The Last Time They Saw

[dsbloggerfiction]

The City Of Brocken Dreams

Tomorrowland was cheering for its team’s inaugural participation in the West Football Tournament. There were banners and digital screens spread all over the city in support of the football team. Planes and jets flew over the city spraying blue and yellow color, marking the shift of the team’s home color from blue and green. The Building of Hope, the city’s tallest building, didn’t shy away from the pride it took of the team’s first ever involvement in the most prestigious tournament in the west side of planet 404. The building displayed the team’s journey through the past, from just a mid-table team to winning back-to-back titles in the league. In turn, large ballistics were shot in the sky pouring out celebration ribbons.

The last time the citizens saw and cherished this beautiful city was before the East Dome decided to attack the state. The East Dome was a powerful state that had entered talks with Tomorrowland for its inclusion in the East. This would mean that the water resources had to be shared with the East despite the fact that the reservoir fell under the Tomorrowland territories, one of the many oppressing demands. The inability to accept the demands resulted in war. The plane carrying the football team en route to the Versitaly port in the mid-east region of Tomorrowland was shot down by the missiles launched by sector 3000, allies to the East. No one in the plane survived and this announced a greater warfare between the two states. 

Tomorrowland was a rich state with one of the most developed architectures. However, the poised state lacked numbers in troops and nuclear arsenal. The states battled against each other but the aid of the East’s allies meant a very short end to the battle: the battle which Tomorrowland lost. In the process, Tomorrowland lost nearly 80% of its soldiers and more than 60% of their land military-grade vehicles destroyed. The city once loved by their citizens was now just a battle ruin.  Bullets peeped through the houses and complexes. Buildings shattered by mortar and air raids. Roads are cracked and depressed and the lush green vegetation turned black as a result of mass destruction.  The white architecture lost its original appearance due to napalm and the Building of Hope just a portion away from being any regular double-story apartment. 

Those who had strong connections fled the state before the war began. But, high numbers of not so fortunate located hiding places around the city. If lucky enough, the bombs would skip over these places but many weren’t. The streets were full with dead bodies and cut limbs. The massacre pelted holes in the hearts of those who survived. The last time the survivors of the war saw their vibrant city now seemed like a fairy-tale (or a distant memory). Little did they imagine their city being rebuilt into this new and rehabilitated version of their city.

This was in stark difference to what they were seeing now. Voices of babies crying, children searching for their mothers, and people searching for their loved ones echoed in the city of broken dreams. The loss of their loved ones and past life was momentarily forgotten but the blemish of war could never be forgotten. The people chose to build back their lives on the remnants and crumbles of a recent war while the rest of the world watched.

[dsbloggerfiction]

My Last Interaction With My Granny

Rahul was very close to his grand-mother who was his angel in a divine white dress. Rahul had been living with his grandma since he was a child. The town of Karaikudi was just like any other village in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Rahul’s parents had moved to the metropolitan city of Chennai which had huge scope in the business and technology sector. His parents left him with his grandma as the city life was itself a new experience for them. They would come back to take him and his grandma to the city once they settled there and had a secure source of income.

Rahul lived with his grandma in the village for over 4 years and became accustomed to the daily life. His grandma would wake him up in the morning for school and help him bathe to ensure water was not overused. She would heat the chullah and prepare rice and daal for him. She would add freshly cooked roti in the tiffin on Tuesday’s or on festive occasions. Rahul’s grandma would iron his school shirt and trousers and help him wear the school uniform. Tie his shoelace and comb his hair, Rahul was ready to leave for school. His grandma would accompany him to the school, drop him, and head towards the temple. She would spend hours chanting the hymns until the temple’s bell rang, which happened at 3 pm.

On her way to school to pick Rahul, grandma would take the dried rotis and fresh grass produce and feed them to the stray dogs and cows near the school. Rahul would see his grandma and ask for some rotis to help his grandma. The time after school was peaceful. Rahul would finish his homework and take his grandma to the nearby park where he would play with his friends and his granny would meet and talk with the temple priest and other grannies. On their way back to home, granny bought fresh vegetables and prepare the best home food Rahul could ever eat. This was like a daily pilgrimage for Rahul and his grandma.

The last time Rahul saw his grandma was before his parents took him to the city. Adjusting to the city life was tough for him as his daily partner- granny, was no longer there. Rahul faced difficulties in making friends and couldn’t perform any other task except for studying. The wake-up calls, eating with family, food, journey to school, and reading of the prayers, were always on the go his parents had a mobile job. Food was no longer prepared at home so Rahul started eating in the school cafeteria. His new school followed Christian rules and prayers, meaning he no longer sang the Hindi prayers. 

The last time Rahul saw his grandma was the last time he could see granny in the tranquil white dress, hair like a white snow, with aging skin looking thinner, paler, and clear. His companion was lost due to granny’s untimely but somewhat expected departure. Rahul could not say his final goodbyes.

[dsbloggerfiction]

The Wish To Meet Again

It has been over 3 years since Kyle last saw his children. Kyle has been in the US army for the past 8 years and was deployed in the active combat range unit tasked to keep tabs on the Iraqi Intelligence Unit 3 years back. His team was responsible for transfer protocol of intel that could keep the US military updated of the Iraqi specialized forces and the necessities of the guerilla warfare. This meant that Kyle had to be super alert and updated through the locals and insiders as the US government relied on this information to carry out peace talks and attacks, if things went hay-wire.

Kyle kept the pictures of his wedding and his kids on the nightstand drawer. He would wake up at 5 in the morning and look over the pictures, place them near his heart and sometimes even kiss them. The pictures gave him warmth of a hug and mouthful of kisses and love. The last time Kyle saw his family was when Gina was born. Given a two-day leave under the family emergency rule, Kyle was granted permission to travel to the States for the birth of his daughter. His wife Kiera was already in labor and about to give birth to their daughter. That was one of the last times Kyle had a peaceful talk with his wife, in a long while.

Kyle would time and again call his wife and talk to her and his daughter but physical distance was something that could not be solved by a rectangular frame on electronic gadget. The wavering reality of a digital presence left a deep crevice on Kyle’s relationship with his wife. Waking up and seeing the beautiful face of his wife, preparing breakfast and coffee for her before she left for her work, picking up his wife from near her office building, going out on dates with her and having a laugh at the bar, enjoying the sunsets near the villa across the mountain top, going out for fun little road trips, the growing of his daughter, resting Gina by his arms while she cuddled around sucking her finger in the modest of way, hearing the first little words from his daughter’s mouth, the first steps of his daughter, the first calling of “dada” to her father, and taking Gina to the park and picnics were just some of the things Kyle wished he could have done.

The last time Kyle visited his home, there were window panes that struggled to close because of the moisture the woods absorbed due to the rain season. The carpet at the lobby had a slight tear and the plaster on the wall started to come out. Rosco, their dog, had scratched the walls with his nails. These were the things that made Kyle feel at home. The gun firing, shell blasts, night screams, operation pseudo runs, heavy guard armor, emergency alarms had shaped Kyle’s mind in the opposite direction to peace. Hope to meet his family again was what made him wake every morning.