Cherry's World: August 2021

Sunday, August 29, 2021

MAYBE I WILL UNDERSTAND SOMETIME

Why did you always treat me,

Like a person from whom,

Anyone could expect greatness?

Why did you always see me,

As a unique creation,

From whom unique things,

Could come out?

Why did you never ever,

Look down upon me,

When the children next door,

Came out in flying colours?

Why did you keep telling me,

That it was more important,

To gamble with myself?

Why did you spend time,

Reading all my poems,

Those awful long poems?

Why did you frame with gold,

My first painting,

That clumsy piece of art,

And talk so great about it,

To all your friends?

Why did you take the pain to listen,

Even when you were so tired,

To all the stories I had to say,

When I returned all spent,

From school or tiring work?

Why did you feel so great,

And talk to all your friends,

About my little and big achievements?

Why did you keep a genial smile,

Even when you were sick,

And still gave me a shoulder,

To lean on with all my burdens?

Why did you strive to make me laugh,

And to fill me with resilient hopes,

Even when I sat,

On a pile of life's ruins.

Why did you, like a stoic,

Bear all the pain that I inflicted on you,

While venting out all my anger and frustration?

Maybe I will understand sometime,

When I become, a mother like you.

Mom, you are my best friend,

My role model for life.

FOR MY WRITINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Poetry book 'INDELIBLE ETERNAL ETCHINGS':

https://www.amazon.in/INDELIBLE-ETERNAL-ETCHINGS-emotions-unbridled-ebook/dp/B072J4L656/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=indelible+eternal+etchings&qid=1583428166&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/INDELIBLE-ETERNAL-ETCHINGS-emotions-unbridled-ebook/dp/B072J4L656/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=indelible+eternal+etchings&qid=1583428402&sr=8-1

STORIES

Short Story book 'A PEARL FROM EVERY OYSTER':

https://notionpress.com/read/a-pearl-from-every-oyster

https://www.amazon.in/Pearl-Every-Oyster-Stories-Shorter/dp/1948473151/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GI23X9JIKQGK&keywords=a+pearl+from+every+oyster&qid=1583428674&sprefix=A+Pearl+from%2Caps%2C302&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Every-Oyster-Stories-Shorter-ebook/dp/B07948GRVC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1H9GU3Q8JNH29&keywords=a+pearl+from+every+oyster&qid=1583428722&sprefix=a+pearl+from+ev%2Caps%2C363&sr=8-1

For other countries, please visit the respective Amazon sites.

Friday, August 20, 2021

LESSONS FROM A RIDE WITH BONEY RAJA

It was a Sunday morning and I had just got up early and dressed up, to go to church. I would always be lazy to prepare the previous day, for a Sunday morning, be it keeping a set of clothes ready, polishing my shoes or checking the fuel level in my car. Since this would be after a grueling five-day week at work and a busy Saturday, replete with home chores, the Sunday preparations usually worked out well for me. But this Sunday was different as I had noticed that the fuel level was pretty low only that morning and waiting at the petrol bunk beeline, would end up my being late for church. Without doing any further research on it, I stepped into the street and looked out for an auto rickshaw.

I had to wait for a while, before I spotted one slowly inching towards me from a bend, about a hundred metres away. Its approach had an amenable character about it, contrary to the otherwise aggressive and adamant nature an autorickshaw would portray, during peak hours. I waited as it slowly negotiated the potholes and stopped near me, seeing me stand. Since I was tall, my eyes were at a level, above the roof of the auto rickshaw. A head popped out and asked me "Good morning Sir. Where are you going Sir?” in Tamil. His suave touch impressed me, "Loyola College", I replied and even before my response was half way through, his reply came through "Rs.200". I found it difficult to take, as I knew the fare would be around Rs.150 only. And so, I tried to bargain with him and after a while, he told me "Sir, this is today's first boney. So please let’s not argue. Give me whatever makes you happy". I was taken aback with his abrupt answer, but I got in. The "first boney" is the first money they earn as fare from a customer. I knew that most drivers, always made it a point, to get a good sum on the first ride, as they believed it to be a good portent. But here, I saw patience being exhibited by an autorickshaw driver the first time.

We were moving at a good pace and he switched on music from a player. Coincidentally, that music was something I loved. There were three different English newspapers of day inside. "Can I read these newspapers?", I asked while I was still in a state of surprise. "Yes Sir, those are for customers like you", he replied. He handled the speed breakers with extreme care, thus ensuring that not only the front wheel but also that the back wheels, directly on top of which my seat was, went over smoothly. Frankly, I fell in love with his driving and customer care, that moment. "So where is your auto stand?” I asked, opening up a conversation. "Near the Anna Nagar bus stand Sir", he replied. “How much do you earn a day?” I asked, hesitantly going a step more, as I thought, questions around one's income, were mostly not entertained by anyone. "Well, about Rs.1500. I believe that if I begin on a happy note, I may even earn much more", he replied. Beginning on a happy note and earning a sizeable fare were different things I thought. "So, do you ensure, that you get the fare that you have in mind, from the first customer, everyday?” I asked with a small smile. He detected the smile through the mirror, reciprocated with one and said, "I wish, it happens Sir. Arguing for it, affects me a lot. So, if the fare is a little fine, I let go and accept what they give ".

“A great character”, I thought, as many times I could not display the same kind of patience with the first person I met at my workplace, who approached me with a work request. "Once I had a first customer who got in after discussing for a fare of Rs.60, without knowing his destination accurately. After reaching an approximate location, we went on and on and searched for the destination and finally located it. We would have gone an extra four kilometres. But in the end, he just paid me the same fare. I did not argue, but indicated about it and received it with a smile. But somehow, the rest of the day, gave me a huge collection from several customers," he recalled again, with a smile. We reached the dropping point. I asked him his name. "Raja, Sir", he replied. I surprised him, by paying him the original fare that he had told me. Boney Raja, as I refer to him today, left me with a good lesson, on how I could begin a day well, at my workplace.

FOR MY WRITINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Thursday, August 12, 2021

THE VALUE OF PAUSES

Many times, it's our ability to reflect on what went by and refine our plans, that catapults us to much bigger achievements.

FOR MY WRITINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Thursday, August 5, 2021

REJUVENATIONS THROUGH HOSPITAL VISITS

Dawn welcomed me today with the chirp of a sparrow and the unlocking of the shutters of the shops opposite to my house, beautifully laced by chance, one into the other. Taking the office shuttle had demanded my rising at 6.15 am, but since 2020, the IT industry has been successfully working on a work from home model and I had managed at least another hour and half of sleep and loved being a late riser. This had been the practice so far but today was special as there was a hospital procedure appointment for me. And so, I was up at 6.15 am today after a long time. Our driver also had to take a share of this brunt of rising early.

As a family, our minds were replete with a certain amount of anxiety, considering the procedures that I had to go through and as to how finally the outcome would turn out to be. This feeling that had begun in a small way yesterday had now increased in intensity and now kept banging the doors of our minds constantly, not allowing us to think of anything else.

While waiting at the hospital, I got to interact with the family of another patient who was also waiting in the same hall. The patient was a very young boy suffering from a critical state of congenital heart disease. The family had already spent time, effort and money into several years of treatment and had very little hope that he would survive. The moment I heard their story, I felt mine was of miniscule gravity when compared to what I heard. On one side, I felt lighter, but I realized that probably this is the way Nature has constructed all our obstacles in life. Each one has their own set of problems and obstacles and the more myopic we are about them, the more we feel that they are the biggest problems and obstacles we have in this world.

I believe that many times, I can refuel myself with hope by witnessing the hopeless, especially whose hopelessness is of a higher state than myself, and that's what a hospital offers us with. Although on the surface, it seems to be a depressive place, where we get to see patients with a variety of ailments, that is indeed the place that gives us the realization when we get a little deeper, by interacting with another human who is sick and his or her family, that as a family and as individuals, we are really gifted.

FOR MY WRITINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE