Thursday, October 09, 2014

Death

2 days back when I heard the words “My father’s passed away” for a moment I did not know how to react, what do you tell a person apart from “Don’t worry, It will be ok.” Will it be? Will it ever be the same when someone who gave birth to you dies in front of your eyes? Someone who has taught to walk is not walking in front of you. Do we mourn death? Or Do we mourn the memories, times we have spent together? Or Do we mourn the time we could not spend & words we could not say?

You were lucky I thought – you could hear him breathe his last, say his prayers, keep his body preserved, nicely in a casket for people to pay respect. You did not have to identify the body amongst sacks of dead bodies kept in the morgue, stinking as most of them were rotting & then carry the body for 30 minutes. Nobody could pay respect because they could not stand the smell.

I was in my 3rd round of the morning walk when I found the body of the pigeon. It was bruised, must be a case of dangerous flying – I thought. It was lying right in the centre of the running track – I ignored for the first time but could not take the image out of my ahead. In my next round I picked it up & placed it near a flower bed. So that it’s not crumpled by a passing car.

Later, I took bath, changed & came down to drive to office. Curious me, I took a peek around the flower bed & could find only feathers of the bird scattered all around & a house cat lazing in the sun.

As I write the blog, struggling with my thoughts / images of death from my past I get a call saying “the baby is on it’s away – am rushing to airport to be with my wife”. “Good luck – Take care” is all I can say.

No comments: