An ill-fated

Tiny water droplets on the cosmos fall to the soil. Those got amid by colorful butterflies. The weather was cloudy yet a tranquil one. That evening was so soothing with different fragrances of nature.

"Andrew, take Jade out with you. He'll feel better if he goes out," said Mr. Jonas looking at Jade who was sitting in the garden.

"Yeah, you should call him with you whenever you go out to play. It's been more than a month but still, he hadn't recovered from that trauma," said Mrs. Jonas shrinking her eyebrows.

Their conversation was going on and suddenly Mrs. Jonas felt a quickening in her womb. She got extremely joyful bringing the hands of her husband and son making them feel the movement of the child. Andrew got so excited and asked, "When the baby will come out mom? I want to take it in my arms." With bright eyes filled with elation. "Our family is going to turn four, just after a few weeks.", said Mr. Jonas with an extremely happy face looking at his wife.

"Very sooner it'll come out my son," said Mrs. Jonas with a cheerful face.

All those happy faces got turned to Jade at once. Mr. Jonas patted Andrew's shoulder gesturing to Jade. Andrew asked Jade to come out and play with him. But Jade refused to go. Being taciturn, Andrew didn't ask him for the second time, he simply went out alone to play baseball with a bat. The couple kept watching what so happened out there and looked at each other for their son's behavior. Mr. Jonas was cooking, Mrs. Jonas was reading a book and resting, and Jade was sitting in a corner of the room provided to him by staring at his mother's photo. After some time the climate seemed to be pouring. When Jade saw this, he went out in a hurry saying, "Aunt, I'm going out to play."

Both Mr. and Mrs. Jonas gave a pause to their work listening to him. They got amazed when Jade went out himself. Minutes passed and the climate started to turn intense. The couple got worried as both the children didn't get home. Mr. Jonas kept waiting for them near the door. Andrew soon came home running by covering his head with his hands. Mr. Jonas took his son inside the home and asked, "Where's Jade?"

"I don't know, he didn't come with me."

"But he went out to play with you."

"He didn't come to me."

"Then where did he go?", Mr. Jonas asked being terrified.

Mr. Jonas ran out with an umbrella to find him. Andrew also went along with his father. They both searched him for almost half of the city. They thought if Jade might have returned home and called Mrs. Jonas to ask if he returned but they got hopeless after knowing he hadn't. Suddenly Mr. Jonas turned to Andrew, "I think, I know where he would be right now I guess."

Andrew got startled by his father's sudden reaction. They both went to the spot where Jade's mom got passed away and started to look around. Expectedly Jade was there sitting kneeled near the spot his mom expired. Mr. Jonas got relieved after he saw him and asked Andrew to stay there under a tree. Meanwhile, Mr. Jonas observed that a car is on its way at full speed, and was about to hit Jade. He immediately ran to Jade leaving his son aside. Mr. Jonas, the car, and a girl. All three were on their way running to Jade. The girl pulled Jade aside from the spot but Mr. Jonas got stuck with the car. He got hit by the car and watching this Andrew ran straight to his father.

"Dad, dad!", shouted Andrew putting his finger near his father's nose.

He got a bit relaxed after he felt the breathing of his father. He started to shout looking around, "Anyone help, please."

A taxi driver went out of his vehicle and took Mr. Jonas into his taxi. Jade kept looking at the girl who saved him, she was looking at the man who took Andrew and his father in his vehicle and Andrew was looking at all of those happening on the footpath with indignation filled in his eyes through the window. Soon the vehicle left the spot. The rain started to get over and the girl waved her hand calling Jade. He then realized that something happened to Mr. Jonas. As a child he didn't know where to go, so he made his direction to Jonas's home. When he arrived, there was no one in the home. He took the phone been kept on the table and called Mr. Jonas. Andrew picked up the phone and said, "Mom, don't worry. Dad's safe, just a…"

"Andrew I'm…", he tried to ask about Mrs. Jonas but Andrew cut the call listening to his voice. He ran out to check if his aunt might be somewhere around. A neighbor of theirs just informed Jade that his aunt got admitted to the hospital. He was about to ask him the reason but that person left. It was bewildering for him to understand what was going on. Hours passed and he still spent alone in the home. Suddenly someone entered and when he checked, it was Andrew and his father with sorrow on their faces and a band-aid on Mr. Jonas's head.

"Uncle, someone said that aunt has been admitted to hospital."

"Yeah…, I… I know it.", equivocatingly Mr. Andrew said.

"How's aunt…"

"You don't talk about my mom, neither my dad nor me. Don't interfere in our lives, just stay away from us. If you wouldn't go out, this might have never happened. You are ill-fated for our family.", said Andrew in an exasperated tone pointing his finger at Jade.

Jade didn't know why was he talking to him like that. He went quiet and Andrew just went from there in an irreverent way. Jade then asked his uncle, "Uncle, where's aunt?"

"She died and my child who didn't even open its eyes also passed away with her.", said Mr. Jonas crying looking to the ceiling, and going away. After listening to this Jade got into a depressed state. All the moments with his aunt seemed to him in a glance. He wanted to cry out loud but tears weren't coming out of his eyes. He felt even more disgusting for not being able to spill out his grief. He sat clutching his hair and tucking his legs inside. At that moment he started to believe that he was the one with misfortune, he's the one having a bad fate, people whom he'll love will get faded away, and he can't have people whom he loves. He started to talk within himself, "I can't love anyone. If I do, they will die. No, no one can die just because I love them. I can never have someone whom I'll love." With a lower tone by grasping his hair even tighter.

Two days passed and all the three were in a saddened state and the doorbell rang during this while. Mr. Jonas opened the door and it was Mr. Williams. He hugged Mr. Jonas saying, "I offer my sincere condolence to your family."

Mr. Jonas nodded his head and welcomed him home. Mr. Williams asked for his son and said, "Jonas, this is not the right time to keep Jade here and I think he'll be better with me. So I decided to take him with me."

"May he have a good life ahead."

Mr. Williams packed Jade's things and asked him to move with him. Jade didn't say a word and followed his dad. They went to their own house to take their things. Jade stood in front of his father and wanted to speak something but was hesitating. "Is there anything you want to tell?", asked Mr. Williams packing the things.

"Dad, I don't want to go with you."

Mr. Williams stopped packing and turned to him, "What are saying? Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes dad, I've lost my mind and I don't want to stay with you. Better, I'll stay in some hostel."

"But, Jade try to…"

"Dad, I don't want to stay with you. That's all."

"So you want to stay in a hostel. Okay then, we're going there to admit you. Pack your things separately."

He packed his things along with some of the things related to his mother. They both left their house for the final time. Jade looked at his house with affection filled in his eyes. Soon they reached a highly known hostel. Mr. Williams did all the formalities to join his son. The manager made him cautious, "Sir, your son is too young to join a hostel."

"I know, but my son doesn't want to stay with me."

"But sir, he may not catch things easily."

"Anyways, I've paid for his present school. Don't change his school until he gets into a college. I'll pay annually every year."

Mr. Williams left. It was so complicated for him but Jade adjusted himself. Both the boys grew up without their moms. Now they have become teens of eighteen.

-To be continued