Simon’s dark cottage

It’s been almost 14 years now; Simon was left all alone to darkness, after Linda (his wife) and Sam (his 12 year old son) passed away in a car accident. This also led to Simon’s partial loss of eyesight, due to which he became allergic to sunlight. In the initial stage of this tragedy, he was supported by his friends and few family members, but later along with time flow, rest everyone got engaged with themselves leaving disheartened Simon alone in his giant cottage and that made him independent in darkness forever.

The rays passed from sun light affected his brain badly, perhaps this can be due to he had a psychological issue. He never saw the outside world and its happenings, after this tragedy of his life, which affected to worst mental health. He was afraid of day light and felt comfortable inside the house. He always ordered essentials and groceries through online or calling out with help of his cell phone from his fixed shops. He had kept a box outside, where the delivery boys kept the things ordered by him after ringing his door bell. Then, Simon would pick up from the box, through a small window where this box was kept, based on his convenience. Everyone around was surprised as he never came out neither opened windows, nor doors of his house. He neither cleaned or dusted his home and never threw garbage or kept dust bin out. At the inside of his house it appeared too terrific, with things messed up,  dirty carpets, dusty furniture, dirty clothes lying out of cupboard in bedroom, unclean crockery, all sorts of insects - cockroaches moving at the kitchen area, etc.

After such a long period he looked over himself in the mirror of dressing table, he wondered through his blur vision, he saw his weird appearance, with grey hairs, long white beard, dirty and smelly clothing’s which he could feel. It was almost a year back, he took his bathe.

There was a time, when Simon moved along with each second on the clock and was quite particular about everything being an Ex- Military Chief as taught in their campaign right from his youth days. After his retirement he assisted his wife in her cake shop till this incident, after which he closed it forever.

He could not even identify whether it was day or night out, which season is going on or which festival it was. But he always remembered his wedding anniversary, his wife’s birthday and his son’s birthday, and only on those days he took his bathe, brushed his tooth and carried out daily routine in order.

It was Sam’s birthday, as usual, after finishing the day out, during the late night hours, Simon ordered Sam’s favourite pizza from the same shop. 

The Pizza delivery boy reached too late due to long distance to Simon’s house. He rang the door bell; Simon opened it very soon and asked him, “Why so late, I ordered long back?”

The delivery boy answered, “Apologies, confused about your location as I have joined recently, I am not familiar with these place.”

The delivery boy looked surprise as he felt foul smell and saw the things inside disorder and dirty.

Meanwhile, Simon asked him to wait and gave him good amount of tips, which of course wondered him as he got comparatively good amount than other places delivered by him.

Then, the delivery boy left quickly and Simon closed the doors.

There was a poor little boy outside, who was shivering in the cold, with dirty and torn clothes. He seemed to be quite tired and hungry as did not had anything since few days. As soon as, he saw this Pizza delivery man, he ran towards him, begged him for something to fill his stomach. But the delivery man refused to give him anything and rather asked him to move aside by telling him, “Why don’t you people keep yourself clean, you smell very dirty, stay away.”

This hurted the little boy and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Then that boy’s eyes led on Simon’s cottage, he thought, perhaps the delivery man came out from this place, so here he may get something to feed his hunger.

In the dark night, he jumped the entrance gate of this cottage, anyhow. Then he broke the big window glass with a hard stone, as there was silence around, he thought by now, everyone must have slept.

He got inside the house, he could see darkness everywhere. He felt the foul smell, dirty and messy things around, which confused him on how to go to the dining hall. He murmured to himself, “What a giant cottage, but inside is so shabby than a beggar’s hut.”

Simon was lying on his bed, but he felt something fishy as his ears were still sharp. He thought about some thief must have entered the house. He got up and searched for his gun and finally found it from the shelf.

He traced the footsteps of that little one who entered his house, and could identify that this boy has now moved to his kitchen, and was found murmuring to himself again, “All big people are like this only, its worst than a beggar’s house, nothing to eat.”

Then he saw Simon standing with a gun,  that scared him and he shouted crying loudly, “Sir please don’t kill me, I have not come to stole anything, I am hungry. I am starving since few days. I need to eat, nothing else.”

On listening him, Simon felt too bad and emotional for the boy. He put down his gun.

Then Simon moved towards the boy, who was shivering too worst. As he neared to the boy, with his blur vision he learnt that this boy’s clothes were wet and dirty. So Simon bought a pair of his son’s clothes and gave him for changing it.

Meanwhile, Simon also served him a cup of hot coffee and Pizza, in no time, the boy finished off everything.

Then he thanked Simon whole heatedly and was about to leave the place.

The boy said, “Sir, may I leave now.”

Simon asked him, “Wait, where will you go. Where do you stay?”

The boy, “I stay on the streets, I don’t have home. I have lost my parents, I have no one here.”

Simon, “You can stay here, if you wish. I am also all alone.”

The boy, “But Sir.”

Simon, “Why? What happened?

The boy nodded, “Nothing.”

The boy felt safe rather than staying on the streets and he decided to stay at Simon’s cottage.

After few days, Simon’s attitude changed again. As he grew close to this boy, he found the shadow of his son in him. Sometimes, he also felt, as if his son is back to him.

As life went on, they both were close to each other. The boy got his new name “Sam” and Simon sent him for his schooling ahead.

Now, it was almost a year, they stayed together, which changed Simon and his behaviour driving him back to the past life he lived. 

Simon’s cottage now appeared quite neatly cleaned and well ordered as in his earlier days, which surprised the people around him, who once gossiped about it.

Transforming his allergy from sunlight, Simon’s life now moved from darkness towards the leading light. 

***The End****