I had a divine appointment the other day. I mean the
appointment in Wess
Stafford’s statement: “Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.” Little
Maria, all of three years, blessed me with a visit. She is the daughter of a
niece of mine. I noticed that she was getting as bored as I was with the adult
talks on the dining table whose savoury snacks didn’t hold Maria’s attention.
Her grandmother, my sister, mentioned that Maria had fallen in love with a
little lamb in my brother’s house nearby. “Do you like kittens?” I asked Maria.
Maria’s eyes lit up.
“Are you ready to climb up the stairs
to the terrace?” I became alive too. Maria ran out of the room and pulled up
her sandals which needed to be strapped at the back. She did all that while I
was trying to identify my slippers among all the footwear that lay outside.
Maria ascended the staircase with the
agility of a gymnast only to be disappointed to see an empty terrace. I called
out to the kittens as I usually do. They didn’t respond, however. Kittens don’t
like guests even if they are little girls. So I had to go and pick them up from
their hiding place among the few scrap metal building materials I keep on the
terrace. Maria was elated once again.
Maria’s elation erased my melancholy which
was caused by the visit of a nephew in the morning. This young man lives in
Canada. He is now a permanent resident there. He visited me just as a
formality. Maybe, his parents gave him a list of relatives to be visited. There
was never any expression on his face. No emotions. He looked like a robot who
was responding like a computerised programme to my efforts to build up an amiable
conversation.
This young man who will soon become a
Canadian citizen left me with a nausea that little Indian Maria lifted all too
easily. Maria was my divine appointment that day.
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| My little cuties on the terrace where their mother chose to keep them |
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| They have the circle of my love around them |
Children and kittens. There's a lot in common between them. Kittens remain closer to my heart because children grow up and become adults with nothing divine about them.
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteShame on the nephew... Blessings upon wee Maria! YAM xx
Thankfully, Maria remains in my heart. Nephew has vanished without a trace.
DeleteIt is said that as we age we become more like children!
ReplyDeleteThat's true, I'd say. I am in love with children now.
DeleteIt would be best if we still could keep our child heart. I'm working on mine.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Growing up and yet retaining the childlike quality is tough but it keeps one good.
DeleteSorry about the nephew. Sometimes it's hard to visit relatives that you haven't seen in a long time. At least Maria enjoyed the visit.
ReplyDeleteSome relatives are rather difficult to deal with. No complaint, however. It takes all sorts to make the world. Yes, Maria was a welcome consolation.
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