1. A grandpa’s mind
J ohn was sitting on a bench in the park wondering what to say to his son Paul .He raised
his head to see a middle-aged woman looking at him."John" she cried. "It is you, I thought
it was you. You’ve hardly changed since secondary school." She sat down next to
him."Sorry, do I know you?" he asked, frowning deeply. Actually he wanted to be alone
with his grief. “Amelia! That’s my name. “She said.”We were in the same class."Oh, yes."
He remembered the name and tried to make a friendly response, but his lips refused to
smile. "Great, it’s good to see you again. So how’s your life?" she asked. "Fine." He
replied. But actually he was lying when he said so. But it seemed to him easier to give a
monosyllable answer than to try to put into words that life had taken away his grandson.
"Life’s good for me as well," said Amelia. “ my second grandson is having his third
birthday next week”. He felt so gloomy. "Oh." John said. He chewed his bottom lip and
looked down at the pathway. He didn’t want to know about her grandchild when his one
and only had been cruelly taken away. Amelia started talking about her naughty grandson
again and john noticed that her eyes were sparkling with happiness while his were
sparkling with tears. John felt so exasperated and gave her an annoying look which made
her stop. She then asked “Aren’t you a Grandpa yet?” John felt so annoyed that he stood
up facing the park turning away from her face. John replied gloomily “my 4 year old
grandson, my dear Matthew, I had warned him several times not to leave the house
without his father’s permission. Last Saturday …. the ruthless fate ….. the accident ..
“John’s sound started to shiver and tears began dropping down his cheeks. “I’m sorry,"
whispered Amelia. "I don’t know what to say." "That’s exactly how I feel about my son,"
he said. "Paul lost his wife to cancer last year and now he’s lost his little boy. Amelia stood
up. Amelia glanced at her watch and said "I have to go now, John. Try to stay positive.
Don’t dwell on... don’t dwell on such things. Think of the happy times. See you again,
Bye." Amelia left the park. John sat on the bench, recollecting the happy memories of
bringing Matthew to the park, pushing him on the swing and so on. Suddenly large drops
of rain began to fall. He stood up and walked towards the children’s playground wetting
himself in the rain. By then he noticed that he was all alone in the park except a small
figure on one of the swings. He went closer and closer to that figure. His heart pounded
when he noticed that it was the little Matthew. "Push me, grandpa." The small figure
said."Matthew!" john burst into tears. His grandson jumped off the sing and hugged john.
"It’s all right, Grandpa. Mummy is with me now there in the skies. She is so sad that she
left papa and you alone in the world and now she called me too. The grandson and
grandpa looked each other with great love and then the little figure said,” I have to go
now, Mummy’s calling me. Goodbye grandpa." Suddenly the figure ran away from john
and after giving a smiling look at john it vanished in space. John felt his body trembling
with lot of different feelings and emotions. Later, when he got to Paul’s house he
embraced him and told him about the incident. John still believes that it was all real while
his son thinks it was all an illusion of despaired mind. - by Amogh. K. Ravi