Melting heart of a Stone

“Jack, drive a bit slow. The road is zigzag, don’t forget it”, said Flora. She is holding Tina’s hand. Tina is trying to act normal and relaxed though it’s not easy to hide her excitement. The road is scary. They were rushing towards the town but will be back soon. Nina, their great grandma, was sitting on a chair in her garden, closing her eyes, enjoying the sweet-smelling gentle breeze and waiting for them to return. Age has made her strong body bent and reduced her height to almost half the actual and, nowadays she can’t move without an elderly walking cane. But her eyesight is tremendous. Still, she can differentiate from a distance the butterflies and the moths when they fly around her garden and sometimes get inside the house. Suddenly a low cracking sound breaks the serenity of the place. Nina smiles at the sturdy wooden swing every day. Whenever she emerges out of her meditative state, this swing wakes her up. She slowly walks to it, then changes her mind.

“Hey, Nina, come, come here. Sit comfortably”, somebody or something summons her. Did Nina hear that? Who knows. She moves towards a stone, an almost roundish smooth white big stone, lying under the sandalwood tree. Nobody knows when the stone is there. It’s just there. Nina sits on it. “Thanks, Nina, I’ve been missing you over the last two days. Weren’t you feeling good? You didn’t show up … and I was feeling lonely”. Nina sighs a long breath and touches the surface of it with her trembling hands. Is that a kind of telepathy between Nina and the white stone? Perhaps.

“I, the white stone, request you to take a break and lend me your ears for a couple of minutes. I will take you to the centuries when your ancestors were moving around the earth with hand axes and spears, riding on horses, finding a place suitable to set up their tents and bring you back to the day when I see you, guys throwing cocktail parties and dancing with the beats of DJ karaoke. It’s like yesterday to me while I was resting among many other stones among some bushes. The whole valley was green with long, tall grass and bushes, and the air was with a low perfume of colourful cistus, daisies and buttercups. The tall gigantic trees were like umbrellas. I saw squirrels quickly jumping through the trees, birds making nests on the high boughs of the trees and heard the cricket sounds and the burble of the streams. Life was so peaceful. Then I witnessed the human race for the first time. A tribe came and started to build their dynasty over here. Mr Wong, the young head of the tribe, ordered his people to turn the valley into a tribe camp. This unruled valley saw the human race for the first time. The scenario rapidly changed. The landscape almost lost its previous face. I was afraid to be cast away.

"Father! See the big mushroom here! Such a gigantic one.” Exclaimed small Frank. Mr Wong laughed loudly and said, “It's no mushroom, but a white stone." Little Frank came close to me and touched me. It was ever I felt a tender touch and joy. Since then, Frank has become my regular guest. He insisted his father lift me and put me next to their tent. Not a single day Frank missed playing around me with other kids. They let their cattle graze in the valley. Men and women folk planted various grains. I saw how skilful were they in weaving their colourful clothes. Then came the harvesting time. The tribe celebrated it for over three days. They enjoyed the festival by playing the flutes, dancing and losing their senses after drinking lots of rice beers. I became overwhelmed by the vibrant life of the human race. Frank grew fast. And, Soho too. These two love birds often sat on me and talked about many things which made no sense to me. But I felt the love of the human heart. For a stone, definitely a great success! The day came when they got married and became parents with two beautiful children. I found little versions of Frank and Soho. Such a lovely memory! I witnessed many colourful wedding ceremonies years after years, happy harvestings, festive seasons, joyous monsoons and happy harvestings. But one thing never changed. Frank sat on me every day. Sometimes he talked to me. I wish I could reply to him!

Good days are too short. A strange disease spread over the valley, and the death tolls were terrifying. They lost their livestock, and they started losing them. Frank fell sick, and my heart sank. I witnessed his funeral. I cried, but nobody heard me. I grieved more when Soho used to sit on me, and tears were rolling on her cheek. Then a time came when Soho stopped crying and turned into another stone. Just a few of them remaining. The tribe believed in the curse and left the place. They left me all alone with a feeling of emptiness. Their empty huts with silent cries made me mourn years after years.

Centuries passed through. No human footsteps I heard. The valley went back to its previous look. I was lying in the same place, remembering my Frank and Soho.

“What a nice view! Look! People lived here. Look at the huts. What happened here?! Why did they leave?” asked a small girl. “Don’t know.” Replied someone. “Is that a mushroom?! A gigantic mushroom? Again, I heard the excited tender voice of that small girl. Oh! I feel restless. My stony heart seemed to melt once again. Yes, yes! I’m a stone mushroom. Please come close to me.

Soon I heard many footsteps. Many curious eyes were looking at me, touching me and giving their opinions on me. The most soothing sentence I heard after long years was, “It’s mine. My big mushroom.” I never moved from my place. I saw nothing except my surroundings. I don’t know what the world looks like outside. All I knew was I wanted them to stop by. And they did. They cleaned the place, and I recalled my memory. I saw them rebuild the huts almost like before but a bit different. Their clothes aren't always weaved by them. But their songs remind me of Frank and Soho’s wedding. And the loveliest moment is when Nina with her friends plays around and sits on me. Among all other things, I’m her favourite toy. My life is back again. I see them planting crops, enjoying the new year, and dancing and singing when a baby is born. These children go to some place where they learn many things as they say. I have no clue what is that place. But, most of them disappear almost every morning and return when the scorching sun is right up the head.

Time flies too fast. Today is Nina’s wedding. She is looking like an angel in her wedding suit. Someone is holding something black in his hand and repeatedly requesting everyone to make a line. He tells them to smile and after a few seconds a flash of light! It happens several times. Then Nina and Sidney sit on me and the others around me, and again the same man with the same black thing and the flash of light. After a few days, I saw them seeing a few things which they said, “photos.” Then Nina came to me and said, “Hey, want to see something?” I said, “Yes, if you will.” Ok, so… This is what I look like! I bet it’s me because I clearly remembered the moment while they all were around me and took this photo. I look way different from the humans.

My days are heading lying in the same spot for years. I don’t look like the humans, not even a match with any other things. I’ve seen the plants grow big, children mature, and the brook run fast and sometimes without water. I see life and death, sorrow and happiness, and ups and downs as the periodical fate of humans. Though the human race evolves, unlike the other creatures. My Nina is now one of the longest-lived persons in her tribe. This place is much changed. The scenario is no wilder. People from different places often visit it. The hilly zigzag roads are busy with vehicles. But I like the pedestrians. 

The tribe is much changed now. It set up restaurants, a botanical park and swimming pools. Nina let the visitors look around her place and get a glimpse of tribal culture. Her people greet the guests warmly, and so does she. And, when they look at me, I often hear, “Wow, it looks like a gigantic mushroom.”

My Nina is too old now. It’s a common thing for Nina and me that the visitors request her to let them take a snap of her with me. They ask about me. And Nina, with great excitement, recalls the past, and so do I.