A Gift for Mother

                                       Part-1 (It will end in two parts.)      
                                     
                                            Short Story

                                 

It was a fine morning. Vishnu was standing at one of the bath areas(kulikkadavu) of the river close at hand. His was a small house which was not annexed with a suitable toilet. So some days he assigns the mango leaves to take up the duty of cleaning his teeth. He grants leave for his brush and paste those days. He positioned himself resting the left hand on the tree with a slight slant for the body. His right hand was busy with brushing his teeth with a rolled mango leaf. A sort of pleasant atmosphere with a slim cool of ending winter bounded him.

The aroma of a bullet-wood flower(Elanji) flew about just all over and a part of it found a route to his nose. He picked a few flowers from the ground, while brushing the teeth and enjoyed its amusing smell . The natural scent created an enthusiastically charming mood in his mind. The ixora though not sweet-smelling, in an eye-catching way blinked at him.

  As he finished his brushing he strode down to the water and washed the mouth. He dived into the water and his physique as an athlete got caught into swimming fun. Some dry as well as green leaves were flowing along with the current. Without much purpose he tried to lift one two leaves in his hand. All of a sudden all his glee left room for anxiety, as something untoward touched his hand and struck his sight. Fretfully he noticed that a human head was rising and sinking in the water. At the spur of the moment as an act of reflex he caught hold of its waving short hair.

 He strove hard and somehow he saw that the owner of the hair was on the bank. It was a lad of around 10 years. Some inner spirit of Vishnu poured audacity to conduct  first aid which helped the boy open the eyes very drained. No sooner did his raucous voice flash through the air than a man standing not too far took to his toes to the venue. The latter being aware of the boy’s whereabouts called in his father, Thomas. He arrived at the location as soon as he received the message. He sensed something alarming.  People crowded there and consoled Thomas to circumvent panic and stop the outbreak of anguish. Reaching nearer his lower limbs grew heavier. He fainted  on seeing his son horizontal on the ground.

Some compassionate hearts rushed with the laddie and father to the hospital at the nearest. Detecting satiety himself in the sensible action of his, Vishnu reached home. He recounted the whole happening in front of his mother, who impatiently waited for her son to serve breakfast.


sarala                                                                               [to be cntd to 2nd part]