Eerie silence in home of two oldies on Deepavali day

Eerie silence in home of two oldies on Deepavali day

( Read also comments of my daughter given at the end)

By

P.R.Ramachander

The festival of lights has come,

The festival of crackers and sparklers has come,

The festival of shining new cloths has come,

But in a dark corner in the eerie silence ,

Sit a very old man and his companion for life.

The old man cannot hear, the old woman cannot properly see,

The old woman was busy for a week preparing sweets and savories,

The old man used to peep in the kitchen and massage her paining hands,

And ask “What for darling , What for so many sweets and savories,

And she chuckled and amusingly looked at him and told,

“Our son likes Pal Koa, My daughter like wheat Halwa,

My grand son likes mohan dal and my little grand daughter likes Gulab Jamun,

My second grand son likes Mixture , My first grand daughter likes Manoharam,

My daughter in law likes Thattai and my first grand son likes Pakkodam,

And I have just finished making all of them but true I am tired”

In their dark nook , sitting all alone , surrounded by painful silence,

The old man asked his wedded old wife,”But where are They?

You know I cannot eat many sweets and you cannot consume fat,

And so darling whatever shall we do with all these things.

My hands shiver to light a lamp and you are scared of crackers,

And who is there to see the new cloths that we wear.

Possibly some one would send us a whatsapp message,

Which we find it difficult to answer back , using the phone.

Twenty years back each and every one of them,

Would have been dancing around us in their new cloths,

And all of them would be hugging you for their pet eatable,

The little children would then would have lighted their crackers,

And even compelled you and me to light one.

Ten years back we both could hear well and used ,

To talk with them about this and that on this Deepavali day.

But today You and me , two oldies are all alone ,

Knowing not what to do on this Deepavali day.

My daughter Meera Venkatesan on reading this wrote Lights up in thehome of two oldies on Deepavali day

The festival of lights has come,

The festival of crackers and sparklers has come,

The festival of shining new cloths has come,

But in a dark corner in the eerie silence ,

Sit a very old man and his companion for life.

The old man cannot hear, the old woman cannot properly see,

But the festival did sing with bright lights for them.

For they were blessed with each other's company,

The old woman still the Queen of her kitchen, was busy churning out the magic,

Even though her hands hurt and her feet begged her to rest

She did not worry about who would eat this mouthwatering spread,

For her, the fun waz in making it, the accomplishment was in knowing she still had what it takes to be a master chef

Those who were lucky to taste it , she was happy for them.

The old man ruled his little kingdom as he always had,

The number of his subjects reduced, But this did not worry him ashis most favourite was still around.

He made it up by creating a virtual kingdom of minds and hearts, which reached far beyond his little home

When earlier, Deepavali wishes was a small intimate voice, now the wishes were a crescendo echoing from every where,

He revelled in the difference he made in people's mind,if not in their life.

There were no crackers, no lamps to light, perhaps those wanted to do this had left the nest.

Their hands shivered as they lit the lamps and they were afraid of the crackers.

But then they had sailed past the time together, when the light came from lamps outside and the joy needed to be borrowed from the world

As their little world lit up from within, with the light of their friendship and love.

The light put to shame the pathetic little flickers from the LED lights and diyas for theirs was the light of true friendship.

I feel that both os us are correct in our own ways