A Distorted Life

By Geetha Rani

A Moment of Happy days. No such traumatical incidents in life.

A Happy family with a wife, little kid, Mother, Father.

A good job with fine income from husband. Retired father having good memories at home with mother and grand child.

What can go wrong in this?

They'll be fine for life.

But... Who knows what the time has planned for them?

One fine day, a small incident happened. None of them knows how that'll change a happy family into a no one.

Kid playing at home with a big ball throwing it all over the place.

Grandmother and Grandfather were sitting in the balcony reading newspaper and having relaxed tea in the morning.

Husband went to office just an hour ago. Wife was cooking in the kitchen. Oil poured in a pan. Few minutes later it was boiling .

Wife remembered that she left chopped vegetables on the dining table and went over there.

Meanwhile by misthrown the ball came into kitchen.

It got stuck behind the cylinder. Kid tried to get the ball. The cylinder was under the block of stove. And the ball was 2mt away from the cylinder and inside the block. He held the cylinder pipe and tried to push him towards the ball. Unknowingly he fell towards and the pipe getting removed slightly.

Wife who was just going into the kitchen saw it and threw vegetable plate aside. Grandmother and grandfather alerted by the plate sound and ran inside. Wife dragged kid from the kitchen and threw him outside. She turned stove OFF immediately and opened all the doors and windows and arranged the pipe as the gas was slightly leaking.

She consoled her in-laws that everything is alright.

She went into kitchen, it was 5 minutes later.

She was checking everything is alright there or not. Tried to turn the stove ON and OFF. Little does she know that gas was still leaking and unexpectedly a blast from the kitchen.

Kid got scared and hid behind grandmother.

Grandparents were distorted in heart. Grandmother was crying like hell. Grandfather called his son and told "cylinder blasted... Your wife..you..r... W..Wife.. was in kitchen"

By hearing that he ran from office without informing anyone about the incident and reached home.

By the time he reached home, ambulance was there in front of his house. They are taking his wife into ambulance at that time. Grandparents and the kid went into ambulance too.

Husband was coming to hospital by bike. He didn't see her wife condition yet.

Everyone reached hospital. He saw his wife when they are taking her out from ambulance. She was completely burned out but still struggling to breath.

He's broken. But he couldn't cry.

Nurses took her into ICU. Doctors went into room to check her condition.

Grandparents and the kid sat on the chair outside of ICU. Husband stood aside of the wall and asked his parents how it happened.

Grandmother told everything what had happened.

Husband looked at his kid without saying anything. Kid was holding his Grandmothers' hand out of fear.

Meanwhile doctors came out and told "she lost her life. She struggled to be alive but couldn't make it. We're sorry".

Doctor left.

Husband sat on the chair. Still no tears in his eyes.

He's talking (not pointing to anyone) -" She is no more. No more."

He looked at his kid -"No more, your mother is no more"

He hold the shoulder of the kid and said it again-"you killed my wife, you Satan" and pushed the boy. The boy fell on the floor.

Kid was crying - "Father.."

"You are no one to me when your mother is not in this world".

Kid tried to come near to his father.

Father became arrogant and shouted -"Stay away from me monster" and slapped him forcedly that kid got himself hit to the wall and went unconscious

Grandfather who just saw all his angry tried to control his son from being angry. He hit his father with bare hands. Grandfather fell backwards. Grandmother immediately went to lift grandfather. Her son shouted at them and said - "you all killed her. Stay away from me. Otherwise I'll kill you"

After a few minutes of being there.. Husband cried out like he left out in this world and saying - " I'll die.. I'll kill myself"

His mother and father went towards him to console.

"Mother, I'm sorry mother. Father I'm sorry father. I didn't meant to hurt you both"

He looked at his son who fell on the floor with blood from his ears.

He ran towards him and tried to lift him up -"son, son, wake up.." Sobbing.

Few hours later... Doctors checked his son and concluded he couldn't respond and they can't tell anything without months of observation.

Doctors left.

Husband was sitting with his hand on his head.

And realized they were in hospital for many hours.

"Mother father, stay here only I'll bring food from outside."

Mother said- "Kid was in doctor's observation, my mind is also got distorted with these heavy incidents. We'll also come outside to eat and breathe fresh air".

He said -" ok ma".

They went outside of the hospital and saw a small hotel on opposite to the hospital.

It's already 9 pm in the night. They were crossing the road.

Mother father holding each others hand and crossing. He the husband stood at divider in the middle of the road and looked backwards at his mother.

A truck with no brakes came by and hit his parents and left.

A seconds of moment he lost everything in life.

The day that made a happy family into no one.

Everyone came there to take these old people into hospital. Time was moving.

He sat on the divider. Can't dare himself to get into hospital and hear the news from doctors.

It's been a day. He was sitting on divider.

No one cared of who he was and why he sat there.

A no one.

Moving on is not just a phrase to use for him in this situation.Left as a clueless bird on a tree with no wings.

What is happening in his mind?

To jump from the tree?

Or to stay there as a distorted?

Controlling one's own mind in this scenario and living for nothing leads to what? A regret?

A guilt?

A moment from a distorted life.

With all such incidents from the past, he went into the hospital and looked at his son reminding everything. There was a beeping sound of his heartbeat resounding in the ICU.

When he turned back to leave, the sound raised. Father looked back and saw his son was trying to move his hands. He bought the doctors into ICU.

Few minutes later doctors came out of the room and said the boy is completely cam back to conscious state.

That moment rather than being happy, father became more arrogant.

Son got discharged few days later though how much arrogant the father is, He never gave up on his son and left. He was always there for him.

They were moved into a new home. Son was checking his room...

"I'll go outside and bring us some food" father said and left without hearing anything from the son.

Son checked the whole house and sat on the chair beside the study table. Took the book and a pen. He started writing on the book.

After few hours later... He still writing.

Father came back to home and all drunk. He opened the door and dragged himself towards the bed and fell on it.

Son watched it and didn't reacted at all. He started writing again.

While writing he fell asleep.

Early in the morning, father woke up and bought the milk. He poured it into a glass and went to put it on son table. He saw the closed book and trying to open it but in a second he changed his thoughts to not to open.

Son woke up saw the milk, he drank it and came to hall. His father is getting ready to office. Father placed lunch box on dining table and sticker a note aside and left.

Son came to dining table and checked the note- "Bus will come near home at 9.30, get ready and go to school"

Son got ready and took the bag and the lunch box and left the home. He stepped down the last stair and heard bus horn sound.

He stood there only... Everyone nearby there got into school bus. Within a minute bus left.

He took a walk on the roads.

On the way, he saw his old house and opened the gate.

He went into the house, he saw the brick pieces in the kitchen that fell on the floor due to the blast. Black is filled all over the place from kitchen to dining hall. He roamed the house and went to see balcony.

Reminding all the fun memories with grandparents over the balcony he sat on the chair.

Sobbing in tears, He opened the book and started reading it loud...

"Mom, I'm sorry because of me you are not here today at home. Father is not being normal like before when you were there. He is not talking to me. Grandfather and grandmother both left, now I feel all loneliness at home. You used to be there for me whenever i cry. Will you come to me maa cause no one is talking to me now when i cry. I'm getting scared to talk with father. Grandma, grandpa... Why you left me alone.. Is it all because of me? Will father never talks to me never takes me on buke ride?

I will never play with ball again. Please come back maa"

Crying with a heavy heart...

After few minutes, he fell asleep there.

He woke up after few hours, he took the bag and left to home thinking father might have reached home and gets angry on him.

He ran to home... But father wasn't there.

He hasn't ate anything all day and sat on the study table placed his head over the book and closed eyes.

Father came home all drunk and fell on sofa in the hall.

Son woke up by the door sound and came outside the room.

Father fell on sofa and talking "I shouldn't have left the home that day, the scoundrel killed all of you. He made me alone in the world. I'll never forgive him"

Son who heard all of that haven't slept that day...

Father woke up in the morning and packed lunch box as usual and placed on the dining table along with a note and left without checking on him.

After work, father went to drink and came lately. And fell asleep.

The next day he woke up and thought he haven't checked on him entire day and went to his room.

Son wasn't there. And his bag too.

But his book was there only on the table. Father opened the book and read what son wrote.

He got tears in the eyes and went to police station to file a missing complaint.

Police asked him since when the boy is missing.

Father thought for a while and said -"today. No.. no since yesterday"

"You can't even tell since when the boy is missing, what kind father are you ?" Policemen shouted.

He broke into tears.. "I was never a good father to him"

Policemen enquired him and got the whole story.

Father gave the book to policemen.

Policemen checked the entire home whether son left any clue of where he was going.

While checking...

Policemen doubted he might have gone to his previous house as it was not much farther than their present home.

They went into the house and started checking all over the place.

On the dining table, there was a note.

Policemen opened the note,

"Ma I'm leaving.. Father will never forgive me. I can't be with him since the incident he was never like before. Sorry ma. Will you forgive me mother?"

"This father done all these to himself now lost his son too man, such incidents how can we help not knowing where the son gone"- policemen talking to themselves.

After few days of searching all over the city, police got a call from an anonymous person telling there is a kid on the beach and he was in unconscious state.

They came to the spot and identified as he is the same missing boy. They informed father to come to the spot. Father fell happy listening to the words of policemen that they found his son.

Meanwhile police tried to wakeup the boy. He opened his eyes slowly and unable to feel anything. Slowly they gave him water.

Father came by hugged son and apologized -"I know it was an accident, you haven't done anything. I'm sorry son"

Boy felt happy and hugged father.

A moment of happy tears...

They came home.

Son went into his room. Father cooked and bought the food to his room. He fed the boy with his hands. A father-son moment in his life after all such incidents and he could never forget it.

They both slept in boys room.

After a few hours in the dreams of boy....

Autumn season... Wind breezes all over the place. No one was there except the boy. He was walking solo on the roads. While walking, he saw his old house. No blasts marks, house is so normal.

He went into the house.

He saw his mother and grandparents and himself playing with them.

He heard his own laughs when he was with his mother.

While he is looking at himself, mother stood up and came to him placed a hand on his shoulder, kneeled down in front of him and said - "My son, your mother will always loves you. You don't need to be sorry for anything. Always remember your mother will never get angry on you."

Boy got tears in his eyes....

"What about father?" - boy asked

She replied with tears her eyes and smile on her face-"He already has gone through a bigger punishment my boy."

Mother kissed on the forehead of the boy.

He opened his eyes, father was sleeping beside him.

He turned towards his father side and hugged him closing his eyes with a smile saying -" I love you father and love you too mother".

THE END

By Geetha Rani