NOTE: THIS IS A SAD STORY. READ IT IF YOU HAVE A STRONG HEART and the TIME. WEAK HEARTED STAY AWAY....
John had sat by that window in his hospital, watching rain from a long time. The wheel chair he was on, had not moved an inch, he could barely stand, his hands shaking moved up till his face to wipe off a tear that flew down from those gloomy yet intrigued eyes. John, was 69 years old,
sad and lonely had seen a lot of life, fun, happiness, love and glory. Now, he had all wrinkled up, age had taken over, sitting alone in a room of ABC hospital, he was continuously staring from the window, thinking of past days. He recalled, few years ago, how he had trekked the peaks of sahyadri hills when his legs were strong, even the wildest rain could not shatter him from reaching the top. How he went to the gym, how he could outperform many youngsters on the treadmill.
How he single handed-ly had lifted the tree that had fallen on the road while driving to Ooty, how he dug his own swimming pool and how proud his wife saw him in her eyes as a self made man. How intelligently he had won so many awards at work, how witty he was, funny and clever he was, all the way how he used to make people laugh, and then he kept watching the rain, as if time had rained over all that was left and then it was consumed.
From that window, there was a lawn, neatly mowed, and a large tree that opened up a lot of space for shadow. Under that tree there were all type of flowers. The gardeners seemed to have done a pretty nice job. Beyond that garden, there was a main road and a bus stop. Many people sat there and got into their buses that went to their destinations. There was a bus every hour on the busy road.
Johnny was a young boy, 18 years old, came in a bus, into the same bus stop at the ABC hospital. He was sad and lonely, he had a harsh childhood, tough battle throughout, he was also staring from the window of his corner seat in the bus. *You will know the reason behind staring from the window at the end of this story, read on for now *- He saw how beautiful the same garden of the hospital was, and wondered if ever he could end up in that hospital to die as he was not feeling any good to live. His application to engineering was rejected due to reservation, he was in the general merit quota. Deciding he would do something else, somehow his mother had pawned all her gold to get him 10,000 rupees so that he could join a bachelor degree course and some how graduate to find himself a job. Johnny's had kept his fingers crossed even though they were aching, praying that the fees to join the graduation program at the Benson First grade college is less than 10,000 rupees. That is all he had, if the fees was even a rupee more, he had no chance of paying that, but to walk back and find an alternative. This was his only hope to study and find himself a future.
Luckily, the fees was 10,000 rupees, which he happily paid and reached home excited to start the course and meet new people. It did pain to him, deep inside that the fees had to come out of his mother's pawned gold chain. His mother asked when he returned home, "Are you Happy?", Johnny explained to her how delighted he was and how he will work hard etc., After the first few months, Johnny found a job, he attended college in the day, and worked in the night. Days passed rather quickly, years passed, he finished his graduation and got into a better job.
Johnny learnt a lot of life, learnt about survival, hunger and humiliation. He understood - How you feel when you work without sleeping for days, and how refreshing it gets when you wake up from that much needed sleep. Johnny watched life from up close, examining every little thread, trying to untangle the puzzle and find the answer to everything that kept happening. He ate when he had food, he slept when he had time, he studied when he had the interest. He saw what it is to fall sick for not eating food and to feel strong by eating the right food. He experienced things in the course of time. He found ways to be "HAPPY". He made friends, friends in college, office and almost every where he went. From being an introvert, he turned to be an extrovert. He had a new energy, that no one had. He never ceased to be the center of attraction everywhere he went. He had discovered how hard work can pay returns. He slogged hard, kept himself in the slog mode, because he had understood that if he worked hard only then he can be "HAPPY"
Johnny used to attend many social gatherings, he was a familiar and a must have person in all events, he went to the pubs and the discos with his friends. He did the occasional trekking, snorkeling adventure trips. He enjoyed travelling.
He also helped his mother financially, he gave what he could to his family. He even helped the poor, he helped his teammates, friends and all who deserved his honest assistance. He had millions of reasons to be happy, cheer, smile and laugh about. He was on his way to become a self made man.
Johnny explored new places, did new exiting things, and one day he met a girl at a fountain near his work place, and instantly fell in love. They often met at that fountain, which turned out to be not just their meeting spot but a time to catchup and know each other. He was exalted as if everything had taken a drastic turn. But he never forgot where he came from, he continued to be that down to earth humble person. Later at the age of 25 he got married to the same girl, whom he ever fell in true love with. On the day of his wedding his wife asked "Are you happy honey?" he had no words to say but a smile and hug which confirmed how happy he was. He later told her, how lucky he felt he was to have gotten married to the one he loved so much. He was very happy and he loved his wife more than anyone or anything in his world. Johnny as a person, since then, only got better. She was a very intelligent, beautiful woman anyone would envy him for having such a gracious wife. Johnny was flamboyant with his achievement.
The couple later, were blessed with two little kids, who were very beautiful. Johnny bought a house and a car, he took care of his parents and Family. It was as if a fairy tale, as though the rough patch had passed. Everytime he looked back at his life, Johnny felt proud. Although he had ups and downs, it did not dampen his overall spirit of happiness. Watching his kids grow up was fun and encouraging. He gave them the best education and the best parenting. He made sure they did not suffer what he suffered. His kids never felt the burden of economy or poverty. They grew up to become intelligent, strong and independent. He got them both married, his daughter asked him "if he is happy", he humbly nodded in agreement with tears in his eyes. He was indeed happy.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny celebrated their 25th anniversary. They started their retirement in peace, longing for solace and knowledge in his favorite farmhouse he had built for that purpose. Reading books, learning new things, playing music, pottery, gardening, travelling, doing what they loved doing, it was a dream retirement for anyone.
Days rolled by, he turned 65, during the medical checkup, the doctor examined both Johnny and his wife and called them "Hale and Healthy". All of their medical diagnostics turned out positive. Not a thing seemed a cause of worry. Both smiled and held their hands together with lot of love and satisfaction. They went back to that same very fountain where they had first met and spent a full day there, they were still strongly in love with each other, not an ounce of it had reduced over the years but it had grown infintely stronger. But, as destiny had it, a week later, Mrs. Johnny did not wake up from bed, she had breathed her last. She had silently passed away. Johnny could not believe it. He was dumbstruck, saddened to the core, shattered to pieces. The one person he loved, who was with him all the time, in all ups and downs had gone. The one person who had lived for him, who had loved him and known him, was no more. What pained the most is that she did not even tell him a good bye. She had died holding his hands, hugging and cuddling him in her sleep, just like she wanted it. They all said to him that, she got lucky to die in the arms of the one she loved the most.
He could never get away from the lump in his throat, which did not disappear even after days from the death of his beloved wife. He always felt her need, he felt her absence. He could not smile or eat or sleep. Sometimes he went to the fountain and quietly spoke to her, scolded her for leaving him alone. He wanted her to come back. But when his grand daughter ran upto him and said "Grandpa, I am wearing the skirt you bought me for my birthday, everyone said I am looking very pretty. I wore it today for you, are you happy?" he smiled, and said "Grandpa is very happy". That changed how he looked at things. He was happy again, for his grand daughter, for his family. He consoled himself that his wife has not left him, but she is inside him, she has not left him and he always kept talking to her within himself as if she was real. He found a way, a work around for loneliness and lived on his life of what was left. Afterall Johny was a fighter, and he continued his endless slogging, struggling and fighting with life.
2 years passed, he fell sick too. He was diagnosed of cancer. His son was abroad and daughter was far away. With everyone busy in their own life, children work, he was in the room of ABC Hospital staring at that rain from the Window. Just as he had guessed it 51 years ago when he sat in the bus with 10,000 rupees in his pocket and wanting to die. Today he is at the same hospital wanting to live.
John alias Johnny, 69 years old, sad and lonely had seen a lot of life, fun, happiness, love and glory. Now, he had all wrinkled up, age had taken over, sitting alone in a room of ABC hospital, he was continuously staring from the window, thinking of past days.
He could barely wipe his tears and he was no doubt missing his beloved wife.
The Nurse walked into the room, saw John and said "YOU OLD TWIT, WHAT A F***KIN STUPID MORON YOU ARE, YOU SAT HERE ALL DAY and YOU HAVE SHIT IN YOUR PANTS, CANT YOU CALL WHEN YOU HAD TO DIRTY THE WHOLE PLACE? WHO WILL CLEAN YOUR CRAP NOW, YOUR WIFE?" That day, loneliness creeped him again. Everyone had desolated him, he was back again to the place where he was. All that he had done had no moral value or stealth. It had all gone, but how? He could not understand.
John had not noticed that old age had done such a thing to him that he would not even know he had excreted without knowing it. How did that ever happen? He was surprised and shocked, more than it all he was EMBARRASSED. How RUDELY the nurse spoke to him, no one had ever spoken to him that way. He could not even retaliate, he shook his head down in GUILT. He longed for his wife all the more. He wanted her so badly, his face and heart sunk into the bottomest core of his chest. The Nurse continued to yell "WHAT A LOUSY PIECE OF GARBAGE YOU ARE, YOU MESSED MY WHOLE DAY, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW HUH?
All that John could hear was that "Are you happy?" this is a question that had repeated so many times. He had lived his life through, and in the end this was probably the only question that prevailed in his mind. He silently said to himself "NO, I AM NOT HAPPY, I HAVE NOT CREATED ANYTHING OF VALUE THAT WILL LIVE FOREVER. I HAVE NOT ACHIEVED ANYTHING, EVEN WITH EVERYTHING and EVERYONE, I DONT HAVE MYSELF WITH ME. I HAVE NOT GIVEN ANY VALUE TO THIS WORLD"
All that John did was family and himself. John DIED the next day, and as a soul, he stood there and watched over his family and friends visit him. From his own Sons' mouth he heard how he called him a "BODY", how they spoke about burning and completing the formalities. And how everyone addressed him as BODY but not by his name, he was even more Unhappy. No one called him by his name. Name does not matter right after a person is gone? John's soul kept thinking this - is this living is all about? I did so much for my family, sacrificed so many times, and now they call me a "body" ? Is this my family? John was shocked to see how his friends, children and family went back to their lives doing about their regular stuff. He did not expect them to brood over or cry over what had happened but he was expecting someone to say few good words about him or be proud about what he had done for them. But none knew the value of it. For his children, it was just a duty John had to do for bringing them into this world. It was a common thing, they did not know how hard he had worked to give them the good life they lived.
Is it Family alone that ever mattered? Family should matter but with that nothing else should matter? Is it being selfish the only moral that one should stick to, to be successful? What can John do with how rich he got or how independent and successful his children are. What did "HE" finally achieve? What will wealth do anyway at the time of sickness and death? Is that all now a days people care about?
John's soul thus then entered another new born somewhere in the corner of the world. John was reborn again , and this time his soul decided that - "no matter what, I will create something of value to people and only then, only then DIE" The only way you will get Value even after you are gone is by you creating VALUE before you can leave this world!
Living is not about the places you visit, or the dress you wear or the pub you go or the success you make, or the PICTURES you post on FACEBOOK or friends you make,etc. LIFE IS WHAT you CREATE and WHO you Become! We are all born for a purpose, to make each others' life beautiful. Make it Valuable for yourself.
Disclaimer: I am in pursuit of such creation. I hope I dont meet the same end, I hope none of us do. Any of us can be John and with this story I did not mean to scare you. I just want to share my view. The above story is fictitious and in no circumstance it is to depict or relate to anyone living or dead. Any such occurance is purely coincidental. Something I fear should not happen. Time will pass quickly and unknowingly. Before you notice your first grey hair and start your first hair dye, you are 50 in no time. and in no time its all over. mark my words.
"If we did what we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison
Thus a Happy ending for a new beginning... :) Thank you for reading and good luck. G+1 if you can or click on Like button. :) <3 b="">
This is the picture of Andrew Carnegie who believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. He wrote:
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Try to remember long ago 15 to 18 years back, how you had to do a pulse dial on a neighbors rotary phone and had to talk loudly to let the other one hear your voice, how you went to those STD booths to make calls to your relative in the neighboring district?