Should You Wait For The Fireflies?

Naik tossed in his bed, waiting for the fireflies to come. The thick silence outside was only occasionally broken by the howl of a dog or the squeak of the rats.

'Come, come on', muttered Naik under his breath, glancing sideways to check whether his wife had woken up. Tomorrow was a big day and if the fireflies didn't show themselves, it would mean bad luck or misfortune.

He looked at the mobile phone kept on the stool beside his bed. The time was 2:50 am. The fireflies came at 3 am. They always came at 3 am.

He closed his eyes hoping to see them. The minutes ticked away slowly. There was an eerie silence in the pitch dark outside. Naik's breathing became heavy as anticipation mounted his chest.

After what seemed like several minutes to him, he opened his eyes and checked his phone again. Phew! It was only 2:56 am. They'll come soon, he consoled himself. 'Come soon, please.'

He again slowed his eyes, waiting to see the fireflies dance before his eyes and take the shape of different formations. The last time the fireflies came, they had formed the shape of the number '7'. He had then bought a lottery ticket that ended with the number '7' and had been lucky to get fifty thousand rupees when the results were announced.

Another time when the fireflies had visited, he had got plentiful produce from his farm the next day. With many such incidents happening, fireflies at 3 am had become synonymous with good luck.

And he needed them to come badly today, for tomorrow was a big day. It might even decide whether he'll able to survive the season.

Jolted from his thoughts, he opened his eyes to check the time. It was 3:02 am. He became anxious. Why hadn't the fireflies come yet? He closed his eyes again, trying to imagine the fireflies dance. But a clear picture didn't form in front of his eyes. He became desperate now. It was 3:05 am. Maybe the fireflies are late. He again tried picturizing them but to no avail. They just failed to take shape.

He tossed and turned, calling out to the fireflies to come. He paced up and down the bedroom, trying to find calm and see the fireflies. But no fireflies came that day. He was still up and in an agitated frame of mind when his wife woke up at 5 am and got ready for her day.

One look at her husband and she understood that the fireflies hadn't come to him that day. Not that she believed in the fireflies. She had always wanted her husband to take a bigger role and be more involved in his own life than waiting for those light-insects to come and dance and decide his fortune.

The brave and the strong

Take even the toughest problems by their neck

The weak and loser wait till the problem strangles them by their neck

Don't wait for the light to come to seek your fortune

Go find the light, and your fortune would be bigger

Destiny built on luck is sure to crumble

A life built of sweat and blood will outlast it

Oh, brave one, go and persevere

And the lady will follow you

And smile on you.

She hummed the poem the entire morning as she served him tea and parathas. He knew she was right and he knew what she wanted. But he'd become so used to the fireflies helping him out in every occasion he'd forgotten to do things himself.

But if the fields weren't watered today, the crops would be lost and he would be left with no yield for the season. They hadn't received water in the last eighteen days. That was the maximum time they could go out without water, the scientist who had given him the seeds had said. In their village with rains abundant, he'd thought it wouldn't necessary for him to take the trouble of watering his four-acre fields if he used this seed type.

But the rains had failed. Today was the nineteenth day without rain. His hope for the fireflies to come and it to rain today seemed a distant dream now. His wife's humming words ringing in his ears, 'Destiny built on luck is sure to crumble, A life built on sweat and blood will outlast it.'

He made up his mind. He revved up the engine of his tractor and moved to the fields to operate the irrigation system that was lying unused. She was right, he can't keep waiting for the fireflies to come every time. He had to be his own firefly.