Category: Fragments

Walli – Pride & Peace

You are finally here to bury the old man. He was always proud of you two. You gave him pride. He always wanted the three of us to be best in our fields. You became an admirable doctor, and you became an immaculate broker. You two made the name in your fields and the pride for the old man.

He wasn’t proud of me because I wasn’t a genius in education or in career. I didn’t do well in studies and hence ended up as a cashier in the local convenient store. The good news is I got promoted and now I am a shift manager. Don’t sigh! I know it’s nothing as compared to your career hierarchies, but for me it is something.

When you two finished your studies, you moved out as there were not good opportunities in our town. You pursued your careers. While you were gradually ascending in your careers, the old man gradually went down in his health. He became lonely, though I appreciate you were used to come twice or thrice a year which was very kind of you in your extremely busy lives. I know it is tough to find time even for our own children today.

Anyways, old man was diagnosed with the kidney problem, which gradually increased his time span on bed. I looked after him as much as I could. All my time was for him after store hours. I gave him company and he was fondly used to talk about you. We were used to talk a lot about you. You realized his dreams and gave it veracity. You were pride of his life.

I don’t have much to say. I shared days and nights, sorrows and laughs, high times and low times with him. But I was not the pride of his life. I know why but I was unable to satisfy myself and became resentful slowly but surely, I’m repentant. I was with him, I lived with him. His hand was in my hand when he took his last breath; though his pride was associated with you.

But I got the answer today. As soon as I saw you I got my answer. There is no issue that you two were pride of his life, which I wasn’t. But I got the answer for who I was for him. I was peace of his life. He didn’t say it ever but I know now.

A question I am left with is either pride superior to peace or contrariwise? I don’t know the answer yet. But I’m sure I’ll get the answer someday. Let’s go now. It’s time for funeral.

Peace for the old man!

Tragedy

It was 2:00 in the morning. He opened the drawer of his side-table. There was a pack but only one cigarette left. The whole night and one cigarette were as depressing as the darkness of the load-shedding.

He went to the balcony. It was a pitch-black night with no stars and a cold breeze moving with a light rustling sound. He moved to the corner, put the cigarette in his mouth, and lit it. It was a strange cigarette. It didn’t burn properly, and the fire was gone. He tried again and nothing.

He moved back to his room, took the cigarette in front of the laptop’s light. And there was the whole world upside down. It was the filter which was all burned and wasted. The last cigarette was gone. The era of darkness sustained. Such are the times when tragedies are born. However, such are also the times when the sunrise brings divine comedy.