It’s my struggle and every time life takes away the best test from me
I promise to come up like a winter flower not escaping life.
When the little womb dries up without food I survived life,
When my mother has stopped giving me my milk, I have beaten fate.
At the most it is only you who fights;
It is only you who wakes up midnight and cry, and every time we fall off ,
we get up rubbing the dust off our shoulders and by our self preparing for the next day.
Still sometimes I see my mother dimming the lamp when I doze off while reading.
“Here take some warm milk both of you”, Elise came with two old stainless steel glasses. A surprise, an elixir; for two malnutrition and wounded soldiers. The milk was little. Little, because of the wartime cleans over harvest. Little, because not everyone could retain the supplies. But the dexterity was much bounteous.
They gulped it like thirsty tigers.
Elise wanted to save these two comrades, help till her extremities. With Detachments and long gone husband, she knew perhaps that’s the most she can do as a little part of patriotism from her side.
“Mama I can see Uncle Sean’s tendons, it looks degusting.”Matt the curious child. Matt and Sean yielded in no time. Sean was a amusing in weird ways. He was an entertainer of the troop. He always pulled up the spirits of the troop.
“Does it hurt?”Matt’s inquisition didn’t stop for any sooner.
“No kid, it’s just a paper cut” not letting him know about the terrors of the bullet firings.
“I’m not dumb, did someone put a bang stick bullet at you?” matt hears firing and bombings all the time.
Elise had to put him to sleep few months back. Until one day a letter came and her mother’s veil of hiding his father’s death outgrew his tender age.
Matt trying to be faint, “every wound is recovered. “Changing the topic he asked what’s his favorite game and his future goals. Matt a small boy trying to man-up as soon as possible to support the two women in the house. Being treated like a kid was the least he wanted. His innocence and cheer in his face was fading.
Sean didn’t want that he kept kidding around and be a friend that he has been losing lately quite a many.
Clive didn’t like the excessive affection the Sean had structured in no time. He was giving him glares of a major ordering him to behave. Marie came with a first aid kit. She took out antiseptics, bandages and painkillers. They are always prepared as a family. They have all supplies and well-planned. Elise was a woman with independency in her guts. Their supplies only got shortened with food.
“sir, can I?” asking Sean to pull out his arm and leg to get the dressing done. Matt’s jaw was getting wider and wider with awe.
“Sean?” matt changed from ‘uncle’ to just ‘Sean’ due to the barriers of strangers were put down by Sean.
Sean not showing his pain smiled and said “yes matt”
“I think I want to be a doctor” not because of the idea of noble cause that doctor serves for the ailment. Because he was always fascinated by human body. “Marie can be my nurse” matt said jokingly to pull his elder sister’s leg. Marie gave him a nice smack and got back to serve her mother’s orders.
All this time Clive was teary eyed as Marie had his niece’s eyes. His niece was all alone in a boarding school. Fatherless. The only person Clive loved and longed to see was his niece.
Marie with just her aura sniped Clive back to the time of the jolly good days he had with his niece.
She wore a yellow ribbon around her neck. She wore it in springtime and when Uncle Clive asked why she wore it. She said she wore it for her lovely uncle who will leave her far away. Around the park she walked like a little baby. That’s the last Clive saw of her.
Marie’s yellow stained frock time travelled him. He wanted to initiate a talk. Kids, he thought can sweep all pain away.
Elise called for Marie to bring in the plates for supper knowing everyone must be starving. “Marie! Come give me a hand.”
“Are you done with the dressing?”
She is trying to make things fast. And dim the light as soon as possible.
Celery soup and bread. Better than the uncooked bird and the muddy porridge.
“We will be leaving at once the sun shows” Clive let Elise know. He didn’t want her to do much for them. Marie was making him wonder about his niece. The boarding school. Was it still there?
“No hustle, comrades.” Elise wanted them to understand that they weren’t the trouble-maker. Their life was turning black grey. It was good to have known of people who are fighting for them. For the people and their protection.
“Do not pressurize yourself, you can leave with ease.”
Not every day they get to meet such people. They sighed if their co-comrades lived to have met them.
After they were done Clive helped with the plates. He then settled Sean to sleep the night. “Major you must take rest. Sorry for being rude after the attack”
He knew he was lucky to have Clive as his major.
“Shut up crack head and live.” Clive didn’t want the only entertainer and the golden heart he had.
Elise took matt for his night sleep.” Wish the comrades’ goodnight matt”
Marie came silently while his mother was handling his stubborn happy boy. She left after placing their warm blankets and pillows for Clive and Sean. Clive wanted to thank Marie for everything she had done. That also she looked much like his niece. She is a sweet girl and she will have a uncle in Clive. All that came out was silence from his mouth.
Lights dimmed and everyone started to live in a better world .A world full of dreams and not cruelty of war. Hoping for a better tomorrow.
“Mama will we get our father back?”Marie asked.
Elise had put matt to sleep and while she was tucking Marie in after combing her hair. She was proud of her daughter who acted like a grown-up and helped her mother in every possible way she could. But this question quenched her heart.
“I miss your father, sweet. But we have to do without him.” A hope she tried to show that everything is going to be better with a sadness hidden behind her lost husband.
Clive looked out for enemy and gleamed to the whining of night. Clive drank the beer that Elise left for him. The last stack of her husband’s.
When the world goes for a day slumber and the stiffened
orthodox introvert guy writes his love story behind his favourite red diary
I promise to be small canvas vest at the side being his only evidence of tears.
When the football run pass away the big wall of his room taking it to the wind his
only share of secrets he sits there silently talking it all while from his broken
When the world runs after money and random shallow thoughts, I walk past
lives and death at the same place, where the body and soul finds separates way
When night shifts to daylight and the sky is filled with
through a door needing to speak how much words can pull yet not speaking it at all blinks,
