THE MEMOIRS OF THE SKY: A Short Story

PART I

I am an orphan. The Almighty might had just a feasible intention when he created me, a house to the stars, the moon and the sun. But later he had given me a responsibility or a conscientiousness that gave me the privilege of being a domicile to his creations. Now I decide even their destiny. When I feel its enough with the sun’s ordeal, I shoo him away. I move the clouds to him, I ask them to rain. I sketch the path of the moon. I give the wind the command to bluster .I like to see the creatures down on the earth, another of the almighty’s pernickety creations that always look up on to me at times with folded hands too. Thus the entire circle is dictated by me. I always felt proud of my splendor when I notice my reflection in the sea below. I viewed the joy and excitation of the creatures as they welcome the rains with penury of emotions and sometimes I wonder why they never are happy when I bestow them with even bigger showers. But I always felt lonely. In fact loneliness had crippled me or rather deprived me of the senses to cheer up even being an impediment in my relation with the Moon, my lonesome companion. He was the only one who used to be merriment for me unlike the rest who had more interest in counseling me on my significance and on my writhing practices especially when I amuse others with the clouds. I linger heedlessly to his advice which really falls on my deaf ears. I am really a spoiled braggart. All these stars, who gossip and giggle throughout until they wear out, the sun, who was the most conceited affiliate of the almighty’s creations, and of course my dearest friend, the moon , the only one who took regular intervals to inquire me of my well being , remained my world, my countenance until the most auspicious moment I fell in love.

It was as usual. The sun had just left after his pompous performance and the moon was in his most jovial mood, exemplifying his entire smile. He was singing some old folk songs too exasperating for me. Human beings, birds animals, plants were all enjoying a sound sleep. I perceived them all on the planet. A tree that stood on a remote field had caught my attention. There was a nest on the tree. I saw the female feed its chicks. All of a sudden, the female bird had started to shriek and was alerting about something to its male counterpart .A snake had crawled on to the tree. The he-bird was now swiveling around the tree and had tried to attack the snake on its head but in vain. The she-bird had moved closer to her chicks and covered them all beneath her feather. The snake was ascending up. The He bird made some taunting attempts to shield its dear ones. The snake had kept its jaws wide open and was countering the he-bird’s trivial assault. But when the He bird found that the nest now remained in close proximity to the prowler it had made a cavernous aggression. But it met with little success. The prowler grasped the bird on its neck and had gulped it instantaneously. The he bird was dead. By then, the she bird had recognized the colossal task to protect her dear ones from the intruder lied solely on her; she made a scurrying attack on the reptile. But the reptile was too good for her. The reptile had then moved its head into the nest while the she bird was screaming and attacking on its rear. One by one it had begun regaling the chicks while the female bird moved around, vulnerably. This was nature’s law. The fittest of the fittest survives. The reptile who had been feasting on the chicks, now turned towards the she bird. One last attempt to impair the reptile had landed her into its jaws. The she bird’s endeavor to protect her dear ones had failed. She too became a prey for the giant reptile. After a hearty meal and the most triumphant sensation, the snake slowly and steadily descended the tree. It then went to its hole. I did not notice the snake’s alleyway because my mind had suddenly raised certain serious concerns to the almighty on his creations. Why were the stronger ones always victorious? If so would not that bring an end to the weaker ones? There would be a time when the brawny duels the brawnier ones. What would be the aftermath of that? The nature had a set governing aspects that distributes and formulates into various forms of life, the most important being the food chain; a definition to the subsistence of the living beings on Earth. The technique of production of the living beings on Earth is based on a pyramid that was devised from the food chain concept. Will this existing mechanism ever spin out of control? I looked at the tree. I had noticed something moving beneath the tree among the bushes. Another snake might be prowling around in the night desperate to quench its hunger. But it was something diminutive. It was a small chick. Oh my god, yes it was the very one among the set devoured by the reptile. But how did it manage to escape this healthy? I did not know what the almighty had in store for him.

It might have been aroused from self respect or a pity on that creatures destiny to survive when all of its siblings and its parents had met such an ill fated end or a mutual affiliation, a synonymous feeling towards ones own kind (the bird too is an orphan), a specific interest grew in me for him. I asked the moon to leave and was waiting for the sun, seeing the helpless situation he had to endure; I made arrangements in accordance with his stipulation. I made sure not a single leaf moved. I calmed the winds down and had ensured warmth for him to survive until the arrival of the sun. That remained the only ray of hope for his survival. I decided to recite one of my all time favorite that would add a gratification to the tenderness.

"The sky would give you the due
That you always held for cue
The sky would be there for you
In your heart always for no rue"

The sun had come .I looked at my bird. He was safe and sound. He was in his slumber .I glanced around his vicinity. To my dismay, I saw a cat that was heading towards him. On the other side I saw a human being. He was carrying a big black sort of stick with feathers directed towards the sun, as a sort of shield for protection. Human beings or as such man, according to me was the Almighty’s most vivacious creations. The concept of free will symbolizing radicalism and the ambiguity in the thoughts contemporizing the endowment, God had bestowed man with. Compassion and brutality both are the perpendicular aspects of man which was in connivance to the hypothesis that materializes the survival of God’s creations. I wondered what feeling would stimulate in the man once I was able to dictate him to the bird. On the other end, the cat was approaching closer. I decided to make my move. I blew. The stick lost control from the man’s hand. It fell near my bird. The man ran back of it. The cat which was drawing nearer to my bird stood still at the sight of man .It then diverted its path. The man regained his stick. All of a sudden he stood still. Now there was the prevaricating situation engulfed by the virtue of human notion. Will he be kind enough to take my bird? He did not keep me guessing. Rather after a brief pause, went closer to my bird. He had picked it up in his hand and walked by. He kept the black stick like thing over his head. I moved the clouds around the sun.

PART II

He looked sullen and gloomy in the cage; the only moments of contentment was when the man used to feed him. When the sun was up he used to remain morose. Moon always brought him siesta sort of attitude. Sometimes he used to stare at his look-alikes who were having a wonderful time outside. He might also have the longing and interest to fly around, sing aloud like them and rummage around for his near and dear ones. Loneliness according to me was not a feeling but a curse, or a blatant numbness sort of attitude that recklessly slaughters your personality and attitude. It always would play with your inner sense succumbed to malevolence. Probably, Loneliness remained the most ferocious of all the abhorrent emotions that had been cultivated in the Almighty’s creations. I really could grasp the mentality of him, the horrendous situation he was engulfed in. I watched him as the sun and the moon came and went. He was growing big. He was learning fast the modes of survival too. He now knew the songs like his mates. He was all set to scavenge the wilderness. I decided to give him his freedom, his prerogative for existence.

The sun was going down. The moon was already on his way. I moved the clouds and I moved the wind. The cage which was adjoined to the man’s house started shaking. The cage busted away. It was caught in between two trees that stood in front of the house. Now I had to tear apart the trees. With all my might I blew the wind. The trees swept away; the force that was developed by the trees broke the cage and had split it apart. The bird was free. The trees went and hit the house sturdily and had demolished a part of it. I never cared; neither did I care about its dwellers for I saw my bird had already started flying in the direction of the wind. I slowed the winds .This made his flight more comfortable. The scent of fresh air and the spirit of freedom had preoccupied him and he scurried into the wilderness.

The sun and moon came and went, I never bothered. I forgot to shoo the winds at times, for my mind was transfixed on him. He was lovely and flew with paramount confidence. His songs enlightened all and sundry around him and at certain times I had felt myself being carried away by his songs.

"It’s a beautiful world, the sun and the moon
The presence of them makes me goon
I like to fly around with all the might
So that I don’t want to be like him to miss the sight

These are my dreams, these are my hope
For I find this wonderland at the top
This is the world I wanna shower my love
As I wish to keep my hum always on the move"

His songs had gripped me. It reverberated in my heart. His songs breathed a new life in me. They were not just songs for me, but my dreams, my aspirations. His songs occupied the cornerstone of my heart and had started to juggle my emotions. I made the winds lighter for him, covered the sun unnecessarily. I made the sun stay longer for him to fly around. I followed him as he flew from one tree to another. By that time I had realized that I loved him more than any other Almighty’s creations.

I wished to be the tree on which he used to sit and sing verses with the intention of brightening others and dusting off the prevailing tedium. I wished to be the flower from which he used to quench his hunger incessantly. I wished to be the wind so that I could feel and experience the warmth of his wings. I wished to be a bird for accompanying him throughout his life. I loved him very much. But there was the much conceited seed of doubt in me. Did he reciprocate that feeling? He had the answer for me.

Once when the sun was up, I saw him sitting on a tree top singing quite emotionally. After a few nodes, suddenly there was another humming. A bird of his same statuette came and sat alongside him. She had started singing too but with a romantic comportment.

"Love is all that I can feel
When you come beside me and kneel.
Deep in my heart I give you a place
From where you can set it in pace

Never say my love is for hire
For that will pull me into the fire
Wherever you go I will follow
Even if u grip my hand into the jungles of hollow"

This was not foreordained. It was indeed the most customary episode of life. I knew that they were in love. Their eyes refused to take leave even for a moment. Their songs were divine and their frequencies matched gorgeously. They began to roam around and bore a big resemblance to the birds that had attained their much awaited sovereignty. Their intimacy grew on a meticulous scale and when it had reached a point of no return they decided to get married. Although I had a thumping in my heart, I felt very happy. At least he was not lonely anymore.

The tree stood tall in the scorching sun and had inscribed the insignia of love and bliss on it. All the birds nearby, far and away had gathered there. Everyone was chirping, singing and laughing with such contentment and glee that it had spread an aroma of peace and happiness throughout the premises. I took a quick look at all of them and had spotted him amidst thousands who had assembled on the tree to be a part of the most significant event of his life. He along with his fiancé had garnered accolades as the most perfect host for the guests as they sang throughout with a few occasional breaks to accommodate everyone’s’ laughter. I was happy too for I had acquaintance with loneliness much more than anyone could even imagine about.

I looked at the tree. Suddenly, in the most casual manner, I caught hold of a lightning I flashed it into the tree. It did set ablaze the tree instantly. With all my might I blew the winds. I did not look at the sun. I had caught hold of another lightning and then one by one by I hurled it at the tree. The chirping had stopped and the shrieks filled the air that sounded more musical to me. The fire extended to the surrounding regions vigorously. I covered the sun with the clouds. I did not want to see him for I was waiting for the moon .I had a lot to tell him this time.



Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal