He
sat there and cried, beside a grave covered with freshly plucked lilies, and
with the name, Maria Samuel. He had been sitting there lifelessly for a couple
of hours by now, talking to himself, shifting positions and crying his eyes
out. It was a part of his everyday routine, to visit the cemetery for 2 hours
at least. Samuel Hanks, a retired US marine, a strong old man whom people
around, often addressed as the 'brave heart'. But he did not look strong today
as he kept weeping in front of the only person he loved the most who chose to
leave him before he did. 5th of March, the day he would never forget even if he
lost his memory for this was the day, Maria John, a timeless beauty entered his
life to stay forever. Sitting right beside her grave, where she rested, nothing
was different for Hanks apart from the fact that her heart did not beat anymore
or a doubt that if she was still able to hear him as clearly as she did,
always. He spread his hands over the cold marble with the letters M A R I A S A M U E L, inscribed in the middle. He spoke
as he ran his fingers along the engraved letters, “Remember Marie, our first
official date after marriage where you were bossy enough to ask me not to chew
like a buffalo? Then you would threaten to zip my mouth when I made a loud
slurp, every time I sipped my coffee. I miss you Marie, I miss you so much that
sometimes I feel like digging up a grave right beside yours and falling into
it, like I fell for your smile. Marie, sometimes I think, I should have
listened to you about not abandoning our daughter. I shouldn't have been so
hard on her when she came up with that lousy looking boyfriend of hers, she
wished to marry. I should have felt her love as she wanted me to, rather than
questioning her reasons to choose that guy. How foolish I was, Marie? How could
I ask her a reason for loving him when I fell in love with you, for just a
smile? How could I forget about how her story resembled ours, of how hopelessly
we planned for a future even when we had nothing that we owned? Marie, I tried
my best. I tried my best to locate her details as you wished, right on that bed
in the hospital, holding my hands firm just before you left them, forever. I am
old now, Marie, a lot messier than I was when you were around. I wake up late,
I skip my meals, I forget my spectacles every time, and I don’t take proper
medication. I am weak, Marie, and I’m sorry for I could not make your last wish
come true. And what kind of a daughter would ignore her mother's funeral. I
wonder if she even knows that you're no more. Marie, hope you understand me
when I get to you. Marie, remember how you always talked about grandchildren, a
dream that my stubborn self, masked you from. I guess, our little daughter
might be a mommy by now. I wish I could find them, not to plead sorry but to
look at the faces of my grandchildren for once, before I breathe my last. I
wish, she is blessed with a daughter, for every time I would look at her, she'd
remind me of you. I would call her 'Marie', my girlfriend. I would play with
her, all the time, even if these weak bones were to give up. I would take her
for walks, holding by her little fingers, as she ran with a little pace to
catch up with my long feet. I would go to movies with her and sit with my eyes
on her innocent little cheeks as she enjoyed her popcorn. I would take her to
the fair, in the town, to take a ride or two, on the giant wheel. I would buy
her a lot of candy, of all shapes, sizes and colours that would be available. I
would go on fancy dates with her, Marie, and tell people she is my love. Marie,
I would do everything to make her feel beautiful, and to be the best grandpa
ever. Marie, wouldn't you be jealous, looking at how nicely we both spent time
together while you would be stuck with a stubborn grandson. Marie, I wish you
were here for I feel so alone that I don’t feel like living anymore “.
He got up to his feet, still whispering his prayers for her, as the day was getting dim, to give way to the dark. 5pm, his clock ticked, reminding him to get back to his house, to feed his parrots.
'Excuse me', he heard a sweet voice coming from a side, as he concentrated on the force that pulled his pants, with a grip on them at his knees. He looked down, only to find a little girl, looking up at him, with a bouquet of flowers in her hands, and a wide smile on her face. He gave her way, as he shifted a little away from the grave, to a side. The little girl fell to her knees, placing the flowers on the grave right beside where the lilies rested. She closed her eyes and held her hands together, gripped to her chest with her head bowed down, in respect. Hanks was amused, surprised and shocked to see such innocence in a girl of that age. He stood there, clueless, glancing at her face, scared to break her prayers, and wondering who she was. It had been 2years that he visited the cemetery, everyday, but he had never seen her before, and of that he was sure cause' a little girl, so beautiful, he could never forget her face, if he did. She finally moved a little, still on her knees, searching for something in the pockets of the leather jacket she was covered with. She turned towards Hanks, holding a beautiful rose in her little fingers, she uttered sweetly, “Will you be my boyfriend' Grandpa? “. Shocked out of his mind, losing his breath as he gasped, Hanks got down to his knees, holding her little hands in his own. He looked around, as he struggled to give voice to his heart, he spotted his daughter walking towards him, into the cemetery. A thousand emotions sparked beneath his skin, as he looked into the little girl's eyes which by now resembled to those of Marie's. With tears flowing down like flash floods, still gasping, he held the little girl by her shoulders and asked her, “Wha...wh..what is your name?”. “Maria Samuel Hanks”, she replied as she reached for his eyes, wiping away his tears with a little hand kerchief that was pinned on to her little leather jacket. “Mm..Ma..Maria..?”, he stammered, overwhelmed with the sudden surge of happiness that he never thought, would knock at his door. “Yes, Grandpa. Mom says my name is the best. Isn’t it?”, she spoke resting her head on his shoulder, as he still shivered, hugging her close and feeling her presence in his hands. “Sssh..sss..Mmma..Marie. My Marie”, he held her in his arms, never to leave her again. He glanced over to the grave, and he knew his Marie was looking down at them, happy, content, and free, finally. His tears did not stop as he could feel the presence of a new life in his heart, a life that he longed for. He kissed that little girl's forehead, crying and smiling at the same time, with overflowing emotions that did not seem to end soon. Just before they left, he stood holding the little fingers of his granddaughter, looking at the grave, and whispered to himself, “Thanks”.
- Azad Hussain.
He got up to his feet, still whispering his prayers for her, as the day was getting dim, to give way to the dark. 5pm, his clock ticked, reminding him to get back to his house, to feed his parrots.
'Excuse me', he heard a sweet voice coming from a side, as he concentrated on the force that pulled his pants, with a grip on them at his knees. He looked down, only to find a little girl, looking up at him, with a bouquet of flowers in her hands, and a wide smile on her face. He gave her way, as he shifted a little away from the grave, to a side. The little girl fell to her knees, placing the flowers on the grave right beside where the lilies rested. She closed her eyes and held her hands together, gripped to her chest with her head bowed down, in respect. Hanks was amused, surprised and shocked to see such innocence in a girl of that age. He stood there, clueless, glancing at her face, scared to break her prayers, and wondering who she was. It had been 2years that he visited the cemetery, everyday, but he had never seen her before, and of that he was sure cause' a little girl, so beautiful, he could never forget her face, if he did. She finally moved a little, still on her knees, searching for something in the pockets of the leather jacket she was covered with. She turned towards Hanks, holding a beautiful rose in her little fingers, she uttered sweetly, “Will you be my boyfriend' Grandpa? “. Shocked out of his mind, losing his breath as he gasped, Hanks got down to his knees, holding her little hands in his own. He looked around, as he struggled to give voice to his heart, he spotted his daughter walking towards him, into the cemetery. A thousand emotions sparked beneath his skin, as he looked into the little girl's eyes which by now resembled to those of Marie's. With tears flowing down like flash floods, still gasping, he held the little girl by her shoulders and asked her, “Wha...wh..what is your name?”. “Maria Samuel Hanks”, she replied as she reached for his eyes, wiping away his tears with a little hand kerchief that was pinned on to her little leather jacket. “Mm..Ma..Maria..?”, he stammered, overwhelmed with the sudden surge of happiness that he never thought, would knock at his door. “Yes, Grandpa. Mom says my name is the best. Isn’t it?”, she spoke resting her head on his shoulder, as he still shivered, hugging her close and feeling her presence in his hands. “Sssh..sss..Mmma..Marie. My Marie”, he held her in his arms, never to leave her again. He glanced over to the grave, and he knew his Marie was looking down at them, happy, content, and free, finally. His tears did not stop as he could feel the presence of a new life in his heart, a life that he longed for. He kissed that little girl's forehead, crying and smiling at the same time, with overflowing emotions that did not seem to end soon. Just before they left, he stood holding the little fingers of his granddaughter, looking at the grave, and whispered to himself, “Thanks”.
- Azad Hussain.
No comments:
Post a Comment