Stories in less than 1000 words # 2 - DAD

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I didn’t realize how long I was slept, I was emotionally and physically drained out last day. I didn’t want to think about that but also cannot ignore what happened. My hands started trembling when the memories started to flow. I tried to shut myself from them but my attempt was futile.

As my vision became clear I saw someone sitting at the far end of the room on my lounge chair. I was appalled realizing someone has barged into my room while I was asleep. That figure on chair did not move even when I got up.

I mustered some courage and asked ‘Hello! Who it is?’ the figure did not respond.

‘How did you enter? Room is locked from inside!’ that person hand signaled me to come toward him.
I paused and moved hesitantly.

As I moved nearer I could make out the figure more clearly. As it became clearer to me who is sitting on my lounge chair I felt anxious.

‘Dad?’ I said cautiously

‘Yes son, it’s me. Why are you so afraid?’

I rubbed my eyes twice just to make sure that it was my dad. But I was confused how it’s possible.

‘But.. how dad?’ I asked in disbelief.

‘Its me. Don’t worry’ he placed his hands on my head and brushed my hair affectionately. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his hands.

‘Why are so worried?’ he asked

I looked at him and said ‘I’m not worried, I’m fine’

‘Don’t lie to me’ he snapped.

No more words came from my mouth and started gaping at the floor.

‘Tell me what’s bothering you?’ he said taking my hands in his hands.

I was sitting on the floor looking upward to him my hands in his. I saw his calm and ever smiling face the light on the wall behind him made a halo around his head.

Then it all came to me what had happened yesterday and tears started flowing form my eyes. He didn’t asked me to stop and I kept weeping like a small boy who has lost his toys.

I don’t know how long I cried but can make out that t-shirt collar was wet due to my tears. I don’t know the exact reason why I cried. May be all the grief that I bottled up all these years came out at once. There was silence between us for couple of minutes.
Then I spoke ‘I hate you dad!!’

‘Why son?’ he asked

‘You abandoned me when I needed you most. You left when I was still a boy. I was barely 14 years. How could you be so cruel?’

‘It was how the fate works son. No one could have stopped it’ he said

‘But, do you know how hard it was me to grow up without you? There was no one else who could have guided me. It was so difficult to make life changing decisions. Whatever decision I made, later it back fired. I became a complete loser. It’s all because of you leaving me. You were not able to guide me when a boy was becoming a man’ I totally vented out on him.

I was surprised how calm he was because he had a temper as I know from my childhood days.

I could not stop and started blurting out again ‘None of your friends or none of your relatives helped us. You never had savings and splurged all your earnings on others. You left us broke with no security, out there on street cold and exposed. No one cared for us. Mom went through hell bringing up me and my sister and you just left us’.

‘I do know all of it’ he said in without changing his expression ‘But I had been watching you, mom and your sister. All I want to say is I never been so proud of you and you have done a great job taking care of your mom, marrying off your sister, you getting married, raising your kids. And I will keep looking after you’

‘I have done great job taking care all of them!! Ok!!! Who will take care of me? Am I not human? Don’t I have any insecurities, Don’t I feel afraid? Don’t I…..’ my eyes started filling up again ‘I’m so scared dad, sometimes I feel I want to just run from all the responsibilities. Whenever I loose or whenever it becomes very hard to move on I just want to drop all things run back to your arms, just place my head on your chest and say “I give up dad, please help me”. I want a hand on my shoulders assuring things will be better or I’m there son don’t worry or just hug me and let me cry’

‘Don’t you think I’m doing same thing now? Things will be better. I do know whatever work you are doing is not for you. You are born to be a great writer and write about social issues that people ignores. So towards it. I’m sure you will do that’
I buried my face in his arms. After few mins I felt his hands thinning away, his figure disappearing in air.

I shook off in shock and get up from the sleep.

‘Oh hell it was dream’ and I realized it was Monday ‘Oh, I hate my job’ and looked at the wall where my late father’s photo was hanging. Suddenly I realized what I had to do with my life.

I pulled out my personal laptop and started writing my first novel. I felt dad who was around me had a smile on his face.

Stories in less than 1000 words #1 - Old Butterfly

Old Butterfly

Ah!!! it pains to stretch my old body. My body has become brittle and sensitive, gone are the days when I was young and strong. Day by day I was transforming, it was wonderful. Once I was a despised worm and I began to transform.
It was slow and laborious process. I woven a nest around me, fiber by fiber, thread by thread. I kept weaving it day and night, it seemed that time has slowed down.

Once I had a nest around me I felt I was secure. I lost the vulnerable feeling I had earlier. It was like I had a mask for me to hide my ugly face from the world.

But there were other changes in me. Once I was in my nest I recognized that I started to change. I started to grow from all places. It was painful. I did not like what was happening to me. I'm sure that I have been growing uglier and uglier. You cannot expect a worm growing in to an angel right?

I was growing from all directions. I started sensing things from the two things that came up on my head. My vision started to be good. I increased in size. There were two alien things that grew on my back. I thought it was like wings of satan.

After few days all my brothers and sisters who were in their own nest started leaving it. I noticed they were happy getting out of the nest. But I did not understand why anyone would leave such secure place. As the days passed everyone got out and I was left all alone here.

I started feeling hungry which I did not feel when I was changing. The wings I had started twitching to open up. Controlling them was challenging. It started to pain when I used to control them. I started telling to myself that you are safe here outside no one likes you.

After few days I was fine. Although I was hungry all the time.

Now I’m old. May be in a day or two I might die. I had a good life. I learnt to make my own nest and to make myself safe from the cruel world out there.

I used to dream sometimes that I was coming out of nest fully transformed into most beautiful and colorful form of myself. But the greatest thing was I was able to fly with most colorful wings. Everyone was admiring my beauty. I was amazed about my dreams. But dreams are dreams and are never meant to come true. If dreams becomes truth then its not dreams, its reality. And in reality I’m just a ugly worm.

Recently I started having a strong urge to see that beautiful magnificent creature who has wings filled all the colors imaginable and fly like an angel. But I barely could see from my nest. For that I need to get out of nest. Which I don’t want to do. In another day I will be barely have strength to get out of this nest and after that I will die peacefully. But if I think in another way I feel Im leaving for another two days its better to get out and find that creature and die in peace. But I certainly doubt if such creatures exists or not.

So I have decided to come out of my nest and search that beautiful creature today. I might have only one day to do that.
Here I go. I’m wiggling to get out. Oh god! This is so painful.

Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle……

Ok my head is out now! Very soon I will be out completely.

Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle….

At last!!! Im out. Ah!!! The air has not changed.

Ok, now let me see where I can see that creature. Hmm.. I can see someone over there. Im not able to see clearly and I need to get close.

Now let me crawl myself there. Ok, oh no! I have only few legs now. Okay, let me walk over there.

Wait a second, my wings are opening up. But why? I don’t want to make fool out of myself.

Oh no! I cant control them.

Now they are opened up, I'm good in embarrassing myself. Let me see how are they.

What? Oh no! this is not possible.

Am I dreaming?

How can my wings we so beautiful? And colorful? And so magnificient? And..????????

So it was me I was dreaming about all these days.

I’m special!!!

By,
Mahesh Kotekere