The Broken Umbrella

Umbrellas are a great invention. They protect us from heat and shade us from wet weather. They bring us closer together. They make bonds.

Some days it was sunny, baking hot, blazing. The other days it would rain. Drizzle would turn into a real drencher. Everyday two kids boarded the school bus from the same spot. These two kids were opposites in many ways. One was quiet, the other one loud. One was extravagant, the other just ordinary. They say that opposites attract. But here one could see no bond. There was an unease in the air. John had everything one could wish for.....in fact anything one wanted to indulge in. A passer-by would often hear him as always complaining......sometimes groaning over a broken toy, sometimes grudging over the fact that his friend had something he did not have. Kyla on the other hand was serene. Clad in simple outfit, she would look around herself. She would sometimes observe the sky and sometimes admire the rain drops that fell on her through her broken umbrella. She had no complaints to offer. John would often ask his mom why she brought a broken umbrella. He had two umbrellas and could not in the whole world imagine why anyone would use something that was broken and meant to be discarded. He would never ever do that. What would his friends say, he thought. He also wondered why she carried the umbrella with her everyday....even when it was not raining.

Sometimes he wanted to ask her about the broken umbrella. But they had never talked and Kyla seemed so reserved. He did not know how to approach her. 

One day as usual, the two kids were standing at the bus stop. Their bus was late today. Kyla was late too. It had not occurred to John that it might rain so he did not carry his umbrella with him that day. But it started pouring. At first it was just a sprinkle here and a sprinkle there. It was manageable, John thought. Then, it started pouring a bit more, and bit more than that. John's first thought was to run back home before he was soaked completely. But just as he turned, he saw Kyla approaching. She had her broken umbrella over her. It was broken but could still protect her from rain. She came towards John and asked her to come under the shade. John had heard her voice for the first time. It was sweet, it was calm. John did what he was told. Except for the sputtering of rain drops on the umbrella, there was complete silence in the air. As there was a hole in the umbrella, they got drenched a little bit but Kyla didnt seem to mind at all. 

The bus came. The two kids boarded the bus and for the first time sat together. John thanked her. Kyla nodded and said it was okay. John now mustered all the courage and popped up the question, " Why do you carry a broken umbrella everyday? Why don't you get a new one?" At first Kyla was silent. Then she said, " It is a gift from my dad. He gave it to me on my fifth birthday." " Well, can he not buy you another one?", asked John. "If I ask him, he sure will. He works hard all day just to keep me and mommy happy. But", and Kyla was quiet again. John waited. Kyla said, " but I still remember how he did not have enough money that day but just because he overheard me praying, wishing for a beautiful umbrella, he went out and bought one for me. He was supposed to buy a raincoat for himself as his old one was torn. But he wanted to make me happy. And he wanted to make my day special because he loves me so much. When he came back home that day, he was completely drenched. Wet and dripping, he came to me and asked me to close my eyes. Then he took my hand and put in it my beautifully wrapped surprise. I was overjoyed. I will always cherish this gift of his. He is the best dad in the whole world." " We are not like you John. We buy things because we need them, not because we want them. There is a difference you know.And besides, gifts are special. Because feelings are special." John's heart was pounding. He thought of the many times that he had thrown away gifts because he did not like them. He remembered the times he had misbehaved with his parents for not letting him have his way. He had been so wrong, he felt.

The bus stopped. As the kids got off the bus, John called Kyla. " Can we share your umbrella everyday, Kyla? There seems to be some magic in it. The magic of love maybe?.....Your dad's love for you.....and your love for him.....I don't like my umbrella. It always keeps me cold and aloof."  Kyla smiled a big smile this time. And the two moved on.

Nanna's Corner

That shop had been empty for a long time. But somebody was coming in it now. Emma saw an old lady trying to fit the signboard which said " Nanna's Corner". Emma was curious but too shy to ask. She quietly went inside the music studio adjacent to the old lady's shop. Emma came here everyday to get piano lessons. There were two things Emma just loved more than anything else - music and chocolates.

Two days later, Emma saw the shop open. The lady stood outside with a tray in her hand inviting everyone to taste her chocolates. Children were rushing towards her, picking their chocolates and running away. Emma slowly walked toward the lady and picked up a heart-shaped chocolate.

"That one's my favorite too, honey", the lady said.

Emma looked into her eyes as she put the chocolate in her mouth.  One could immediately discern the sparkle in her eye as the sweet delight melted in her mouth. 

" Do you like it?", the lady asked.

  Emma nodded. 

" Call me Nanna. All little children call me Nanna. I hope to see you soon dearie." 

Nanna went inside and Emma walked back home. The sweetness of the chocolate was still lingering in her mouth and oh! how much she had loved it. She wanted to have some more but she just couldn't say it.

The piano lessons continued and Emma went with her usual routine everyday except for the few moments when she would gaze at 'Nanna's Corner' longingly. She just couldn't muster the courage to go inside and buy few of those divine delights. Nanna would notice it all, every single day from her shop and hoped that the little girl would come in. She did not want to  scare her away. She wanted her to come on her own and Nanna knew that she would come in one day.

A month passed by. As Emma approached her music studio, she saw that 'Nanna's Corner' was decorated with balloons. Nanna stood outside with a tray full of treats and with children full of smiles. Nanna saw Emma and called her. She told her that it was her granddaughter's birthday today and this was her way of celebrating it. Emma picked up the same heart-shaped chocolate she had picked last time and thanked Nanna. 

"How are the music lessons going?" asked Nanna. " Oh, just lovely. I am learning Beethoven. It is just great!" Emma could have gone on and on but just then some more children came and asked Nanna for chocolates. Emma then went to her class.

Next day, the door to Nanna's shop was open wide and one could hear the music that was playing inside. Emma was surprised because the piece that was being played was the one she was learning in her class. It was Beethoven's Ode to Joy. She knew at once that Nanna had put on the music for her. She felt happy, well, more than happy. She felt special. Without much ado, she entered the shop. Nanna was attending to one of her customers but the moment she saw Emma, she came and hugged her.

"So glad to see you, sweetheart. How are you doing?", greeted Nanna.

"Did you play the music for me?" Emma asked.

"Yes. Are you happy?"

"Very much, Nanna. Thank you."

She then looked around and saw a picture of Nanna hugging a girl who was Emma' age.

"That's my granddaughter Jude. She is just as lovely as you."

"My name is Emma," Emma said.

"Are we friends now Emma?" asked Nanna.

"Yes", said Emma.

Shyness is like a sunflower. It will open its petals only when the warmth of sunny smiles and kind hearts touch it. Emma's heart was touched by Nanna's gesture.That day was the beginning of a special friendship between Emma and Nanna. Not a single day would go by when the two did not meet. Nanna would tell stories about her own childhood and then she would often talk about her granddaughter whom she missed a lot. Emma would often think of Nanna as someone who always gave her so much love and so many chocolates. She wanted to do something special for her too. But she did not know what.

One day Emma came to the shop and saw a birthday card on Nanna's counter. It was from Nanna's granddaughter Jude. It was Nanna's birthday! Emma picked up the card and read it. She knew she should not do that but all she was thinking about was how to make it memorable for Nanna. The note on the card said that Jude missed Nanna terribly on her birthday and she remembered the times Nanna and she would sit together and listen to one of their favorite songs ' What a wonderful world'.  Emma saw Nanna coming and quickly put the card back on the table and ran outside. Nanna called out to her but she just disappeared. 

After her class, Emma asked Nanna to come in her music studio. As Nanna entered the studio, music started playing. It was the song Jude had mentioned in the card. Emma did not know how to render it on the piano so she had requested her teacher to play it for her. The teacher had agreed and the music went on much to Nanna's joy.

"Happy Birthday Nanna!" everyone in the music studio shouted. All the children came and hugged Nanna. There was such rapture in the air. 

" Oh Emma! How did you know?", Nanna could barely ask as her heart was so full of happiness. 

" I....I saw your card from Jude....and .....I am sorry....but I read it. I wanted to make you happy, Nanna. It is your day today", Emma confessed to Nanna.

Nanna took Emma in her arms and the two danced with joy. All the children joined in the rhapsody. It sure was a wonderful world.

For You My Dear Friend

I wanted to touch the mighty sky

I stretched and stretched but hardly reached the roof

I thought I should fly like the sparrow on the tree

But I had no wings to fly me high

I thought I should float like that solitary cloud above me

But my ties held me back and my feet could not move

I gazed at the stars and asked them

Tell me what is in store tomorrow

Are there smiles, are there tears

Is there joy or is there sorrow

The stars did not answer me

I wanted to stop the time right there

But the seconds, the minutes were too slippery to catch

I thought of going back in time

To my mom, to my dad, to my brothers and my sisters

Back to my days of childhood but I could not

There was no door to take me there

I thought I will try to find God so I looked

I looked in many meccas of worship

I found idols, I found rituals

I found priests, I found traditions

But I did not find God

I walked on and came to a bush of flowers

I stopped and smelled a rose

It touched me, I gasped

I felt I was breathing, I felt I was alive

That was all that was there to life

The moment I was in

There was no tomorrow

I thought of you and in my mind

I held your hand

I brought you there

I gave you a rose and asked you to smell it

You smiled and you felt alive too

I wanted to tell you when you feel low

Go out there and bathe yourself in those scented flowers

Go sit by a lake and bend forward

And see yourself

That pretty beaming face

Those lovely lively eyes

Your name means worship

So worship you must

Worship yourself and your goodness within

When you want love

Go lie in the fields

Let the breeze kiss you and the grass caress you

They are so giving they want nothing back

Live the moment cherish the moment

Care not what will be

When you want to talk

Come to me

On a cup of tea we will laugh away the worries

and wash away the blues

Together we will walk on the paths ahead

But will always stop to smell the roses.