The Silent Gab

His footsteps were heavy as they fell on the stairs one by one. As usual, there was nothing but the sounds of dried winter leaves and the cool breeze rustling them on the floor. I woke up as I felt the commencing steps. Joshua was in an unusual hurry. Even the winter morning could not stop him from sweat. He crackled the key in the lock, stepped the paddle, and went away. I saw him through the open rusty iron gate. It was the unvarying sound of every day. But today, it was different. I ran, followed him, to his regular destination, he visited every Friday.

I spotted him sitting outside the shut metal door, rubbing his hand in a while and keeping them in the pocket, the other. I went and sat beside him. He looked and shifted towards me. He eased his hands on my head and his fingers in my fur. He started playing with my ears. The morning was calm. The street was still lightened and the stars still glowed in the melancholy gray sky of early dawn. The ambiance had the sound of grinding mills and chirping early morning birds.

It was his eighteenth birthday. And thirteen years after the incident. Soon I saw a bell-shaped structure through the foggy wall of mid-winter. And there she was. Ms. Breata, the old lady, I barked. It was louder today. He shifted his hands, brushed off his pants, and followed the lady. "Today I have got you the rarest one", she said. Her voice was deep and the wrinkles shadowed her face. I followed him and he followed her on the steps. She took the key from the pouch on her waist. The shutter opened as a commencing thunder. Joshua was never this anxious before. I followed them to a cartoon. I smelled and sniffed. She stared at me. Her eyes widened. Joshua pushed me behind. The lady unboxed the stuff and handed the comic to him. "You are not going to be the same after reading this, my child. It has got the answers to all your questions. Her superpowers are ethereal and ineffable in it. Venterpilla is the goddess of all odds”, she said. Her voice was deep and clear. Joshua was silent. He felt the vibrant cover with his hand and feast his eye upon it. "Dad, what is the story of the day?”, He went into the pool of thoughts. "It’s about the superpower that is hidden within you”. "Hidden within me?”, "Yes, my Son, inside you, that nobody knows”. "It will cost you 50 dollars”, the old high pitch voice interrupted the thoughts.” whaa..aat.tt, fif..fifty..fifty dollars, but that’s too much”. "Well, not as expensive as the magnitude of the question of your existence on this earth, dear,” she said. He put his hands in both the pockets, juggled them all together, and kept whatever he had on the table.”......thirtyfour……..thirty six…..forty.” they counted.”No.this is the priceless edition” " I have got it only for you right from the harbor and none of it is sold yet” she added.”.....Bubb..but..but this is aaa..aall...I...ave”, and the tears rolled down on his face. The lady breached the miser's eyes. "No, Joshua, not this  time.”, “ Okay take this for now, but get me the money by the end of this month”.Robert smirked and took no time to grasp the edition and left.

It was midnight. The beetles buzzed. I walked to the water bowl. Drank loudly and barked in sudden response to the voice outside. And then I heard again, the tearful voice.                   

I saw Joshua woke up.” Dad...Dad”.He removed the quilt and went to the bathroom. Washed his face…..and stood in front of the mirror and gazed...gazed for a while.“It’s about the superpower that is hidden within you”. "Hidden within me?”, "Yes, my Son, inside you, that nobody knows” leave…leave my son….leave that innocent child”, "no place in this world will bring you peace ever, you dreadful gulligan….god will not forgive you” Daaa...daaa...dad..dad..dad..”. I was in the habit of it for years. I left the room. I rolled myself on the couch again, my eyes got closed and. I was easing again until I heard the sound of a tremble like an earthquake. I thought it must be a wall, fallen on Joshua.”Poor little guy, he couldn’t even get to his high school and left the world so soon.” may both the souls live happily together in heaven”. Thrashhhhh….Then I heard of one more wall shattering sound. Now, I followed it. As I reached his room I was pelted with a huge volume. I saw a few more coming towards me...I ran and sat in the corner. My presence was noticed. He came and sat beside me. The floor was covered with the comics.” where is that one comic dad, one comic that can tell me about my superpowers, these collections have been useless, why don’t you come to tell that yourself ”.

After hundreds of sleepless nights, it was ought to happen. Every week the room was getting filled with torn comics. The pages were flapped from their corners. And I noticed him turning those comics and pages again and again, as the days passed. “This time, It was all to end. The old lady told me that the comic on my eighteenth birthday will bring the reason for my existence.” Till when these selves will be kept drowning, the pages will be turned and flapped”. It was again a sleepless night.

The next day I could only saw the hung bag over the back, leaving the rusty iron gate and I again rolled myself in the cool comfy couch of mine and closed my eyes.

It was late in the evening, I was waiting for Joshua to go for the walk. I looked at the huge comic shelves once in a while and through the window the other. I heard the footsteps. I ran. "O Cheasenut,” He said. "I started licking him, I rolled around him, did everything to remind him it was the time for our walk, but he was not in the moment. In no time he threw the bag and took the “Vanterpilla the comic” and got stuck into the chair. I again rolled myself on the couch. Stared the comic shelves and through the window. I hated those volumes. They took my friend away. Tears rolled down my eyes. I closed them and rested. How come the universe even hated my sleep. I was again awakened by an oracle if two souls were talking to each other. I stood. I barked in response.

“Bub...bub….but I have been waiting for the answer for thir...thitteen years. Vanterpilla now that you have arrived all through the heaven please ….” and he sobbed. After a silence of a few minutes, I heard him again. "My majesty. Accept me as your follower. Please show me the path of enlightenment. Please tell me the truth about this universe. The secret of happiness.” I saw him on his knees with both the arms folded. And again there was silence. I silently crawled inside to see another figure. But to my astonishment, with whom he was talking to. There was no one inside. Yes, I could see the fluttering curtains, the flattering oil lamp, and the Robert on knees, but there was nobody in the room other than him. I, the poor canine could not detect this paranormal. I did my monotonous job, went to my couch, rolled myself, stared at the comic shelves, and through the window. The scene faded slowly and my eyes were closed.

The next day, again those footsteps woke me up. It was a lazy day drizzling outside. I felt his hand on my head, his fingers in my fur.” It’s a good Day, Chestnut. Let’s go out for a walk” I saw selves. They were emptied. "Where are those comics?".I looked around. There were big boxes. "Come..on Ches.." He called "don't miss the morning". I followed him. He walked out the mettle door and shut it from outside. Though I was amazed by the change after years, I was happy.

“Cheezenut, this morning is really special to me. This time will pass, I believe now. And will continue on. In not too long, this event will be something that happened in the past. I want to take things easy. I want to relax. And want to get through all this. I will laugh again and have fun. We will go for long walks and amusements. My life will be full once again. And on top of all that I will be much wiser and more compassionate because I got through a challenging world.” I wagged my tail and listen to the newly budding life inside him.