Srinivas Cv

Tragedy

4.4  

Srinivas Cv

Tragedy

The tiny ugly animal

The tiny ugly animal

7 mins
186


Run, kiddo, run

"Run, don't look back. Run, now", shouted the Dad and the son started to run hesitantly away from his Dad. After running for a few minutes, he turned to look for his Dad. But the trees of the forest stopped the view. With tears in his eyes, he started thinking about what could have happened to his Dad. He realized he was not going to live without his Dad around. Gathering all the courage he could muster, he decided to go back for his Dad. 


As he made the first step, someone stopped him. It was his mom. "Mom, I am sorry. I am sorry. All of this is my mistake." He said and started crying, holding his mother tight. Her motherly instincts immediately took over. 

"Don't cry. Don't cry, dear." She was trying to calm him down. 

"No, mom. It was stupid of me. I should not have done that."

"No, don't talk like that. You are a kid, and you will learn from your mistakes. Your Dad should have taught you better."

That was when it hit him, "Mom, let us go. Now you and I can handle this without fear. Let us cross the forest to save Dad."

"What?" exclaimed his mother in a loud voice.

That was when it hit the kid, all the lessons her mother told him. "This is a safe place for us. We should never cross the forest border. It is not safe for us." 

She shook him out of his trans and asked, "What happened? Where is your Dad? Did you say he crossed the forest border?"

Before he could reply, she kept thinking. "He was the wise one. He promised he was never going to cross the forest border. He will not cross. He will never cross."

With tears replaced by fear, the kid turned to his mom and said, "Mom, Dad crossed the forest ends. He was cornered from all sides when he asked me to run. Now, let us go to help him."


She did not let her tears be visible to her son. Composing herself, she said, "We are not going anywhere. You stay here. I see what I can do to bring your Dad back."

"But, mom."

"No. I cannot risk your life too. You stay put. I will come back with your Dad. When I come back, you and your Dad have a lot of explaining to do." warned the mother and started running. 


The brave Dad

"Dad, I want to ask you a question?" said the kid.

"Tell me, son", asked the Dad.

"All the people in the village say you are the greatest hunter."

"They exaggerate, my son."

"You are being modest. You are a great hunter."

"Is that your question?"

"No. You are the greatest hunter. Also, you are brave."

"It can be debated. Especially when your mother is around."

"Dad, no jokes now."

"Okay, ask me what is your question?"

"Why is it that you never cross the forest border?"

There was silence from the father.

"Tell me, Dad. My friend's Dads go frequently and get exotic food. But, you never go? Why?"

"Ask me anything else. Not that."

"Please, Dad, tell me."

Dad went into deep thinking and absolute silence.

"Dad, please. Tell me," the kid kept pestering the Dad.

Angered by his son's behaviour, the Dad shouted, "Get out from here."

Scared and disappointed, the son left from there and started crying.


A few minutes later, the Dad walked to his crying son and tried to pacify him. 

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you," said the Dad.

The son kept on crying.

"I will get whatever you want. Don't cry."

Wiping his tears, the kid said, "Dad, I am sorry. I should not have pestered you."

Noticing his son's disposition, the Dad started to tell him the story after all.

"Across the border, there are dangerous animals. Animals which can kill in a blink of an eye."

"But, Dad. You also can kill anyone in the blink of an eye", asked the son.

"But there is a difference,"

The kid stopped his father before he finished and asked, "You are the strongest and bravest. Why do you fear those animals?"

"It is not fear. It is about being careful, especially for you," replied the Dad.

"No, Dad. People won't believe it."

"No one needs to believe. Only you should know your strengths."

"I am not able to face any of my friends. They are calling you a coward. Please, only this time, let us cross the border. "

"What? No. I will never do that. I promised your mother."

"Okay, you don't come. I am going," said the kid and started running.

The Dad was shocked by his son's actions. Before he reacted and started to run, the kid's young feet took him far. The Dad gathered all his might and ran to catch his son. After a little effort, the Dad caught up to his son. 

"Son, stop. It is not wise to cross."

"Dad, you cannot stop me."

"I can, but I was hoping you to learn from your mistake and stop."

"Dad, I am going. If you stop me today, I will come when you are not around. I hope you will join me. "

Dad said, "Okay if we are going. Let us plan it properly."

The Dad then gave his son the full directions on how to cross the border, where to go, where not to go, and in case they miss each other, how to come back home.


The tragedy


The mom was walking back slowly towards the son.

The kid ran in excitement towards her and asked, "Mom, where is Dad?"

There is no response. 

"Mom, tell me please, where is he?"

There was still the same silence. The kid only then noticed the tears rolling from her eyes and bleeding on her back. 

"Mom, what happened? Please tell me Dad is fine."

She composed herself and asked, "Tell me, what did your father say last before you guys left for the forest border?"

The kid realized what happened and started to cry.

"Mom, no. Let us go back. Let us fight for him. He is the strongest. He will fight every animal out there. He cannot stop. We will support him."

"There is nothing we can do anymore."

The kid continued crying, and he was not able to move.

"My mom told me. He is not a stable one. He wants to prove he is brave. He will bring only sorrow to you. Did I listen? No", exclaimed the mother.

"No, Mom. He said no to me. He tried to stop me."

Ignoring his son, she continued. "He has everything he wants here. Everyone respects him here. Does he stay here? No. He has to go out there and die."

Hearing that word from his mother made the son more guilty. 

With tears in his heart, he said to his Mom, "I am sorry. I made him go. It was not his fault. I am so..". The words did not conclude in his sorrow.


The truth

Many suns later, the son was walking back from gathering food with his Mom and sister. The sister was born soon after the Dad as passed away. As they were walking, the sister saw one of her friends walking ahead, and she ran towards them. The mother could not stop her, "Be careful, don't run too fast." 

Then she turned to her son and said, "I don't like when she runs away like that. It reminds me of that unfateful day when you and your father did the adventure."

He asked, "Mom, I am sorry."

"I am not blaming you, son. I am only worried."

"I also keep remembering the day. I cannot fathom what happened that day", exclaimed the son. 

"What cannot you fathom?"

"I saw a very heavy-built elephant that day."

"Okay?"

"I saw a horse which can run faster than anyone."

"Hmm?"

"But the tiny thing that is controlling them. I could not understand."

"Well, my son. The tiny thing is called the human. Worst of the god's creations."

"WhyMmom?"

"We are tigers, we kill only when we are hungry. But those humans kill for fun", said the Mom.

"What do you mean?" asked the son.

"I mean, they did not kill your father to eat him. Still, they killed him. "

"Why?"

"Killing a tiger is a game for them. The game is to show off their heroism. Cowards."

The information hit the son hard, and he started reminiscing about the events.

"Cowards, all of them. To kill one tiger, they got a battalion of soldiers and weapons. The whole spectacle will be made into stories and art as proof of their heroism, those ugly tiny animals."






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