True Love...

October 3, 2011

With a long plastic sack slung over his left shoulder and the left arm thrust deep inside the mouth of the sack to keep it open, this 12-year old rag picker made for the garbage bin on the pavement opposite our apartment. I watched him bend over the bin looking for something of value (to him).Then a small girl came and threw some garbage into the bin.

The first thing this boy laid his hands on the garbage the girl threw was a folded banana leaf. His eyes glowed with delight as he saw inside the folded leaf the leftovers of a rice meal and goodies. He promptly sat down on the edge of the pavement licking his lips. It was obvious that he hadn’t come across a square meal in a long time.

He spread out the precious banana leaf on a flat granite stone of the pavement and took in the first mouthful. His appetite now whetted and his face lighted up like a chandelier. Just then out of nowhere appeared a mongrel bitch and its two pups, drawn by the sight of the food. The bitch stood a couple of feet away from the boy, watching him, and the pups kept hurling themselves at the mother’s breast, but finding little sustenance as the mother herself had been without food.

Then the boy made up his mind. He left the banana leaf open on the flat stone and did not help himself to another morsel. He pushed the leaf towards the poor mongrel. The hungry animal understood the gesture as an invitation. The ravenous beast polished off the leaf clean with its long tongue.
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Then it took a tentative step towards the boy, nudged his knee and began to lick his knee and began to lick his face in gratitude. The boy put his hand round the animal, scratched its face and fondled its ears.”It’s all right, dear”, said the boy as though he was talking to another human being like him.”No need to thank me. We homeless wanderers must stick by one another….mustn’t we..?”
 
Then he stood up and shouldered his sack and picked up his feet. The bitch and the pups followed. I watched till they were out of sight, the poor animals still right behind, ready to follow him to the end of the earth. It was indeed a great gesture of support that showed that heart can sometimes win over hunger. In fact that small child with a big heart taught that day that on this earth true love still does exist.

By Tauseef Ahmed M
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Comment on this article

  • Arem, Puttur

    Sat, Oct 08 2011

    Nicely narrated and beautifully conveyed the generosity of the heart despite a hungry stomach

  • Tauseef, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 07 2011

    Hey Pauline and Roshan...thank you guys...And Just yesterday I have e-mailed 2 new articles probably related to my own life again...Hopefully if Daijiworld finds it worthy enough to be published it will be there for you to read very soon bro...

  • Pauline , Balman / Toronto

    Wed, Oct 05 2011

    Hey Tauseef, in this busy world, when people are struggling to multi task and may not find time to read, your SHORT story conveyed a BIG message of LOVE - great work.

  • rico lobo, karkala,nakre post

    Wed, Oct 05 2011

    and they lived happily......for some more time....

  • Roshan, Mangalore

    Wed, Oct 05 2011

    hmm... when will be your next article Tauseef....?!

  • Tauseef, Mangalore

    Tue, Oct 04 2011

    Thanks alot guys...thanks alot for your beautiful comments and encouragement.Your feedback definitely encourages me to further write again..and most importantly thanks to daijiworld for encouraging and giving such a wonderful platform for budding writers and especially bringing out at least something out of me in my free time...:)
    Regards,
    Tauseef.

  • Mabel, Mumbai,

    Mon, Oct 03 2011

    CONGRATS !!!!!! nice story.

  • Narendra Shetty, Katapadi/Alkhobar

    Mon, Oct 03 2011

    very touchy, short and sweet, keep it up !!!

  • Roshan, Manglaore,

    Mon, Oct 03 2011

    lovely smile and lovely article...!! ah... keep it up Tauseef.

  • FELIX/ANITA, BAJPE/MUSCAT

    Mon, Oct 03 2011

    CONGRATS NICE STORY. I WD SAY THE VALUE OF GRATEFULNESS IS THE GIST. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU- AND KEEP WRITING.

  • Sylvia, Kinnigoli

    Mon, Oct 03 2011

    Short but cute story


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