Short Story

An Innocent Doe

     

       The day began badly. I knew something awful was going to happen when I dropped the mirror and broke it. Suddenly I heard the sound of my uncle.

          “Priya what has happened?”

       “I dropped the mirror.” I replied.

 Then he said that it was a good omen and asked me not to think about it. Though he assured it as a good omen I felt anxious. It was my first day. I was going to work as my uncle’s secretary. But the day began badly. One day my mother told me that a broken mirror is a bad omen. However I decided not to think about it further. I went with my uncle to his office. He said that he had to go somewhere for a meeting. He gave me some projects to check and asked me to stay there till he returned because he had something to discuss with me. I did all my work. It was six o’clock in the evening. I was alone at the office. My mind ran to the past, I remembered my parents, my sister and my brother.

          I was the eldest child in our family. My father was a heart patient. We lived on the little money which was earned by my mother. But that money was not enough for us to live. My father became feeble little by little. We wanted more money for our father’s medicine. I couldn’t go to school after my Ordinary Level Examination due to these problems. One day a brother of my mother who was a politician came to our house.

       “My brother! You came after a longtime.” Said my mother.

       “Yes sister, I had some problems, you know with these work it’s hard to get a time. Anyway who is this pretty girl?” he asked pointing his hand to me.

       “This is my eldest daughter.” My mother replied.

After an hour he got ready to go. Then he whispered to me;

       “If you like you can come with me. I can give you a job.”

I looked at my mother who got delighted with those words.

       “Daughter this is a good opportunity for you. My brother will look after you well. I know you are so lucky. You are the only one who can take us out of this pit. Go with your uncle.”

 Finally I went with my uncle to that concrete city dreaming about a nice future.

       Suddenly I heard a sound of a car. I came out of my thoughts. I saw that my uncle got out of the car with a pretty lady. They talked and laughed like a newly married couple.           

     “Ah! Priya, this is Mrs. Nanditha.” He introduced the lady to me.

     “Priya, come here.” He said.

Furthermore he said that Mrs.Nanditha has found a fine job for me. But it was questionable to me, because I came to work with my uncle. Therefore I said that the job that he provided me is more than enough and I can look after my parents with it. However finally I had to agree with them to think twice about the new proposal. But I felt curious about the lady came with my uncle. So I began to inquire about her. Few days back I recovered that the lady was an owner of a brothel. Then I decided to speak with uncle about it.

        “Uncle, don’t you know about that woman?” I asked.

        “Yes yes I know about her very well.” He replied keeping a smile on his face.

        “So……..why why uncle you asked me …..”

I couldn’t speak anymore tears welled up in my eyes and spilled down my face.

        “No uncle, that won’t happen. You are mistaken. Your hope won’t be successful.” I shouted.

        “Foolish girl.” Uncle laughed.

Two weeks later I got a letter from my mother. 

My daughter,

        Your father is not well again. The doctor said that we have to do an operation to save him. I can’t understand anything. We have to do it in twenty days and we want a large amount of money for that. Your uncle is the only one who can help us. Please speak to him.

                                                                      Your mother.

I began to tremble. I couldn’t tell it directly to my uncle. As I was sure about his reply I thought a lot. At that time my uncle came and asked me about the matter. So I gave him the letter. Then he said with a smile.

        “Priya, still you are not late. Still the job is available for you.”

I began to tremble again. I remembered my father’s words which he had said when I was coming with uncle. He told me;

                                                          “Only simple thoughts and hopes

                                                            bring happiness of mind

                                                            Hopes of enormous highs
                                                            will kill the mind’s happiness.”

However I had to agree with my uncle. I began to work with Mrs. Nanditha. She advised me on this job. I sent money to my mother. But I couldn’t go to see my father. After two months I heard that my father was cured.

        One day when I was at my uncle’s office with Mrs. Nanditha, I heard a crying sound of a man. I went in front of the office.

        “Father!” I was surprised. “Why did you come here?” I asked.

        “Do you think that I am a blind and deaf person? I know what you are doing here. Why my daughter, why didn’t you allow me to die? How can I listen such a thing about my own daughter?” he cried.

        “Father I know you will never forgive me. I wanted to save your life. I was helpless father…..”

        “But my daughter how quickly you forgot, ‘A faded flower cannot bloom again.’

He shouted. Tears began to pour on his face. Then he collapsed on the floor.

        “Father!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

It was the day of my father’s funeral. I couldn’t participate because I couldn’t face my villagers and relations now. It was six o’clock in the evening. I walked in the darkness without understanding anything. I recalled my father’s words again. ‘A faded flower cannot bloom again.’ I began to run. I felt that Mrs. Nanditha and my uncle were running after me. I stopped at the beach. I saw my father’s face in the far horizon. I saw my uncle and Mrs. Nanditha behind me.

“I’ll come father!! I want to be closed to you.” I cried and collapsed on the sand and began to sob.