Ask a person their motto and their is a reasonably high probability that someone will say that their life's motto is "Live as if this is the last day of your life". I have been thinking of this particular phase for a couple of days since I just finished Garcia Marquez's work " Chronicle of a Death Foretold" and it made me think, what would I do with the last 24 hours of my life? So I decided to sit back and take the time to look at myself and the things around me.
I would never like to live so far away from home if i knew that I had only 24 hours to live. I would want to be near my parents and my brother. Although, I love my relatives and friends a lot. I think the only quality time I would like to spend with would be SH, my parents and brother. Before I left home for my residential school I prefered to keep quiet, talk to no one and just feel the house, the walls and the presence of my loved ones around me who would go about their usual chores. That is exactly what I would like to do on the last day of my life. Just look deep into each ones eyes and let them understand without my speaking, how much I love and appreciate them. Eat all my meals of the day with them together, watch the TV and go for a walk in the garden, water the plants and pluck some lilies and bring them for ma just like my dad does on some days. See her smile and go about her chores like any ordinary day.
In the afternoon while my ma takes an afternoon nap and Baba is out on an errand and brother is with one of his friends SH and I sit and read a book together before we take an afternoon siesta. We get up soon after to go up on the terrace and feel the heat of the sun and take cover under the shade that Baba has built.
Eagerly wait for the evening tea time and rush to make the tea while my brother ans SH stand there watching me and eager to help with anything possible. I serve the cake that I made in the afternoon for everyone and my Baba cant help being proud of me that I make such a wonderful cake. And we all sit together on the veranda and sip at our cups while watching the kids play cricket in the park in front of our house. Comment at the passing neighbours and wave a friendly hand at them. Sit in the veranda till the dusk turns into night and the mosquitoes come to feast on us. Then run inside and quickly close the net doors before my mom comes to check at us. all of us sit together and watch the TV together and listen to the local and national news. Watch mom's favorite serial with her and then help her set the table for dinner. Make the perfect round rotis for the last time and serve the ones that I made to Baba and hear him appreciate them and tell me that I must do it everyday for him fully aware that I will not.
After dinner I serve everyone the pudding I made for dessert see each one's eyes lit up while my mom just looks at me as if saying that you spoil them with this once in a blue moon feast and I will have to bear their complaints forever.
I look at her and grin much aware that time is fleeting by. Then all of us sit around the dining table and talk till the wee hours, the past, school, work, cousins, news and politics and the prices of fish and oil, the future. We laugh a lot together and feel as close to each other as it has ever been possible. And get up and go to bed after hugging my parents and brother. SH and I will go to sleep for the next day would bring something different for everyone. I realized my last day said nothing about bog ambitions, gold and wealth. these things do not even come to my mind. So are they not important to me. My last day I would prefer to be just as simple ans sweet as it has always when I am home. And that is the most important thing for me.
I do not see myself doing nothing but be close to the most important people of my life.
Well, now ask me what I would do if I have a year before I leave this earth, and that would be a totally different scene. I will need 365posts to explain that ;))
I would never like to live so far away from home if i knew that I had only 24 hours to live. I would want to be near my parents and my brother. Although, I love my relatives and friends a lot. I think the only quality time I would like to spend with would be SH, my parents and brother. Before I left home for my residential school I prefered to keep quiet, talk to no one and just feel the house, the walls and the presence of my loved ones around me who would go about their usual chores. That is exactly what I would like to do on the last day of my life. Just look deep into each ones eyes and let them understand without my speaking, how much I love and appreciate them. Eat all my meals of the day with them together, watch the TV and go for a walk in the garden, water the plants and pluck some lilies and bring them for ma just like my dad does on some days. See her smile and go about her chores like any ordinary day.
In the afternoon while my ma takes an afternoon nap and Baba is out on an errand and brother is with one of his friends SH and I sit and read a book together before we take an afternoon siesta. We get up soon after to go up on the terrace and feel the heat of the sun and take cover under the shade that Baba has built.
Eagerly wait for the evening tea time and rush to make the tea while my brother ans SH stand there watching me and eager to help with anything possible. I serve the cake that I made in the afternoon for everyone and my Baba cant help being proud of me that I make such a wonderful cake. And we all sit together on the veranda and sip at our cups while watching the kids play cricket in the park in front of our house. Comment at the passing neighbours and wave a friendly hand at them. Sit in the veranda till the dusk turns into night and the mosquitoes come to feast on us. Then run inside and quickly close the net doors before my mom comes to check at us. all of us sit together and watch the TV together and listen to the local and national news. Watch mom's favorite serial with her and then help her set the table for dinner. Make the perfect round rotis for the last time and serve the ones that I made to Baba and hear him appreciate them and tell me that I must do it everyday for him fully aware that I will not.
After dinner I serve everyone the pudding I made for dessert see each one's eyes lit up while my mom just looks at me as if saying that you spoil them with this once in a blue moon feast and I will have to bear their complaints forever.
I look at her and grin much aware that time is fleeting by. Then all of us sit around the dining table and talk till the wee hours, the past, school, work, cousins, news and politics and the prices of fish and oil, the future. We laugh a lot together and feel as close to each other as it has ever been possible. And get up and go to bed after hugging my parents and brother. SH and I will go to sleep for the next day would bring something different for everyone. I realized my last day said nothing about bog ambitions, gold and wealth. these things do not even come to my mind. So are they not important to me. My last day I would prefer to be just as simple ans sweet as it has always when I am home. And that is the most important thing for me.
I do not see myself doing nothing but be close to the most important people of my life.
Well, now ask me what I would do if I have a year before I leave this earth, and that would be a totally different scene. I will need 365posts to explain that ;))
1 comment:
hey dear, have been postponing to read these for sometime...and finally i did today....am not sure what would i do on the last day of my life...u've set me thinkin!
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