it's some pics taken by me

THE CALL

             It is hard to explain what it was. May be it was a dream or someone's idea. All that can be said is, "the truth was out there".

             I was sitting contentedly in my favorite divan, enjoying my favorite program in the television (the advertisement) with the remote control in one hand and potato chips in the other, when suddenly the power went out. I was alone in the house as my parents and brother had gone for a wedding. I was asked to sit at home and study for my semester exams that were due next week but of course, the matter had comfortably crept out of my mind.

   

             For a moment, I was completely blind. I was engrossed in watching television that I did not notice the nightfall and I had forgotten to charge the emergency lamp. As minutes passed by, my eyes got cognizant of to the darkness and I was able to see the furniture around me. I got up and groped in to a nearby drawer for some candles only to remember that we were out of candles. I usually thought of me as very brave, but now I was not sure. The rain outside was getting heavier with thunder and lightning making matters worse. I hoped my parents or at least my brother would be back soon. The stillness around me was getting thicker and thicker. I decided to walk around to lighten myself, trying hard not think about the horror movies I had seen lately, but my legs had gone very stiff. Wait! I remembered that there was a torch somewhere in the house and decided to look for it. I found it a couple of minutes later but to my bad luck, it was out of batteries. The sudden hope that had glistened died and fear started to skulk again. Long eerie shadows looked out at me everywhere. A cold shiver ran down my spine as the wind hustled outside. I started to panic at the slightest sound; the clock ticking, the rainwater trickling from the windowpanes, the cat mewing and what was that thud, thud noise. Oh! That was my heart pounding with fear. I sat down again trying to get hold over myself. Then suddenly, I jumped out of fright. Whew! It was only the phone ringing. I went to get it falling twice on the way, with a shaky voice I said. “Hello”

               I was flooded with relief when I heard Niyathi’s voice on the other end. Niyathi was my friend who lived next door. She called to see if I was all right and need anything, as she knew that I was alone. Soon I forgot all about the rain and the darkness. I was at ease again chatting the time away with my friend. Almost half an hour had passed and I heard someone slamming at the gate. I asked Niyathi to hold and being sure that it would be my family, I went to open the door with keys to the gate in my hand. However, it was not my parents; I could not see any car at the gate.

               There was only one person. I gaped through the rain, who was it. It was a girl with a short curly hair, about my height standing with an umbrella. My fear of ghosts was now tenfold, but did they use umbrella. I hoped not. As the lightning flashed across the sky, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Niyathi!

   “Hi” she yelled.

   “My mom asked me to check on you. I could not call you on the phone, as all lines are dead. Are you all right?”

    “I…on…phone…here…you…what….” and not being able to make any sense, I ran back to check the phone. It was dead.

**********

THE FORSAKEN DREAM

                  I was sleeping calmly with my face buried under my oily pillows. The night was creeping slowly. A moment past, I lost myself. When I came to my senses, I was lying on a rock with my face towards the sky, which was unusually starry, still it was very dark. The air was frosty and very pleasant. The moon was not anywhere on the sky. The rock was slippery and sandy. Therefore, I crawled on all fours, putting one hand out to feel ahead as I made my way fearfully forwards

                 When I got out of the rock, I made to my feet and walked forwards. Slowly the black shade of the night turned to gray. I could see the moon bright on the top of my head. It seemed as a road to a village. All was quite except for the wind whistling in to my ears. What seemed half an hour later I reached a small village. There was no light in any of the houses except for a small pub and an inn near to it in the corner of the main road. I entered to the pub. It was cold and bare. An unpleasant smell was filled in the pub. A man was sitting on a small table in the corner, holding a cup of drink and half slept. He was unshaven and looked mean and dishonest. He wore a sleeping gown and had a stoop. My stomach gave an unpleasant jerk. I took a seat at the center. It was cold and damp. What seemed five minutes later, I heard sounds of bells outside the pub. Moreover, three men entered to the pub. The tallest one was dark and mid aged. He had a sword on his back and two guns on his belt. The next man was not older than 25. He looked clever and honest. The third man was younger than others were. He was hardly eighteen years old, had a clear gray eyes. Moreover, was armed with a crossbow. He was shaven and his dark hairs were falling down to his forehead. He was limping; his shirts were worn out, showing his bare chest. A star shaped wound was there. Blood was dropping down from the wound. The other two supported him. I was looking straight to his eyes, the next second; he looked to me with a kind and curious face, then turned to the man sitting in the corner. He seems awake by the sounds. No one in that company except the young man seemed alert by my presence. As soon as he reached the chair, he collapsed. The aged man and the dark man carried him to a nearby room.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT IT

"Mohan, do we have an exam tomorrow?"
"Of corse, yes, nutter. It's maths. Didn;t check the time table dude? or were holidaying?"
"Nay man, It's just that on my way home today, I heard some chaps talking about tomorrow being a holiday. Dunno the reason"
"Hey! are you sure? Can that be true? Prey it is. I've still got two and half module to go. I'll have to forget about the sllep tonight, otherwise, wait I'll call Reetha"
"Reetha, did you hear? It's a leave tomorrow. Felix said, some of his acquaintances told him that the government has declared to be a leave"
"Really! Splendid! May be some one died. Great I just can't wait to stop studying. There's tones left for me to cover. Let me tell Manu. He'll probably celebrate."
"Manu exam's cancelled. Tomorrow is a govrnment declared leave. Apparently someone died."
"Yippe.....Imagin it's my cousin's wedding. Thank God. I won't missit. Probably some assailant murdured the chap."
"Or it could be old age or probably prolonged illness. Bless him. I know I shouldn't be happy. But even if he knows that I'll probably flunk this paper, otherwise he'll appreciate it."
"Let me tell my cousin. She'll probably swoon. She's already done her revision. She's gone for shopping now."
"Teena! did you hear? tomorrow has been declared a leave. Some famous person just died of a massive heart attack and we don't have the exam tomorrow"
"Oh! No! I can't bear another round for maths..."
That was hilarious? You bet exagerated? May be a bit. This happens. Now you got to be kidding. You'll be amazed at just how many stories you can came accross which have no base in anything coccrete..Wheather or not these guys above had to do the exam the next day besides is the point. What is amazing is that it's very easy to spin out believable rumors and get a whole clan of people stuck within this web of "false truths

CHAPTER-FOUR: THE TREE-YARD BUZZ

He could see the angry faces of his friends and became aware of the thing that he was late.
“You’re late,” said Ann fiercely
“It’s just ten minutes guys…er…actually I forgot about this. Yesterday my grandma came and was busy.” Said Joe with a little disappointment
“It’s ok Joe. Still we got half an hour. Come on.” Said Jack patting him on his shoulder
They directed towards the Tree-yard. The Tree-yard was the thinnest part of wood, with a pretty stream near by.
“It was you, who heard the sounds first, weren’t you Clarette?”Asked Jack
“Hm… I don’t know if it was me, but I’m sure it was me who told it first to Professor Sebastian.” Said Clarette a little confusion “and it was like…like a machine’s sound and was coming from over there” she pointed her fingers “from the fir tree at the very corner, near the bushes.”
There was the corner of the ground where the bushes grown tightly and heavily. The tree stood hide in the bushes up to their reach. It was perfectly normal to their eyes, as they searched every inch of it in their reach.
“Clarette, have you heard it again? I mean in any other days after you told it to Professor and how were it like? Continuous? Or repeating?” Asked Steve
“No I haven’t heard it again. Actually I mind to come again…and why are you, guys asking these questions to me? I don’t want to explore about this any way.” Said she, with a longing on her face to leave and turned round.
“But Clarette we do. We want to explore the secret; so that we can play here again. Don’t you want to?” Said Ann holding Clarette’s hand on hers
“Oh! Is that so…good luck to you and I don’t think I’ve to get my hands on this. And you got the information you want from me. Well you have enough people to handle it and you people don’t want me to join either. So can I go?” Said her slacking her hands from Ann’s
“Yea we got what we need…thanks. Well you can join if you want to.” Said Jack grinning at Joe and Steve. His face showed that, he disagree with Clarette joining with them.
“Definitely not, you mischief makers.” Said Clarette and walked away. All of them relived that she didn’t want a membership.
“What she meant that, the sounds were coming from the tree? She’s a night mare, didn’t she?” Said Curvin looking there, where Clarette just turned and made sure that, she’s really gone.
“There’s nothing to misunderstand. The answer was quite clear and I don’t think she’s making us fools. The sounds were coming from the tree and that seems a little baffling, doesn’t it?” Said Joe without taking his eyes of from the fir tree at the corner
“Yea it sounds strange. Come on guys let’s check it once again.” Said Ann approaching the tree
They again searched the tree. This time checked the tree piercing in to the bushes, but found nothing except small holes of size of coins. At this the bell rang and they hurried of to their classes.
“Ooops I forgot the homework.” Said Ann placing her hands on her cheeks
“What!” Shouted everybody as if they heard some one’s death news, and everybody turned to them with a collapsing face
“Yes guys. I’m sure I forgot it. I was tickled about our mission and worked out some ways to make it away more simply.”
“Listen to me guys; guess what she was doing yesterday? Swaying me to do the homework and made me swear not to copy any more.” Said Joe smiling widely “Now let me know Ann how are you going to do it.”
“Of course I’m going to copy it from you.” Said Ann making a turn ball throw at Joe
“What!” Once again they were blushed out with exaggeration
He handed over his book to Ann and began to pullout all the books out of his bag
***********
They nearly got ten minutes to finish off their lunch and marched of to the Tree-yard. As they drew nearer, heard some crushing and roaring sounds, it drew nearer and nearer as they stepped near the Tree-yard.
“What the bloody hell is going on. I just can’t bear it anymore.” Said Ann clapping her hands on her ears
“I think it’s coming from right there,” Said Jack pointing at the very tree Clarette showed them
“Let’s check out.”
They checked the tree. It looked quite normal to their eyes. They searched every inch of it in their reach, including the small holes they left unchecked last time. And then Steve found it. A tiny hole from which the sounds were coming, he stuffed his ears near it.
“But it’s not so large to hold something…..to emit this sound.” Said Joe stuffing his ear too
“Wait there’s a scratch inside it,” Said Ann reaching for her pockets, pulled out a long metal scale, and started to clean the hole.
“Why are you carrying that for” Asked Steve watching Ann cleaning the hole.
“None of your business, and now it got a use. So don’t ask me why I carry this.
A couple of minutes later the hole became wider and wider and the sounds were at its extreme. And inside the hole, there was a small rectangular box.
“I’ll open it,” Said Steve coming to the front.
“Be careful Steve”
Steve opened it and all of them stuffed their head to see, what was inside. To their surprise, it was a tiny pocket radio emitting the sounds
“What an idiot” Said Curvin turning round
“But how it came here? And why these sounds are here. I don’t understand.”Said Ann
“We don’t even know how it came here.” Said Joe looking round for a clue “guys come on, let’s check the whole forest.”
“Yes guys, come on, let’s check it.” Said Jack and made a ‘shh’ gesture so that they could hear small whispers around, if any.
The Tree-yard was the thinnest part of wood, with a pretty stream near by, and held only fir and apple trees. They walked in to the deep forest. Now the moss forming the mattress became thinner and thinner, the fir trees disappeared and wild looking trees got in to view.
“I’m scared guys. There may be some dangerous animals in the forest.” Said Curvin breathing hardly
“I don’t think so. There might not be any dangerous animals in our Tree-yard. That was why the head master let this as a play ground for us.” Said Joe, but his whisper doubled in the soundless atmosphere of the forest.
“But I don’t think, he’ll be happy with us wandering this forest.” Murmured Jack and his voice echoed in the forest.
As they reach deeper and deeper, they expected more trees, but it was like something very clean than the Tree-yard itself as if somebody had been cutting and cleaning it for weeks.
“Here we go. So this’s it. The secret of Tree-yard,” Said Joe

CHAPTER-THREE: THE MISCHIEF MAKERS

Joe was getting too worried, that he hadn’t completed his homework. He found Jack and Steve in a corner and sat beside them.
“Hay Joe, how are you pal? Asked Jack
“Er…fine, but I forgot homework dude.”
“No problem, copy it from me” Said Steve nodding
“Thanks Steve”
“It’s ok. Do the same, when I’m in trouble” Said Steve hugging him tightly. He copied all the homework from both Jack and Steve. Half an hour later Professor Macros, the arithmetic Professor came.
“Good morning everybody, today we are going to deal with quadratic equations. Before that let me check your homework” She checked all the books walking around the table, she stopped near Joe and said
“Mr. Smith can you explain, how you did it.”
Joe’s heart throbbed against his ribs. He wished to keep standing up, but his legs were no longer supporting him. Everybody was watching him, his mind went blank at the very thought of the night and homework.
“What’s the problem Mr. Smith? Are you ok?” Asked the professor with a worrying face “sit down sit down” he sank to the chair
“Ok, Miss Martin will explain”
Joe wasn’t listening to Ann. He was back to his room, to his drawer, and asking Little
“What happened to your land? How do you have here? Can’t you get back to your home again?”
“Wait Joe you’ll get all the answers when you meet me.”
“Sorry?” The sound was too loud that he realized that he was dreaming this entire journey, the whole questions, and he was sitting in the class. Everybody was watching him with a fury face
“What is it Mr. Smith? Are you ok?” asked the professor
“Nothing Professor I just got lost my concentration, and didn’t hear what you said.” Said Joe, with a glee of finding a good lie.
“Oh! Try to solve the problem that was I said. Ok students see you tomorrow.” She left the class. It was the time for a break. Ann came to him.
“So Joe what do you think?”
“What Ann?”
“The problem”
“Which one?”
“Oh, this one she just gave it now. To find the roots, given the sum and the product of roots.”
“Ok Ann”
“So what do you think?”
“What about” Said Joe with a rush
“Solving the problem” Said Ann rubbing the pencil marks she made on her book
“Ann you’ve got a whole day to think about it. I’m not gonna do it today. You can do it and share it with me tomorrow.” Said Joe grinning at her.
“I won’t Joe. Try yourself. I’ll not support anyone copying anything”
“Oh! Is it so, pleasure and I’m not going to try it.”
“It’s not matter with me. Do whatever you want.”
“Yeah ok right then.”
“Hay drop it Joe. She always likes to teach something, doesn’t she Curvin?” Said Jack, who was sitting two seats after Joe. Joe really wanted to stop his quarrel with Ann, so he got up from his seat and joined with Jack and Curvin.
“Joe I kept watching you all the time I suppose you weren’t here…..”
“Yeah actually, I haven’t mind at all, listening the class.”
“Why are you losing your mind pal? What’s up with you?” asked Curvin
“I don’t know” he said simply, looking down. He wasn’t dare enough to look straight to their eyes.
“Joe you are very close to us, and I’m sure you got some confusing stuff inside your head. If you don’t want to tell us…..it’s ok.” Said Jack stopping his walk and watching Joe
“Yeah I admit there is something, but it’s er……”
“It’s ok….Anyway Joe what are we supposed to do on the cultural day?” asked Curvin. It seemed that Curvin too wanted to change the subject.
“Steve suggested that why can’t we organize a play.” Said Joe with the relief that they changed the subject
“A play...? That sounds great. We have to talk about it, not now later among all our M.M. members.” Said Jack They all stopped walking, get back to class again.
“Ok we’ll talk tomorrow eve. Tell everybody that we will have meeting at our ‘Tree-yard’.” Said Joe
“‘Tree-yard’! Oh no. It does not look better for…..” Said Curvin in a shivering voice.
“Why not? We used to be there.”
“Yeah we used to, but nowadays nobody is going there. It has been a week; someone heard some really strange sounds in our ‘Tree-yard’ and everybody stopped going there. As we reported to Professor Sebastian; he made an enquiry too, but found nothing. Still nobody is dare to go there.” Said Curvin with a hard attempt to stop shivering.
“But we are dare to go there, aren’t we Joe?”
“Yes we are. Let’s see what will happen.”
“No... Don’t you dare, it’s too much risky.”
“Carry if you are not coming, stay where you are. Joe come on let’s go and check what the hell is going on there.”
They directed towards the ‘Tree-yard’. It was a most unusual part of wood surrounding the school.
“Hoi Joe, Jack. Where are you going? I was looking the whole school for you. What about the play? And where is Carry? Ann said he is with you.” Asked Steve, who found both Jack and Joe sneaking around the wall like trees.
“We will talk about the play later. Carry left us half way. Now we are going to the ‘Tree-yard’. Have you heard about the buzz?” asked Joe
“Yeah I have heard it. I think it’s just a rumor. If you are going to check. I’m coming with you too and don’t you think we need to call Ann?”
“Oh don’t do that. She will pile up foolish advises upon us.” Said Jack with a rush.
“I’m not going to give you any advice. There will not be any effect at all. Besides it is our duty to find out the secret.” They looked round saw both Ann and Curvin heading towards them.
“You Curvin cockroach. You told her everything.” Said Joe, his hands ready to punch.
“Yes. I er… thought might be she can help us. She you know is very intelligent.” Said Curvin nodding vigorously.
“You are right Carry. We too think she is very intelligent. Now let’s take it as a mission. A mission to find the secret of ‘Tree-yard’” Said Jack holding his hand and all of them shook their hands with Jack’s.
“Ok well then, we’ll start our mission today itself, in the eve at the physical practice period. Ok?”Said Steve
“Ok” Said everyone
The remaining classes were much boring than the previous ones, even to Ann the periods seemed to be long. As the last period approached, it was time to go. Five of them gathered in the school ground. Everybody was in an excited mood.
“So from now we are investigating to find out the secret of ‘Tree-yard’ buzz. Our investigation time will be the morning, lunchtime, and the physical practice period. Agreed?” Asked Ann looking their faces.
“Agreed.” Shouted everybody.
“Ok. Let’s go to the ‘Tree-yard’ now.” Said Jack holding the arms together.
The ‘Tree-yard was a most unusual part of wood, surrounded by the forest. It had only apple and fir trees all over until it touched the forest.
“Hay guys…it seems quite strange, doesn’t it?” Asked Ann examining the whole yard in the reach of her eyes.
“I don’t think so. It’s really normal, but is rather empty. Have you ever been to an empty ‘Tree-yard’?” Asked Joe patting Ann on her shoulder.
“No I have never been, but then what do you think about the sounds? I can’t hear any sounds or, are they supposed to come at intervals?”
“I don’t know. Well Carry, who heard the sounds first?” Asked Jack
“Don’t know. It was Claret who told me about it…and she said…it was er…like a jerking sound.” Said Curvin
“Jerking sound? I think we can’t continue this without asking her about it. So this will do for today. It’s too late come on let’s go. Remember tomorrow morning at 8.” Said Jack taking his hands off from Steve’s.
They took their bags and set out to their houses. Joe took his Villa Street and to his third turn, there stood his palace like house, ‘The heaven’.
“Mom...I’ll give you a fine report.” He called his mother entering the hall, Zara who was in the kitchen answered to him “what report?” entering the hall. “Our first investigation report.” Said Joe, throwing his bag to the sofa and engulfed a bottle of water.
“What dear? I didn’t get it.”
“Nothing mom I was joking. Anyway who’s up there?” Asked Joe, who heard a daddling footstep upstairs.
“It’s grandma. She arrived at noon.” Said Zara turning to the kitchen.
“What? Grandma Hellene? So she’s shifted….”
“Yes dear.”
Joe ran upstairs, two steps at a time. He had been with his grandma for a long time, she was like a mother to him, who loved her and she loved him. Mrs. Parsade, Zara’s mother was an aged bespectacled woman. She always wore pink tidy frocks. Like Joe, his mother completely taken his father, but those golden hairs of her was her mother’s. Mrs. Parsade’s those golden brown hairs were a bit grey now. All the family members loved this old woman, for John she was like his own mother, as he lost his mother in his age of seventeen.
“How are you grandma?” Said Joe hugging her, who was standing near the window looking the sky, as he hugged the old lady turned
“Oh! It’s you Joe dear. It was very much boring there without you, and today I feel happy to be here with you.” Said the old woman kissing Joe on both the cheeks.
“Now it will be ok grandma, but you’re supposed to be here last Friday, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I decided so but got a bad flue at the very morning of the Friday, don’t tell your mom, or she’ll be shouting at me.” Said Mrs. Parsade lowering her voice, but was too late Zara had already there.
“A flue and you don’t mind telling us,” said Zara clapping her hands on her mouth “you were alone, with nobody to look after you. Are you out of mind mom?”
“Zara, I wasn’t alone. Your brother Tom was there, to look after me. Besides, you were busy with Joe going his new school…”
“No mom Joe’s schooling in not as important as you mom, we could postpone it for another day. Tom was there? How did he get there? I think he must be now in France?” Said Zara
“Yeah, he must be, but change of plans. Somebody went to France instead of him.”
“Ok mom, you never hear me.” Suddenly the doorbell rang.
“Granma, it’s dad.” Said Joe interfering his mom’s talk.
“Mom, wait here…” Mrs. Parsade looked Zara with a questioning face “Er…Mom don’t you think that we’ll give him a surprise.” Said Zara smiling widely.
“That’s great mom,” Said Joe
Zara opened the door; she was right, found John standing out door with a smile he used to carry on his face.
“Oh! You’re extremely happy. What’s the matter Zara? Have you got any fine matters to write?” said John stepping inside and handing over his suitcase to Zara.
“Yea, I had one, but I finished it before evening.” said Zara placing the suitcase in to the wardrobe.
“So that’s the……” he stopped halfway as he realized, he sort out a wrong thing “but you wouldn’t be happy then”
“Yes I wouldn’t. Then guess what?”
“Well…..” John looked round to find something, found a small pink umbrella on the sofa. “What! Mom’s here? So that’s why you are happy darling, aren’t you?” said John looking upstairs “come on mom I found you”
Mrs. Parsade and Joe stepped downstairs and the whole evening they were helping Zara in kitchen, preparing the dinner. The heaven seemed crowded by the sounds. At half past eleven, Joe found himself half slept and lying on his grandma’s lap. He dreamed about the all days he’s going to have with his grandma, not about the story he were going to hear, not about the mission they promised to accomplish.
The cheerful dawn appeared in front of Joe, heading its light arms to touch him. At last, it touched Joe and he woke up, found himself on his bed. He remembered only about his homework he left undone, completed it within minutes. An hour later, he was driving his bicycle to his school. As he reached, he found his four friends along with Clarette in the ground, he remembered about the mission.

The New School (continue)

The three of them walked around the table, he met a lot of them, But wondered why Jack and Steve not mentioning the M.M members. As he met many more students, he felt that, being introduced as a teacher. At last, he got all the answers for the questions shot out of his head. Jack and Steve stopped near the opening of the round table to the centre and winked to the girl and a boy sitting two chairs after them. The girl was too small to her age, with black straight hairs and blue eyes; she was quite pretty and bore a clever look. And the boy was a bit fatty and small necked. The girl was writing something in her book and at the same time giving instructions to the boy, who was reading something. The girl give out a cry as the boy spelt something wrong and began arguing
“Carry you’re doing it again. If you don’t listen to me, It’ll be me; not professor Sandlots throwing you out of the class”
“And Ann you think you’ve got the right, don’t you?”
“Jack please this is not your problem. Why are you arguing with me? It is only I, who is teaching him something, and you are not. So keep quite about that thing” Said the girl sharply at Jack and turned her head towards Joe “By the way Joe I’m Ann Martin” “And I’m Curvin Thopson, You can call me Carry” Said the fatty boy cutting his teacher friend
“Well, there’s good news for you. We’ve managed to increase the number of our gang,” Said Steve reaching for a chair and sitting on it.
“Wow! So you are joining too Joe? That’s really great, it’ll be more fun”
“Ok then let’s put your hands together for our new friend Joe”
They put their hands together and hugged each other. Joe never thought that, he’d be getting such good friends so soon; they were going to be his four great friends he ever had; he was going to have some great and most fascinating adventures in the world with them.
Joe found it very comfortable in the new school at the very first day itself with a circle of four good friends. As he spent the whole day with them, he found so many strange things about his new school and felt a small disappointment towards his father for not bringing him here until now. Like his friends, the school also was special. There were two small swimming pools at the back of the school, providing a variety of coloured swimming suits to them and a small stadium designed to hills and valleys for skating practice.
Except all these things, what was most fascinating to him was the ‘Tree-yard’. It was a playground, not a plain one. It almost looked as a forest. This place was wild and unfrequented as the thinnest part of wood. The ground was full of moss that it looked as a mattress and from the grass and the moss gleamed the green light of many hundred glow-worms. The air was so fragrant that the birds even perched upon them. There were several springs forming a pool, with the prettiest pebbles at the bottom. Bushes were growing thickly around the ‘Tree-yard’ that gave it a look of a closed ground. There stood a number of fine fir trees, belonged to each student in the school. They can climb; swing up on the trees. All the students spent their spare time in The ' Tree-Yard'. It was like their orchard.
As the day ended up with dropping Joe in his doorstep, he found it very difficult to run up to mom and tell her everything. Joe couldn’t stop his tongue getting every inch of information to his mom. He only stopped when John came at ten and urged him to stop.
“Dad I’m a bit disappointed on you. Why you didn’t get me to that school until now? It’s wonderful.
“You know John he got four friends at the very first day itself. And guess who one among them is? Your old friend’s sun”
“What, James’s sun! So they are staying here, aren’t they? I haven’t seen him since my high school days.”
“I don’t know exactly, but think they are staying somewhere near our street.”
“Come on John I’m starving”
They sat together and ate the dinner. Joe talked too much about his school, and slept in the room itself.
***********
As the days dropped off, Joe got new and strange things about his school and he totally forgotten Little among all these things he got to tell his parents. He spent most of his time, talking to mom and completing his homework.
One day he was looking for his sky blue shirt he got the previous birthday, he accidently caught sight on Little who was sitting in the drawer of his cupboard. Joe felt a sudden crash.
“Oh little I’m sorry. I just have forgotten you.”
“Well it’s ok. I know you were busy with your school stuffs. It’s ok. I can understand you. Now tell me when you are going to tell me all those things about your school”
“So you are not disappointed, are you?”
“Of course not”
“Ok then prepare your story too. I’ll be here in the evening. Bye Little.”
Joe was very thrilled all the day. He awaited the evening to come fast, as he never wished after this school. The school became something more than a home to him. Moreover, all his friends become persons he never wished to miss.
***********
Joe helped himself with a cup of tea and a bit bread roast, stepped upstairs to his room and shut it carefully, seized Little. He told everything in a moment
“Now tell me your story. I was waiting so long to hear it and you have to tell me now itself.
“Ok Joe, but before that, promise me, you won’t tell it anybody, even to your four great friends”
“Ok, I won’t tell anybody as long as you wish not to, but don’t you think, they can help…” Said Joe looking straight in to Little’s eyes and saw the light of his eyes fading “Oh… forget it. Ok, I won’t tell anybody”
“Thanks and I…I believe you”…..My story is a lost dream. It gives me the real pain. The real pain of awareness that I can’t return to my land. My home was a world beyond this earth, but it was like this earth, filled with rivers, hills, mountains, forests, oceans, and everything. It was called ‘Terent, the invisible land’”
“Invisible land?”
“Yea our land was a thing that exists only for us, and for others it was virtual thing, but there were exceptions.”
“exceptions? What do you mean?”
“That is If I wish to show you my land, you will be able to see it. In our land, we are called the clown race. We live in our circus tents. In our race, everybody will make a model of him or her in their life and after their death, their soul will get inside that model and live as their own son or daughter. That was how we perpetuate our race. My father was a main clown in our tent his name was Pfidy Little and I had a good friend named Prit Stapper.”
Suddenly some body knocked the door; Joe without giving a chance hid Little in the drawer and closed it. He opened the door and saw his dad.
“Joe is everything ok? What were you doing? Haven’t you changed yet? Zara told you ran to your room right after your tea.”
“Dad I got a lot of things to write. That was why…”but he stopped half way as he remembered that his father was a former student of his school “It was a play dad, we planned to do at the cultural day.”Said Joe with a satisfaction that he found a good lie
“Oh dear it’s only October now. The cultural day will be in December. You’ll get enough time to prepare come on”
“Dad I’ll be there in a minute. Don’t you think, I need to change my clothes? If mom finds me like this, she will throw me to the bathtub.”Said Joe releasing his hand from his father
“Definitely son. Otherwise she’ll blame me saying ‘ oh my god my son has completely taken his father.’” Said John with a grinning smile.
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Joe got no time to complete his talk with Little. He was stocked in the visiting room, along with mom and dad’s talks, and slept in the room.
In the morning, he promised Little another night, and directed to his school, taking his new bicycle.
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