A family is missed - A Haiku.

 

Chaos to order

The sound of the lullaby 

A mother is missed

Facing turbulence

Hit the seashore together

A father is missed

Far away from home

Nostalgic dreams trouble me

Family is missed

A mother's lullaby with the soft caress brings peace to every melancholic mind. You don't need words to communicate with a mother, she understands everything unsaid. She feels it. She might not know the reason. But she knows just how to calm you down.

A father's strength is such a backbone to the child. He faces your share of waves too, chest first and falls on the seashore along with you. He gets you through every situation. No, he won't do it alone. He will do it along with you, teaching you to face life and it's surprises.

Homesickness has only one remedy... GO HOME!

This Haiku is written for The Heights of Haiku - April 2012. The prompt for today is 'SEASHORE'.

Every single day well spent sums up to a life fully lived.

A look into my 'reel' life is all that takes to remind me the 'Real' moments of my life. This is what i realized as i looked into the old photo albums. I think they are the most precious treasures every family owns. I'm always for clicking away on special occasions or memorable moments. Helps you relive those moments even after what seems like an eternity. Ahhh! Those were some days. Waking up to the rising sun and the chirping birds, to the sound of dad showering in the bath humming his old set of hindi songs and to the frantic cries of mom trying to wake me from my slumber party. I think the most Real experiences fall in the following category...

• Our childhood.
• Our children's childhood! 
• Nature

Some things just don't change from generation to generation, do they? Every new generation evolves, but there is one thing that always bonds all generations together. Trips to beaches, parks, gardens, rivers, waterfalls, hill-stations, valley views etc. It's amazing how nature works in binding families together.

Childhood is undoubtedly the best part of my life by far. It was a whole different domain i lived in back then. No worries of the 'big-bad-world' what-so-ever. The worries were limited to the 'big-bad-wolf' who followed lil red riding hood in the woods! It was like being one with the nature, exposing it's parade of tricks and treats. What interested me back then was not the gossip of a bunch of silly people, nor did 'what will people think about me' bothered. The only thing that mattered was doing the things that made me happy, and doing it with perfection. Squeezing every little fun it had to offer. That was one amazing life as kids. I remember wanting to be a BIG GIRL soon back then. Seriously, what was i thinking?! I have no clue. I guess the grass will always remain greener on the other side, won't it? 

Courtesy

Anyway, it was just another eventful day seventeen years back. I had hit the sack after kissing mom and dad goodnight. The moment my head hit the pillow, i was sound asleep, and i dreamed of beautiful happy things as usual. It felt like i had slept forever when some noise woke me up. No it wasn't my mother, because it was a Sunday - the only day of the week when i wasn't woken up by a frenzied mother! The sound was very melodious and pleasing. I did not wish to open my eyes. I knew of lullabies that put kids to sleep. But i never knew there was music to wake kids too. Reluctantly i opened my eyes slowly, making sure it wasn't a part of my sweet dream. No, it wasn't! So then what was it? Was it a new way adopted by mommy dear to wake me? If it was, then i didn't really mind this one. For the first time, getting out of bed did not feel so bad.

With my ears alert to the source of the sound, i tiptoed towards the window which opened into our balcony. The sound seemed to come from over there. Pulling the bright red stool to the window, i stepped on it, craning my neck to look out of the window. I looked out only to find the neatly arranged flower pots with the dew set in on the leaves. I was mesmerized by the colorful sight, and wondered why it never fascinated me before. Maybe because i never visited the balcony anymore after dad got it grilled, scared that i'll fall down from the first floor, after my curious attempt to look down from above which had almost unbalanced me. I would have gone crashing down, if not for the timely save by dad, followed by a long lecture of why it was wrong. At that point, the only thing that mattered was looking down, not how dangerous that was! 

Courtesy

Well.. that almost distracted me from the melody, but soon i was back on my mission to find the source of the sweetness in my ears. And then within a blink of my eye, something fluttered past me. I screamed in fright and remained frozen until dad came running with a broomstick in his hand. He probably expected another encounter with a cockroach and my tantrums. But this time it was different. I was looking at something with such curiosity and amazement, dad decided to go and look into it. What he saw next amazed him too! It was a bird nest with three eggs and a bird in it. It was right at the corner of the grill, and somehow covered up. It probably wouldn't have been visible at first sight, if not for the baby-sharp-will i had to find the source.

Dad warned me not to touch it, or the bird would never come back to the nest again because it would sense danger even if we didn't intend any harm. I sooo wished to transfer the nest into my shoe box and make it comfortable for the little ones when they hatched. But for a change i paid heed to what dad had to say and obeyed him this time! We stared at it for some more time together and thinking of that time now, makes me realize how real it felt. A 100% REAL EXPERIENCE... a moment to be treasured for eternity. 

Courtesy

The minute i read about 'The Kissan 100% Real Blogger Contest', the first thing that flashed me was this. As a little child, it was a moment of appreciation of life and it's beauty, a moment of togetherness... and now as a grown up having experienced some lows and highs life has to offer, it's a moment i look back on, to remind myself that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It reminds me life is beautiful, magical and a very valuable possession. It is a constant reminder that every single day well spent sums up to a life fully lived. 

Cheers to life, it's miracles, and everything it has in store for us.

P.S. This is a submission to The Kissan 100% Real Blogger Contest.

A moment is all it took for him to be OUT of sight and IN my thoughts!

       (Chug) I could see dad's face (Chug chug) floating out of my sight as the train chugged, gaining pace (chug chug chug chug)..... A moment is all it took for him to be OUT of sight and IN my thoughts...Only moments before, he sat next to Me and Mom making sure all the luggage was safely chained. No sooner was he satisfied by the luggage safety, he eyed the male passengers around and i couldn't help but smile to myself. For i knew what would run in his mind, the next few minutes.

       A young, handsome boy would set his minds racing to the AGE-effect... and an older, bulky, moustachy, rogue man would set him wishing he himself had come along with us, or wish that there was atleast a single lady passenger around, apart from the two lovely women of his life. He'll try and judge them, but No, how can they be nice! "Why is that man lookin down to the luggage, is he gonna steal..?! Why is the guy looking at my daughter.. Why can't he mind his own business...?! I think He needs to be given a piece of my mind...! You better keep your thoughts to yourself mister...!! You harm them, and you're dead meat...!" A LOL moment to me and an AAAARGH to him! Haha..

       As i saw him fighting his urge to unchain the luggage and get us out of the train and take us back home with him, the bogie was filling up with the last-minute people hurrying around, forcing dad to get out of the train. Within seconds, his face pops up at the window. He seems happy there is a charging point in the compartment and asks me to check to see if its working. It surprisingly did.. So then started the instructions... (Take a deep breath) "DO NOT switch off your mobile phones... Keep it charged... Keep giving me missed calls now and then... Call me when you stop at stations... Make sure you have all your luggage when you get down... Should i ask one of these men to help you with the luggage...? Do not forget to keep an alarm... You won't miss the station right? Keep your handbags under your head... Don't go to the washroom alone at night... Do you need anything...? U have water and some food for emergency...? Do u need a magazine... Do u need chocolates... Do u need ANYTHING AT ALL...!!!!!!! ...  blah blah blah.... and more blah...." (All in one breath... phew!)


       This went on till i yelled, all irritated (We don't like being told what to do, do we? ;-) ) - "Will you stop worrying Pappa... We are not kids! Come onnn!".. No sooner the words were outta my mouth i regretted it, for i knew 'The Feeling'... The feeling of seeing your loved ones go. Cos it was not just him, those feelings... mutual... exactly mine! I saw his face drop as he said the typical parenty super-touchy one-liner.. "You will always remain my little girl!" ...Why do they do that...!!! It's hard not to well up after that. One cliche statement which no matter how many times, how many parents utter... always gonna be true to the core.

       Well, that ended with a lotto emotional exchange and a long blast from the hooter. That bringing me to where i began... (Chug chug chug chug chug)... A moment is all it took for him to be OUT of sight and IN my thoughts... My mind eye sees him walking back the station, taking his steps ever so slowly. He's exhausted, i can see... Physically, mentally..! I know that face. That face is proof how much we mean to him, how much he loves us. "Jaan chidakna"- That's what i call it.

       As he totters out of the station, he knows he will wake up to a lonely 'Tomorrow', to see no wife on the other side of the bed, he knows he ll make one cup of tea - not two, he knows he ll think of her beautiful fresh morning face as he drinks it, he knows he ll not find his daughter smiling in her dreams as he looks into her room before leaving to work, he knows he wont feel the same energy in the office as always, he knows he will call them more than he always does for no particular reason, but to just listen to them. He knows this is not just tomorrow, but for many tomorrows to come before they come back. He knows his better half will worry about him, till she sees him again, and he reminds himself to not make it obvious to her that he wants her to come back home, soon! He knows his daughter will miss him very much, from the moment she caught his last glimpse, as she crained her neck to the maximum she could between the rails of the dirty window.

       He is a man and men don't cry, he reminds himself as he wipes the one tear that has somehow escaped his strong eyes. He frames his last eye-snap he took of the mother-daughter duo, for keeps till he sees them again. His cell phone beeps and a little smile creeps on his face because he knows what it is. It's his daughter, as always, sending an "I LOVE YOU PAPPA... I WILL MISS YOU MORE!" message. Thinking of his little girl, he joins the crowd which has god-knows how many widows, widowers, divorcees, orphans, childless, unfruitful and abandoned people. He feels lucky and thanks God for his wonderful family, as my mind eye shuts and drifts off to sleep... only to meet Him there, Again...! Amen.