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There was once, a small plant on the side of a small road in the jungle. It was looking all so weary due to the heavy sunlight that had been there for the past few days. He laid there down on the ground for a couple of time. No water was received for the little guy to revive back.
“I think my life is coming to its end. I think this is my fate.”
Suddenly, the plant heard a sound approaching him. But he was all too tired to look who is approaching him. The sound was increasing as each second passed away.
Suddenly, that sound stopped.
With all the remaining strength that the plant had, he put his head up to find out who or what it was near him. And there he saw, an old man, standing there looking at him. The plant felt chills down its stem on the sight of the old man’s stare. But he was all too weak to try doing something about it.
That old man bent down to his knees and took something and plucked it to the ground nearby. He was taking sand from his sides. The old man took the plant from the ground and kept him on the side.
“I never thought that my end would be like this horrible event. I was all too weary myself, but now everything will be lost.”
The plant had lost his consciousness. That old man covered the hole and took the plant with him. When the plant woke up, it was all too blurry and weird. Everything that he remembered about his place was altogether changed. He cleared his face and saw that he was indeed in a different place, with different trees and plants beside him. They all looked and smiled at him. The plant looked down and saw that he was in a pot.
The old man opened the door and approached me and put manure in my pot and watered me. Slowly the plant regained its strength. And through the passing days, with the love and care that the old man gave the plant, it grew up. And after some days, the first bud from the plant had been born. Seeing that, the old man was really happy that he was in such a good mood afterwards that day.
One day, a ball bounced and approached the plant. There the plant, saw a boy climbing the backyard wall looking all sides to make sure that the old man was not there and he jumped and came near me to pick the ball. He saw the plant and he plucked the only bud that it had. The plant was left in sorrow seeing that cruel thing that the boy had done. After all this time, that bud gave the plant the utter joy of being alive again. But it’s all gone, left in despair.
That old man came as usual to water the plant, but he was there, standing in utter shock to see that the flower bud was missing. He was sad, so sad that his weary eyes turned to anger and that rage made him take the pot and throw a little far as he possibly could. The pot broke and all the sand that surrounded it had spilt all over and there it lay in sadness and wondering why that old man had done this to him. The plant wondered what it had ever done to make him feel so rage towards him.
That old man walked to the house in haste but stopped in near the steps. He stayed still for a moment until he realised what he had done. He came back slowly, took the plant and put in another big pot and put sand all over it and watered it carefully. He then took the plant inside his home.
The plant wondered what all this commotion is about. It had no clue of what’s happening here. It was scared of the thought whether that old man was mad or not. But his actions never make him feel like that.
The plant was again watered by the old man. He took really care of it. The plant regained its strength and at last a new flower bud formed. The old man took his total attention for nothing to happen to that flower bud that he is longing for. And days later, that bud unfurled into a bright yellow flower.
“I think I’m that much handsome because I’ve never seen that old man this much smiling.”
Suddenly, out of notice, that man turned to tears and he feared the worst. The plant looked in astonishment wondering what might have happened. Is the old man really mad or not? The old man came close to the plant and sat near him and spoke.
“Do you know? I had a grandson who lived with me. His parents died in a car accident one day and Michael was the only one who I had left with me. I took utter care of him. He was really a brilliant child, yet, it was hard in raising him. I wished the best for him. I don’t want him to feel empty in his life that all was lost for him. I wanted him to feel positive about himself. He was good in studies and was really good in nature.”
The plant stood leaning towards him listening.
“And one day, he brought a young plant here. That plant was just like you and he cared for it really well. He really loved it. But I started fearing because he spent all his time with that plant. I started to feel that he’s getting away from his studies, that he is spending more time there than he must use to study. One day, that plant had its first flower and he was happy as ever. He was so happy that was running and jumping in a cheerful way. He spent the entire time there. But I, I was angry seeing that. He was wasting his time in my view. I was so angry that I came and said him to go to his room. But he refused. In that anger, I plucked that plant and threw it on the road.”
The old man was in tears. He wiped his face and continued.
“In that sadness, he, my Michael ran away from here. And for many years, I’ve never seen or heard from him. I’ve gone to the police, but there was no hope for me. The only one who I had left, left me broken, all because of my overprotectiveness, my greed, my anger, my view to bring him forward without knowing what he liked or not. It was my entire fault, only mine. When I saw you that day, it was as though hope was still left for me. I wished whether I plant and have you in my home once again. He will once again come back to me.”
The plant was in despair. What can he do? He is just a plant.
Just then, the calling bell rang. The old man wiped his face and went to open the door. There stood a teenager with a scared and burned face. With his ragged clothes, the untidy body made the appearance of a beggar.
“Please help. I’ve been hungry for days.”
“Can’t you work instead of begging? You seem to have the strength for that. Don’t you have any shame to beg?”
“Who is there to give any work to us beggars? For them, they need high-quality people for their work and we’ll always be begging. Everybody sees a beggar as who he is – just a beggar.”
The old man felt sad.
“Ok, so if I give you a job here. Will you do it? And by that, I meant, you have to follow all my rules and live life leaving all this begging and any other bad habits you’ve got till now. I need you to start fresh. Can you do that?”
“I glad for that. But I’m blind and I’ve gone through a lot and I think I’m so wrecked. People fear as I come near them.”
“Yes, you do look a little indifferent. But I’ll manage if you are possible to help me.”
“Yes, I am. I have no problem to move around. I just need to know and practice at first.”
“Then you must help me in the garden. You can live in that shed and you’ll receive three meals a day. Is that ok?”
“Thank you. I’ve never been treated this good for days. Thank you so much”
“Ok, get inside and come sit for a few minutes before I take you to the shed.”
He was in tears. The old man took him and seated him. The plant looked at him in astonishment. He wondered why that person was there. That beggar smelled for a few minute and asked –
“Is there a flower or maybe a plant here?”
“Yes, there is. This plant is my most prized possession. Why’d you ask?”
“It’s just that, I know this smell. Long before I was put in begging by some cruel people, I had a home. My parents have died, but I lived with my Grandpa since. He was a nice man. I adored him so much. And I had a plant like this too and I remember the day that the flower bloomed. It made me so happy that day. But something triggered my grandpa because he felt angry and plucked it and threw it away. I was so sad and angry that I ran away. I feel so dreadful for doing that. It changed life to what it is now.”
“Michael?”
The old man said with tear-filled eyes. He came near and hugged him tightly.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes, my son, it’s me. I was so worried about you. I looked everywhere for you, but couldn’t find you. I always punish myself for being angry that day. Please, can you forgive me?”
“Sorry, grandpa for leaving you.”
“Tell me, what happened to you?”
“On that day, I remember running crying and then I went to the park and sat there crying. Then one person came and sat near me and asked me what happened. I explained and he told me that it’s ok and he’ll bring me to you. I got in with him, but he took me to a different place. He covered my face with a handkerchief and the next thing I know was that I was in a totally dark room with a small light from a lantern and was in accompany of other children as well. Everybody had fear in their face and when I called one boy, he jumped in fright and moved away. Everyone sat there as though there were emotionless. I was scared. Just then someone came and pulled me out of the room and locked it once again. I climbed the steps and found myself in the company of many elder adults. By the looks of it, I saw many high profile people dressed in suits and well as so many middle casual dressed people, both man and women. It was a horrific scene. I saw many children, both boys and girls being sexually assaulted, many being burned by cigarettes, many made to drink something and many were injected. Every child looked as though they didn’t get hurt. They lay there motionless whereas some cried. But all these cruel people were laughing and playing with them. I was so feared when someone caught hold of me and tied me to the table. He came near me. I saw the devil in his face. He took a brush and put in a liquid and painted on my face. It burned my skin. I was in so much pain that I screamed. But he was laughing and cheering and then someone else came and took something sharp and scraped it all over my body. I had to undertake so many tortures. I saw many children and understood that all these were kidnapped as well as me. I saw one boy who tried to run shot at the moment. I saw many die in front of me. I saw many sexually assault even that dead body. I wondered how people could be so cruel. And one day, one woman came and burned my face and eyes with her cigarette. I lost my eyesight that day onwards. I was left then to beg on the streets for them. It was really hard for me and all those children.”
“Do you know where you were?”
“No, we were locked and we never saw daylight until we are left to beg and that too after a long time and after our mind get weary. And they took us in their van and dropped us in the middle of the street and we only see when they come to take us back when needed or to collect the money we got.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll contact the police about it. But for now, don’t leave me ever again. I’ve lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again. I’ll look after you.”
That old man hugged him close and cried and Michael cried too. And there it stood, the plant, in happiness seeing the joy of a wonderful reunion and he had made the old man’s wish come true. The sunlight that came inside made him more handsome that exact moment.
THE END
