A fictitious story
All that he could think of sitting in that room was what his dad had said about the god of death yama coming on a buffalo to take away lives. it was a dreaded thought; something that he didn't want to think about at that moment. thoughts flow like the waters of violent flooded rivers in such situations. and there was nothing that can be done to stop it from happening. and that's all he wanted; to stop these thoughts.
he remembered when he was 4 he had asked his dad for a toy car. his dad took him to the that toy store near by and he was confused what to select looking at all those shiny 4wheelers around him and he stood shyly behind his dad, holding tight to his dad's legs because the shopkeeper kept asking too many questions. the one that his dad chose for him was a violet coloured jeep and he still remembered his dad saying that there were many vehicles like the one he was holding, back in Kerala. he still has that jeep kept safely on a shelf in his room.
His dad would get him all that he asks for. there was a reason, his dad worked in an oil rig in the middle east and came home only once in a year. he missed his dad. it was hard for both of them. he missed his dad every day when he saw his friends being dropped to school by their fathers. walking back from school, holding his mom's hand firmly, he would ask when his dad would come home. His mom would look at him with a smile on her face.
He never felt any lack of luxury growing up. NRI money is very much respected and celebrated in a country which has its major chunk of population working abroad. as a teenager he has seen his friends being jealous of his new shoes and sports watches. although he wouldn't boast of it, he surely did enjoy that attention it gained. somewhere down the line maybe this did affect his lifestyle. there was a phase in his life when all others could see was him spending his dad's money lavishly. but no one could see the guy who grew up missing his dad. he did feel that his dad earns for him and he has all rights to spend his money.
There was also a time when his attitude towards life changed. somewhere he had begun to hate his life. and the reason, he himself was unsure. he thought he knew the world a lot better that his folks did. maybe this attitude is what changed him to that arrogant guy he turned into. his actions were never what his folks wanted them to be. but at an age like his he thought what he did was right. whenever his dad advised him, he had that look of disappointment on his face. he thought his dad has changed a lot over the years. he thought his dad wasn't anymore the cool dad that he used to be. somewhere he forgot that his dad too had passed through his age to understand him. but he was too lost to understand anything.
His staying away from home for long periods at hostels during colleges and for work abroad had changed him. a lot. somewhere in him he had started to go back in time to remember how it was being a kid to his parents. it could have been what age does to you. he did miss his folks; his dad in particular.
That day when he was sitting late in his office after his colleagues had left, he had got a call from his dad. it was just casual talks. his dad had called to enquire about his job. it was after he cut the call that he actually started to think about how his dad lived on those barrens lands breathing chemical air all day so that he could live a luxurious life. somehwere he felt that him sitting in an air conditioned cubicle right now was some sort of injustice done to his dad.
He still remembers the day his dad mentioned about working in an oil rig. he had mentioned that people who work there all their lives to keep their families happy, live the sadest lives. but somewhere they find happiness when they know that their family has a great house to live in and all the luxuries that money can buy. he had said that men work there till they retire at 58 or 60, come home to be with their families and all they get are a couple of years before all the chemicals they have breathed living there takes its toll on them, taking them away from their families, forever.
When his dad retired and came home, he didn't know how to react to it. that was when he actually experienced mixed emotions. he was happy to see him. he was eager to be that kid he was and relive his childhood with his dad beside him. he was sad looking at him, for he had aged, aged living for others. he wanted his dad to be proud of him for what he had become today. he wanted to live the rest of his life with his dad; and yeah, he still knew that his dad was that same old cool dad he used to be.
Today when all these thoughts run through his mind, he has become a dad himself. he has learnt how to be a father from the person who was and will always be his hero, his dad. today, when he is sitting in that room, surrounded by oxygen masks and ventilators and the beeping noise of the electrocardiograph, holding his dad's hand in his, all he wishes for is to go back in time to be that kid again who went to the toy-shop and stood behind his dad, shy to face the world, because he knew his dad would protect him from the world.
he remembered when he was 4 he had asked his dad for a toy car. his dad took him to the that toy store near by and he was confused what to select looking at all those shiny 4wheelers around him and he stood shyly behind his dad, holding tight to his dad's legs because the shopkeeper kept asking too many questions. the one that his dad chose for him was a violet coloured jeep and he still remembered his dad saying that there were many vehicles like the one he was holding, back in Kerala. he still has that jeep kept safely on a shelf in his room.
His dad would get him all that he asks for. there was a reason, his dad worked in an oil rig in the middle east and came home only once in a year. he missed his dad. it was hard for both of them. he missed his dad every day when he saw his friends being dropped to school by their fathers. walking back from school, holding his mom's hand firmly, he would ask when his dad would come home. His mom would look at him with a smile on her face.
He never felt any lack of luxury growing up. NRI money is very much respected and celebrated in a country which has its major chunk of population working abroad. as a teenager he has seen his friends being jealous of his new shoes and sports watches. although he wouldn't boast of it, he surely did enjoy that attention it gained. somewhere down the line maybe this did affect his lifestyle. there was a phase in his life when all others could see was him spending his dad's money lavishly. but no one could see the guy who grew up missing his dad. he did feel that his dad earns for him and he has all rights to spend his money.
There was also a time when his attitude towards life changed. somewhere he had begun to hate his life. and the reason, he himself was unsure. he thought he knew the world a lot better that his folks did. maybe this attitude is what changed him to that arrogant guy he turned into. his actions were never what his folks wanted them to be. but at an age like his he thought what he did was right. whenever his dad advised him, he had that look of disappointment on his face. he thought his dad has changed a lot over the years. he thought his dad wasn't anymore the cool dad that he used to be. somewhere he forgot that his dad too had passed through his age to understand him. but he was too lost to understand anything.
His staying away from home for long periods at hostels during colleges and for work abroad had changed him. a lot. somewhere in him he had started to go back in time to remember how it was being a kid to his parents. it could have been what age does to you. he did miss his folks; his dad in particular.
That day when he was sitting late in his office after his colleagues had left, he had got a call from his dad. it was just casual talks. his dad had called to enquire about his job. it was after he cut the call that he actually started to think about how his dad lived on those barrens lands breathing chemical air all day so that he could live a luxurious life. somehwere he felt that him sitting in an air conditioned cubicle right now was some sort of injustice done to his dad.
He still remembers the day his dad mentioned about working in an oil rig. he had mentioned that people who work there all their lives to keep their families happy, live the sadest lives. but somewhere they find happiness when they know that their family has a great house to live in and all the luxuries that money can buy. he had said that men work there till they retire at 58 or 60, come home to be with their families and all they get are a couple of years before all the chemicals they have breathed living there takes its toll on them, taking them away from their families, forever.
When his dad retired and came home, he didn't know how to react to it. that was when he actually experienced mixed emotions. he was happy to see him. he was eager to be that kid he was and relive his childhood with his dad beside him. he was sad looking at him, for he had aged, aged living for others. he wanted his dad to be proud of him for what he had become today. he wanted to live the rest of his life with his dad; and yeah, he still knew that his dad was that same old cool dad he used to be.
Today when all these thoughts run through his mind, he has become a dad himself. he has learnt how to be a father from the person who was and will always be his hero, his dad. today, when he is sitting in that room, surrounded by oxygen masks and ventilators and the beeping noise of the electrocardiograph, holding his dad's hand in his, all he wishes for is to go back in time to be that kid again who went to the toy-shop and stood behind his dad, shy to face the world, because he knew his dad would protect him from the world.
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