy silhouette.She reached out and opened the window.The chilling night breeze flew into her face and cracking sounds of the night crickets filtered through the air.She sat there looking out to the many houses that lay just across the road.
Suddenly she heard someone singing faraway from the darkness.
“I am alone with my bottle of rum
I am alone but lovely and handsome
sing a tune or a lone song
I am drunk but true and strong
I am alone with my bottle of rum”
Soon the singing was loud as if someone was giving a performace.She clenched her eyes to focus in the direction of the singing onto one of the windows of an old house across her garden.she could see an old haggard looking man in a military suitholding a bottle singing away to glory.A smile broke across her face as she saw the man wobble and dance singing his song passionately.He was oblivious of the fact that someone was watching him.He came out of his house and onto the street singing and doing steps of the salsa.The resounding sound and the melody in his voice made the little girl happy.
suddenly he stopped and gazed up towards her.”what are you staring at lady”he growled smashing the bottle onto the road.”You think im a circus clown”
“No sir I was just listening to you.you sing very well” she said
“Damn you lady I don’t need your praises.I don’t need anyone ” he shouted.
He then started to walk to his house stuttering in his gait and slammed the door shut shouting profanities.tears rolled down from her apple red cheeks as the man shouted at her.She was missing a friend in life and was lonely.Maggie thought about her life when she was young and her parents who were now amoung the the stars.As the night creatures ticked away she fell into a deep slumber
The early morning sun fell on her face waking her up.”i have slept by the window all night”she thought as a chirping sparrow fluttered about on her window pane.
the time was eight o’clock and the town hall clock rang signaling to the passer byes to head out to work.Maggie pushed her wheelchair across the door to the cobblestone road as little children shrieked away playing hide and seek around her.
Suddenly out of no where a loading truck came rumbling across towards her.Terrified she tried to move away from its path but the wheels of her chair were stuck.
“Oh my God”she thought as the truck came in her direction fast the driver unaware of the obstruction in front of him.She shrieked out loudly but in split of a second she was pulled out of her wheel chair by someone and fell on the ground.She closed her eyes and shuddered as the truck veered away whistling passed her.
As she opened her eyes she could see a man standing beside her.
“Can’t you watch ehre you are going ,girl”he said.
She gazed upto him and immediately recognized him as the man she saw singing last night.
“I am sorry I didn’t see it coming”
“Well you should see where you’re going girl.Now come one stand up and stop playing about on that wheel chair.”
she looked at him without blinking an eyelash.
“stand up and run to your house,enough of playing around on the road”
“I can’t walk.I lost my legs long ago” she said.
The man looked at her gently with his eyes moist shaking his head.
“Im sorry i did’nt see”
“Never mind ” she said.”Ill wheel you inside “he said.As he was pushing her wheelchair onto the garden towards the wooden door she asked”So are you in the army,Sir”
“My name is Ken and i used to be a pilot,I retired.”
“Wow,I always wanted to fly you know but i can’t even walk now”
He looked at her and warm smile broke across his face.”You will if that is what you want to in life” “Where is your family”she asked inquisitively.”They are no more.they died in an accident.I had a lovely wife and a little girl like you.She was the most beautiful thing of my life”His eyes wet reminiscing about the past.”I dont have my parents too ,they are no more”she said as a matter of fact.
As they sat by the fireplace they chatted about many things.he told him about his days as a pilot in the airforce,all the manouvers he had did when flying his plane.His stories fascinated her and she animatedly told him about her dream to fly one day.She exclaimed how she loved being in thin air and how fascinated she was seeing the birds aereate.Strong bonds of friendship developed between them.He was an alchoholic.The death of his family left him shattered and he had taken to heavy drinking.
But now after meeting maggie a fatherly love engulfed him and was happy to have her around to share things with.
One day KEn knocked at her door.Maggie opened the door and was elated to see him.She hugged him warmly.”i want to take you somewhere” he said.
“where” she asked. “well,its a surprise” he said
Soon they were driving to the hills.Both chatted away animatedly exchanging thoughts as the car moved steadily along the mountainous track.The moist cool breeze flew in through the car window.The fern leaves along the hills made for a picturesque surrounding.
At the hill he wheeled Maggie out from her car.She was enchanted by the sight that behold her.The extraordinary sunset in the horizon,the incandescent sunlight embracing the green meadows below with the cool winds blowing towards them.
“We are going to fly like you you always wanted”said Ken”We are paragliding”
He picked her up and strapped her to the contraption,held on to the bars of the para glide and ran to the edge of the cliff.Soon they were soaring high into the blue sky.As they aerated into the air the land below them looked smaller.But what they had found was something bigger and stronger.The promise of friendship that they had developed was everlasting and immortal.He had inspired her despite her disability to fly high and the lacunae in his heart was fulfilled by her caring presence.
As the sunset amoung the hills they floated away into the sky and onto heavenly bliss forever.
__END__
