MY GOLDEN FISH

It was a summer noon. I was  having a nap in my bed room, listening to a melodious song on my system…….Suddenly I heard some heavy sound from the adjacent living room. Rushing there I noticed that my fish bowl has fallen down and shattered into pieces.

 “Oh God..! My goldfish..!” It was wriggling on the floor as if it was going to take its last breath...

To my dismay, I found one little girl wearing a shabby frock, in the corner of my room, looking terrified. With her head down she was standing as if she has committed some colossal offence.

With immense fury, I yelled, “who are you? How you entered my home?” 

“Look up, you little Rascal, you came here to steal my goldfish?” I clamoured at her.

She then raised her face and stared at me with fear in her lifeless eyes.

“Don’t keep staring. Quick, I want my goldfish alive and cleanup my room. I am not going to spare you if my goldfish dies.”  I was quivering with rage.   

After saying these words, I rushed back to my bed room. Looking at the photograph of my mother with tremendous grief....I wanted to scream. 

“Sorry Maa, I lost my precious gift today”…..I stood there for some time dumbfounded...

My reminiscence took me back to my childhood days…

I was a 5 year old lad who was very crazy about fishes.  My mother used to take me to the big bungalow of the Land Lord where she was working as a maid. I was fascinated by the big Aquarium in the drawing room of that bungalow with colorful fishes. I used to observe those big, beautiful fishes for hours while my mother was busy at her work.

One day I was watching the aquarium and playing with a goldfish. The goldfish was very naughty. He looked at me and winked. He came to the top of the water and showed me his lips as if he wanted to kiss me, invited me by waving his wings. I became crazy! I put my hand inside the aquarium and tried to touch the goldfish……

        Unexpectedly I heard an enormous voice of range   “YOU son of…@$<>.., How dare you to touch my costly aquarium!?” The Son of the Land lord was fuming and slapped me very hard at my cheeks. He caught me from my ears and pushed me out of the house.

”Don’t bring this little rascal to this house...else, you will lose your job,” he shouted and threatened my Mom.

My visit to the house came to an end.  I could no longer see that beautiful aquarium which I loved. 

”Mamma I want an Aquarium, will you gift me someday?” I kept on asking my Mom….

Being a single parent, it was virtually impossible for her to even provide me good food due to her low income, which she earned as a maid.

            My days were colorless.  I kept crying for many days and asked my mother to bring an Aquarium for me. I still remember the pale face of my mother looking at me helplessly with agony.

          Days passed by. One Sunday evening my mother came rushing home and quickly placed a small glass bowl in my hand with a goldfish in it. She was shivering. I could see tears rolling down her cheeks.

            “Is today my birthday Mamma…? Why you are crying?” She hugged me very tight, kissing my cheeks. “I am crying because I am very happy today” she murmured in my ears.

             I was highly delighted with her love. Overwhelmed with joy, I embraced amma and wiped her tears. I kissed the fishbowl. The beautiful goldfish smiled at me from the bowl. I was on top of the world…. having my own little aquarium… It was really amazing….

            Suddenly, an obese man with terrifying red eyes came into our room. He dragged my mother out of our house by holding her neck and closed the doors from outside. I could hear my mother yelling. The man shouted, “How dare you to steal money from my boss’s house”.  I found her voice fading away.

            She was back home very late that day and kept on weeping. She didn't answered anything instead of my continues enquiry about the incident. She didn't have dinner and compelled me  to have my food. I could see several cuts and bruises on her body. That day she slept on the bed holding me very tight to her.

            The sun rose as usual as every day. But my mother didn't wake up. I heard a police officer who came along with his team saying that my mother has committed suicide.

            20years passed since the fish bowl was with me in every path of my life right from the orphanage till this day at my official residence. It persisted as an everlasting memory of my mother, the symbol of her boundless love. Today, this little damsel has ruined everything. I have lost it forever.

After some time I was back to the living room and to my wonder I found the little lass still sitting on the floor cleaning my room. She cleared up all the glass pieces. I could see blood clotting her tender fingers; tears shedding get very busy with her work. My goldfish was playing in a new tumbler on the table.            

            She stood up and looked at me timidly, wiped her tears, ran out of my house crying.  I followed her outside my house and I called her back but she didn't stop.

         

A sound which I heard from my home caught my attention.  When I stepped in to the house I saw a big cat jumping out of the living room.

            My eyes caught sight of a small card lying on the floor. It read like this. 

“The bearer of this card is deaf and dumb. She lost her parents in a road accident when she was merely 5 years old.   

 Presently she is undergoing treatment at our hospital.

People of kind heart may please donate her.”

Dr John MBBS DNB DOMNAMS

                                        St Joseph Hospital, Cochin, Kerala

I hastily ran out of my house in search of the girl.

Reaching on corner of the road I saw her in a very long distance.

“Hey girl….! Stop, Come back” I shouted, forgetting that she is deaf.

The girl stopped and looked back, as if she heard me.

Reaching my room with the girl, I looked at my mother’s photograph.

 I felt she was smiling at me. As if she said, “You have got one more goldfish to take care of………”

                                                                                         --   Biju Raj