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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Character Based
- Published: 04/25/2015
THE VACANT BENCH
I was staring again at that vacant bench; I guess 5th time in last five minutes.
It has been a week since I last saw him sitting there. Morning paper in one hand and a walking stick in other. He used to sit there and read it daily. I am turning 68 now. He is about 70-72, I guess. I used to visit this park every morning for a walk & would find him sitting there. We were not friends. In fact, I didn’t even know him. Who is he? What’s his name? Where he lived? Nothing at all. There was no relation between us. It was just that period of 15-20 minutes when I used to sit there after my walk & he would be sitting on that bench reading his paper. He would look at me, smile a little and greet me with a slight nod of head. That’s it. That was all the communication or interaction we would have. But it was nice. That unsaid connection was there which used to give me a feeling of oneness in that period of 15-20 minutes. These human feelings are actually weird. Sometimes it takes a life time to feel connected to those whom we call our own, and some other times, it’s just a matter of moments when some stranger starts seeming to be our own. Now don’t start thinking that this old lady is falling in love again. But yes, sometimes you feel connected to someone in such a way that it feels nice. Some relations are just like that. No name is required, no words are necessary. It’s just a feeling that you get which makes you feel good.
But now it’s been a week and I haven’t seen him. Where is he? How is he? What has happened? I don’t know anything. I am feeling a little restless now. Seeing him there was a routine now and I was feeling as if something is missing from my life. Where could he be? Is he ill? Attending a function may be. Or he will probably be out with his family I guess, for a vacation. Its spring season after all, a holiday period. Even we are planning for a vacation. He might well be at some hill station right now, sipping a cup of hot tea with his wife and watching his grandchildren running around. I still remember that smile of his. Childlike & full of life. As if every day he is living his life all over again. He will definitely be living one more such day with his loved ones.
I didn’t even realize when a smile appeared on my lips as I was thinking all this. Thinking about such happy moments always does that. Thats why living in every moment makes your life a happy one. I thought & started walking back home.
Suddenly I heard some loud noises of sirens. I guess it was some municipality vehicle passing by. Then a few steps ahead I saw a crowd of people. I could hear some chatters and murmurs. I went a little closer and I could listen people saying “they have found a dead body on the roadside” “Hey its same old man that used to sit in the park daily” “I heard he used to live in a old age home for past so many years, but well, nobody ever visited him” “I heard he was not well. These old age homes these days, they don’t take care of them. He was lying here dead. “Such insensitive kids these days, no one has come forward to claim the body. I guess the municipality people will have to do the cremation now. Poor fellow”
I started having a sinking feeling. My heart beats were running fast and I felt as if my heart will come out of my mouth. I started feeling dizzy. Unable to stand there anymore, I just sat there. My whole body and thoughts were numb. It was becoming hard for me to make myself believe that life can be that cruel. I was not able to think anything. All I could see was that smile of his and that nod of head; the morning paper and the walking stick. How can someone hide such pain behind a smile? I was not able to believe that my friend is suddenly not alive anymore. He lived all alone and died as a nobody. That smile was so full of life and that face full of determination and in a blink of an eye, he is no more. I couldn’t even ask his name. All I knew him was by his smile, morning paper and walking stick.
Who was he, nobody knew. For the others standing there, he will be nothing more than an unknown dead body after today. But for me, well, I guess for me he is that drop of tear which suddenly appeared and got stuck in the corner of my eye.
I am still staring that vacant bench.
The Vacant Bench(Vikrant Kamal)
THE VACANT BENCH
I was staring again at that vacant bench; I guess 5th time in last five minutes.
It has been a week since I last saw him sitting there. Morning paper in one hand and a walking stick in other. He used to sit there and read it daily. I am turning 68 now. He is about 70-72, I guess. I used to visit this park every morning for a walk & would find him sitting there. We were not friends. In fact, I didn’t even know him. Who is he? What’s his name? Where he lived? Nothing at all. There was no relation between us. It was just that period of 15-20 minutes when I used to sit there after my walk & he would be sitting on that bench reading his paper. He would look at me, smile a little and greet me with a slight nod of head. That’s it. That was all the communication or interaction we would have. But it was nice. That unsaid connection was there which used to give me a feeling of oneness in that period of 15-20 minutes. These human feelings are actually weird. Sometimes it takes a life time to feel connected to those whom we call our own, and some other times, it’s just a matter of moments when some stranger starts seeming to be our own. Now don’t start thinking that this old lady is falling in love again. But yes, sometimes you feel connected to someone in such a way that it feels nice. Some relations are just like that. No name is required, no words are necessary. It’s just a feeling that you get which makes you feel good.
But now it’s been a week and I haven’t seen him. Where is he? How is he? What has happened? I don’t know anything. I am feeling a little restless now. Seeing him there was a routine now and I was feeling as if something is missing from my life. Where could he be? Is he ill? Attending a function may be. Or he will probably be out with his family I guess, for a vacation. Its spring season after all, a holiday period. Even we are planning for a vacation. He might well be at some hill station right now, sipping a cup of hot tea with his wife and watching his grandchildren running around. I still remember that smile of his. Childlike & full of life. As if every day he is living his life all over again. He will definitely be living one more such day with his loved ones.
I didn’t even realize when a smile appeared on my lips as I was thinking all this. Thinking about such happy moments always does that. Thats why living in every moment makes your life a happy one. I thought & started walking back home.
Suddenly I heard some loud noises of sirens. I guess it was some municipality vehicle passing by. Then a few steps ahead I saw a crowd of people. I could hear some chatters and murmurs. I went a little closer and I could listen people saying “they have found a dead body on the roadside” “Hey its same old man that used to sit in the park daily” “I heard he used to live in a old age home for past so many years, but well, nobody ever visited him” “I heard he was not well. These old age homes these days, they don’t take care of them. He was lying here dead. “Such insensitive kids these days, no one has come forward to claim the body. I guess the municipality people will have to do the cremation now. Poor fellow”
I started having a sinking feeling. My heart beats were running fast and I felt as if my heart will come out of my mouth. I started feeling dizzy. Unable to stand there anymore, I just sat there. My whole body and thoughts were numb. It was becoming hard for me to make myself believe that life can be that cruel. I was not able to think anything. All I could see was that smile of his and that nod of head; the morning paper and the walking stick. How can someone hide such pain behind a smile? I was not able to believe that my friend is suddenly not alive anymore. He lived all alone and died as a nobody. That smile was so full of life and that face full of determination and in a blink of an eye, he is no more. I couldn’t even ask his name. All I knew him was by his smile, morning paper and walking stick.
Who was he, nobody knew. For the others standing there, he will be nothing more than an unknown dead body after today. But for me, well, I guess for me he is that drop of tear which suddenly appeared and got stuck in the corner of my eye.
I am still staring that vacant bench.
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