Let's Walk

Let us walk

The moon is the sun’s mind

In perpetual separation

Causing death, destruction

Is one interpretation;

The moon is the sun’s presence

In inseparable union of light

Breeding life is another;

In this world, there’d be

Rambling of words, thoughts,

The sun and the moon

Have merged as one,

The mind of the players

Here with me

Readers who’d pass by the text

Also audience separate as parts

But in unison

Like companion stars.

A recount of an ordinary walk

On a Sunday afternoon

Of a mother and a child;

Where I am also be a reader;

In a while

float around

In the mind of the text

My role everywhere

Talking, thinking with words

About words

All over the place

With numbers

Shaking the on-going slumber.

They walk around

In unions, in separations

Of thoughts and minds

Nestling, nursing

Since a long time

As an extra-ordinary state

Has suddenly become real;

It has come out of the words

And minds of countless souls,

Walking into the meadows, oceans

In every blade of grass;

Playing their roles

This state has become trivial

Our coveted ordinary lives

Peaceful, above everything else;

With my mind, your mind, our mind

Let’s walk...

Scene: The capital of a country in Africa

Mom: Taxi!

Driver: Good afternoon Madam. (Looking at the child)... good afternoon sweetheart... (Ushers them in)

Mom and Child: Good afternoon Sir!

Driver: Where to, Madam

Mom: The Museum

Driver: Very well... here we go.

The taxi sails through the road. On one side is the vast orchard of fruits hanging on the nourished trees and on the other an endless paddy field with long, golden, dancing grasses; the sky on top is blue, relaxed.

Child: (smiling)... Thank you Mom...it’s going to help me for my project work. I am really looking forward to it. (Mom smiles)

Driver: Here we are Madam. Here sweetheart...a mango for you.

Mom: Thank you Sir. (pays and alights. The child smiles.). (to the child) Come... (takes the child and goes to the counter. Two options: Hunter and War. Mom takes both)

The place is not so crowded...it’s just an ordinary museum.

Mom: Do you know we have this kind of museum in the capital city of every country?

Child: Yes, teacher told us.

Mom: Come let’s go to the Hunter section first.

The section hosts animals that were hunted the most, viz. tigers, lions, leopards, wild boars, snakes, and so on. It also has names of hunters.

After spending two hours at the hunter section.

Child: Mom, I think people were sick in those days. Imagine killing animals for a living! And to think that hunting was a profession back in those days! I think the world should name this a hunter zoo or a war zoo or something?

Mom: Yes hunting was a profession once upon a time. But don’t say people were sick in those days, no unkind words please... judging is back-dated and primitive, don’t you know? It is best to be known as a museum, the concept of zoo is unkind too, don’t you think? They were also good people, very well-meaning people, but their mind was elsewhere and they were insecure. That’s all. Besides, it is the same Intelligence, the same leaders, and the same people that have made this world also possible.

Child: I am sorry mom. I think I am done here.

Mom: Never mind my child. Let’s go to the War section now.

The child walks through the rooms and sees weapons, weapons, and more of weapons all over the place. He was reading from the friendly fonts in red that in those days humans would kill humans with weapons; displayed with a ‘do not touch’ tag. They were invented by very intelligent and well-meaning people, when countries would flaunt weapons to belittle or scare other countries... he was reading... about the waste of money, wealth... these weapons were invented, created and marketed, weapons for mass destruction, but they were not used... his mind did not understand the purpose behind inventing something, investing time, space and money on something that couldn’t be used! But the intention was noble... these weapons were invented for self-defence. When he shared his thoughts with his Mom, she said it was easy for him to think this way, but there was a time when children would shoot children too. That now, it’s become so easy and mundane and ordinary not to use weapons, to function without the use of a single weapon now. Even earlier, when people would hunt animals, hunters were really sought after... no one could even think of doing without them, but it happened. In the War section, there’s an Army section too.

He goes and learns that there were people who were trained only to kill other human beings. They were dedicated people, but their sole purpose was to kill, the objective was very noble...they would kill to protect. The child asked his mom, why was it noble to protect human beings from other human beings, self-defence by human beings from human beings why, mom replied in the same way, humans needed to protect from humans because the mind wasn't there, not to say they were mindless, but mind was absent. So is this magic, a miracle now, no it is not, replied the Mom, now the mind is there. I don't understand a word of what you say, to this response of the child, the mom replied, you will with experience, like me and your Pa. But these Army guys are now called Nature guys...equally trained and built to fight calamities and force majeure... he knows it because that’s his dream to be a Nature guy.

There was also another section called account section... the whole room was full of figures from 0 to 9... the child got lost in the losses the world went through. Immeasurable amount of wealth.

Child: Mom, it doesn’t make sense. I have two questions.

Mom: Shoot. (Both look at each other and smile, then mom and child say). Na na na na…say say

Child: I have a question. May I?

Mom: First let us see.

It’s almost evening. The sun is becoming milder. Sky is sleepy. He’s out of the section now. Disturbed; like those children who visited the concentration camp in Germany, who were trained for years not to repeat. The child thinks... human beings would kill animals, and human beings... enemies...and what is that...and why...how...it’s good that he’s out of the section, but Mom told that people were good and very well-meaning in those days too, it’s just that their mind was not with them. Good that my mind is with me. But I have a question. Wait I am going to ask this to Mom, who is looking tense now. First let’s have something to eat, he thought.

They are out in the cafeteria. Mom bites a sandwich and asks the child.

Mom: So...how was it?

Child: Good, but I have a question.

Mom: Only one?

Child: Yes (smiles).

Mom: Tell me

Child: How did it stop?

Mom: What? Hunting?

Child: All... hunting, war, weapons, army...how did this stop Mom

Mom: Nobody knows how...some say it’s because of the leaders who were tired of their respective insecurities; some say it’s because of the people who were tired of looking at each other’s reflections as enemies, some say the world had suddenly become so poor that it couldn’t afford weapons any more. There's also this story which says that Nature stopped co-operating with people, and they were kind of forced into stopping wars. By nature I also mean you know Gods and Goddesses... (they both laugh, because in this age humans do not worship gods and goddesses, we have become them, so there's no need, they laugh again. Then Mom continues). But the one that makes sense to me is the story that talks about a group of people who took it on them to collect data, facts and figures on the amount of fiscal losses the world has incurred, it seems the number they derived ran into pages, adamantly trying to touch infinity (the child is nodding rapidly, approvingly). The group showed it to everyone and it was from then that the shift had begun. You know infinity?

Child: Yes, I do, teacher taught us! What if the reason of them becoming poor to afford wars were true?

Mom: What?

Child: The world is not poor anymore Mom.

Mom: Would that mean we’d have war again? I don’t think so, we have become rich since ages now; wealth, prosperity, peace and security are not just words, we are not threatened by people any more. People aren’t essentially bad my child, they have never ever been bad, only their minds were not with them. That’s all.

Child: But whatever it is...good riddance...but I have another question, if you please

Mom: Tell me...

Child: Why was it proud to die for our country? Why would it be proud to die Mom?

Mom: Same reason, my child. But now you know it is proud..

Mom and Child: ...to live for our country, (they both hug each other, give a fiver)

Child: But Mom, I have another question. Will this project of mine be better than the last one. I will not get better grades then. Like Pa doesn't get better increment if he's unable to be beat his own last performance. I am worried Mom.

Mom: Follow the guidelines. Give more examples, get out of words, ride more on feelings and give your non-judgemental views. That's all. Teacher will be proud enough to say that this project is better than your last. Don't you know how offices work now? Your Pa didn't do better than his last performance this year. But the management found out many ways to give him better salary once they were convinced about his sincere effort. It happens the same way in my office too. We have enough for everyone everywhere now. So don't worry, but hey focus on how you can do your best. I am sure you will do better.

Child: Mom please please tell me what are the ages, old stone age, new stone age…

Mom: Ah no! We have two ages, the war age and the peace age or the modern age, the one that is now for good. The war age is sub-divided into three, viz. old stone age, new stone age and pseudo-modern age; in the first two ages survival was the main focus, in the pseudo-modern age, destruction became the focus, like I told you countries would flaunt weapons, one would say look I have this, the other would say, I also have this plus this. (Both of them started laughing, helplessly…suddenly) Shh… O peace…stop stop (the child stops abruptly). I am sorry honey, it’s my fault, but we shouldn’t laugh at these historical ages, for if we do, they will come back. (They both say) O peace, let this laughing at the ages go away from us. You will understand when you become a little experienced. (The child looks weirdly at her, smiles)

Child: This, I have this plus this, I have this plus this plus this!!! Oh so that's why pseudo-modern is it? I will remember this this-this. But Mom, I have another question. Can you tell me something more about the pseudo-modern age please? I would like to know why wars stayed with us for such a long time.

Mom: Sure. It stayed with us for so long because we thought it was a good thing. We applied war in everything we did. We were enslaved. From science and technology to art and literature, there was this war going on in the name of competition, outwitting people, putting them behind and so on. It was considered as entertaining so it got its place in all forms of entertainment too. You know there was a time, maybe in the beginning of that age, there’d be people watching a man fight with an animal, say, a lion. In the end, either the lion would get killed or the man. (The child is listening attentively). Later animals got replaced with two men or two women in various sports called boxing, wrestling and so on.

Child: No…and what would happen there?

Mom: They would fight, hit each other in every possible places, would bleed in the middle of a vast audience clapping, and cheering to hit more and more. Even in football matches, there would always be two teams on war footing, breaking the bones of opponents (enemies), there would be stretcher ready to escort them out, they would have terms like ‘retired hurt’. So everywhere you saw wars, competitions, enemies, and this win-lose virus. It was there in religion as well, like whose religion was best and whose was not. They brought this mindset from the jungles where they had to kill each other to survive.

Child: (in a low and soft, almost wet voice) Mom. It’s okay. I know why it stayed for so long. But now we have said so long to so long, isn't it mom? (Mom hugged the child and nodded.) I know what you are going to say if I said any unkind word. They were all very good people, but their mind was not with them. But I have one last question.

Mom: Tell me.

Child: What's for supper?

Mom: Let’s get home first... we have to ask the grand kid too...

Child: You bet! Or he could also be making us a grand supper!

Mom: Sure. Taxi!

The taxi walks through the streets, taking the two passengers, who are now pensive and looking out the window, what is the mother thinking... that mothers of the world would never have to give birth to a child who’d cause terror or be terrorized... she did not reveal one vital discovery that the whole world has made while doing away with weapons...that toy-weapons far outnumbered real guns... she would bring her child again to reveal the secret because she knows secrets create insecurities...what is the child thinking... of the weapons...of the army... or like his mom he is also thinking that no child would ever have to learn how to kill people, or wait, he could also be thinking of how to be a nature guy... they’re perhaps throwing many questions at the sky, still golden, to be silver in a while.

Child: Mom! Look at the Moon...it's rising!

Mom: It is sun's presence so..

Mom and Child: we are never kept in the dark.

Dedicated to the mothers of all the 233 beautiful countries of the world.

Note: When I look back and try to understand why I chose Africa, ‘The danger of a single story’ comes across as a strong reason. Please listen when you have the time by clicking Here