One Tiny Soldier

“Listen, not today. I have already a lot going on in my head and it's making me feel dizzy. I don’t want to get into a fight with you because, just I don’t.”

“You think I want to fight with you. I am just asking why the hell police came to our house? Is it too much of a ask?”

“I told you it's about city mayor elections. They have this routine chat with all the people which they think have firm footing in their respective vicinity. They ask for cooperation and to keep them informed if we come to know about any unethical element creating ruckus during poll time.”

“I don’t buy that. Cook said the police came around breakfast time and stayed till late afternoon.”

“So what? And why the hell cook is telling you all this? And if you rely on your sources so much, why don’t you ask them to tell you about my chat with the inspector verbatim to verbatim?”

“Now, who’s losing his cool and fighting?”

“Bloody hell woman, I will lose my control. You are expecting me to keep calm when your house staff, which your father gifted you at the time of marriage, goes around behind my back and tells you what I am doing and what not? For god sake I was having only a conversation with my college friend and that too in my own four walls, and your bloody servants and you are making me sound like I am having an affair!”

“Wh…Who said you are having an affair? I was just worried about you so I just thought to ask you why the police inspector visited. I didn’t know he was your college friend.”

“You never bothered, I never told. Ha! That's funny..”

“What?”

“Nevermind. Is there anything else your trusted “source” told you which you want to drill upon? Or may I have the permission to step out of this jury box?”

“I was not drilling you, it's just that I was a little worried about our little boy and…you. I heard about the police coming to our house and panicked.”

“You were?”

“What? You think I am lying.”

“No, no, obviously you were worried. Especially for me, that's why when I was in hospital, after that leopard attack, eyes half buried in chloroform dizziness and other half in antibiotics and asked the doctor for you in my half consciousness, he pointed his finger towards my dozed-off 65-year old secretary in the corner of the room and not you, because you simply were never there.”

“How many times I have to tell you I get nauseous on the very site of blood.”

<<CEO rises from his breakfast table and in anguish started towards his room, but then stopped in his tracks and without looking at his wife, said,>>

“Of course, you get nauseous. You know what was funny earlier, “You never bothered, I never told”, this seems like the perfect way to define our marriage. Don’t you think so? By the way, I just want to let the worrying mother know, her 12-year-old’s birthday was yesterday. And on both our behalf I have given him Thor's uniform. So when he comes around and hugs you for no apparent reason, just pretend you care like you always do.”

<<In anger and pain filled long strides CEO reached his bedroom landing on the first floor of the house. What he saw next broke his heart. His 12-year-old son was sleeping outside his bedroom door on the floor, with his Thor hammer clutched in his tiny little palms. He lifted him slowly and took him to his room and carefully placed him on his bed. For one long eternity of a moment, it was just him watching his son sleep. Him and fourteen different cartoon faces ogling from the walls. Some moments get told and get passed on from generation to generation and become stories and then there are some which will always remain between fathers and their children’s goofy stickers and broken toys. No one bothers to ask, no one bothers to tell. 

CEO lost in his reveries accidentally steps on one of his son’s squeaky toy.>> 

“Dad?”

“Yes son, it’s me. Sorry I woke you up.”

“Where is my Thor hammer, Dad?”

“It’s next to your pillow dear”

“Oh..ok. Did that leopard come back when I was asleep?”

“What? No, no one is coming dear. You don’t have to be afraid, dad is here for you.”

“I know you will always be. And, I am for you. Next time when that leopard comes, my Thor hammer will be waiting for him, I mean her.”

“You overheard the police uncle when he was here, didn't you?”

“Please don’t scold me.”

“I am not going to. How can I scold someone who will always be there for me.”

“Can I sleep with you tonight, Dad?”

“I don’t see a reason why not. Let's make some space for your old man.”

<<Most of the time children need their fathers to fight their fears and demons living below the bed. But then there are some other times, when the fathers need their children to keep their fears at bay.

The CEO's son gave his father a one hand hug and tightly clutched his birthday present in another. In his son’s tiny embrace, the CEO can’t help himself but falls into a deep dark velvety slumber with dreams of leopards and jungle in the wild. And one tiny soldier with hammer in his hands standing between the leopards and him.>>