MY DAYS WITH FAMILY

I cannot control the smell of the rabbit and chicken smell which my mom prepares deliciously, the aroma is still the same, as when I was young. I rush to my house after college, to eat the lunch which my mom prepares for me.

As we enter the house, I first went to see my dad's health before I got freshened up and went towards his room. He is still resting, on the bed, with a book in his hand, and it is one of his favourite books Abdul Kalam, namely Wings of fire. He always likes to read that kind of book.

I went near his bed and sat beside his leg and touched his leg. He saw me surprisingly and asked "When you came? I said, "Just now dad, how are you feeling, don't stain yourself by reading, it will affect your eyes. He said," I am fine now, just I cannot work hard nowadays, so I started reading new things to know the new world. It does not stain much and I am relieved now.

I asked, "Who gave you the book dad, He said, "It's a new young boy, I appointed, for part-time work in the gardens, He is very poor, and now I cannot do heavy work in the garden, so he will do it and I pay him a certain amount, he goes to the college, and a BA Literature student. He works during the day and goes to school at the night.

I was amazed to hear that, and he started coughing, I was given some water, and told "Dad you should not talk much, take some rest, I will freshen up myself, and we will talk later. He said fine and on the way to my room, I was thinking all about the boy who is he be.

When I reached my room, the luggage is already in my room, Arundhati, went for a bath, and my children were hiding behind the door, too startled me, as soon as I entered, they jumped on me and started playing with me, it is long that I spend some time with them.

Due to so much work, I don't get much time with my children. They were all freshened up and ready, it is a quality of my wife that she is always, one step ahead of me. She does everything for us, even if she fights with me, she is an amazing lady, I always love her, really women are amazing.

She came out from the bath, and at the same time, I felt she is so beautiful, she is in her late 30s but yet she is more amazing and loveable. My mom called everyone to have lunch, I hurriedly, went to the bath, and when I reached the dining table, the dishes are already set, and children had already eaten and Arundhati had taken them to have a nap. Everyone came, also my father came and sat beside me.

The lunch table is filled with all the delicious, dishes, of my favorites and they are filled with my mom's magic delicacies. I ate to my full and my father and uncle, was talking about the progress they made, in the business, and the achievement, they also talked about the repair and construction of one more floor for the high school so that more children can come to mom's school and things to be done for renovating the school campus.

I was listening to them but I did not pay much attention, because am enjoying the meal after a long time after they completed the talk, they look towards me, but they not told anything, and laughed to see me enjoying my meal, I felt awkward, because it was childish things, but what to do, we unknowingly, show our childishness sometimes, or maybe I want to prove that I am still a child maybe they also felt the same.

We always forget the small child within us. We feel awkward, when that feeling comes out, it is a different experience. We should be like children because they don't feel afraid of anything, they love deeply, they show their anger freely, and they feel bad if they do anything wrong.

This Independence, this feeling will go away when we grow up. My wife and I helped mom too, clear the table, and help her in washing the dishes, she was shocked to see me doing kitchen work, because I never enter the kitchen before, I go abroad.

Both of them made fun of me for doing the kitchen chores. I said everything to yes, but it is an unforgetful moment for me and I am spending a day with my family. I always, love them and they remain in my soul even I die.

Spending time with your family is a different experience for everyone. I went to my room for the afternoon nap, my children are fast asleep, and after a heavy meal, a nap is required and I am tired of the long trip, I lay down near my children, the youngest one, holding me tightly in his sleep.

I loved it very much when I started to sleep my wife came in, but I pretend I am asleep, she saw the four of us, lovingly and her eyes filled with tears, it maybe she is happy to see me with children after a long time. She went away, maybe she won't want to disturb me and the chatting between mom and her is going on in another room.

I slept nearly until 5 o'clock, it was a long nap, Children had already woken up, and went with my father and uncle, for a walk. After having coffee, I also want to take a walk in my motherland, I decided to visit the flower garden. I went in the direction of the garden.

They look more beautiful, and big, the land is extended and dad put many rare flowers, which are not seen in India much, like a peach blossom, mahogany, rare round tulips, and at last, the pond is filled with water lilies. They are amazing.

One plant attracted my attention, it has small leaves which look like a tamarind leaf, and also another small plant with violet flowers, but they look different in shape. Someone tapped on my shoulder and I turned back shockingly, it was a young boy of merely 26 years of age and he is tall and handsome, with a good build.

He asked me, "hello sir, may I help you with anything, you are seeing those two plants for a long time, he looked at me keenly. He said shockingly, Sir I am how are you, I am Roshan, you do not remember me. I am the little boy who you saw years back.

I am the little boy, whom you saw beating my mom and you are an excellent omen for me. I was amazed to hear that, he is the boy whom I met years ago while returning from college who made me go to a foreign country to earn, and he still remembers me. I asked, are you the boy who was appointed newly as a gardener by my dad?

He said, yes. I also asked him about the two rare plants, which are not seen in the vicinity. He explained to me that the violet one is the Shankhapushpi also called the speed wheel in English. It is the shape of the shankh in Sanskrit meaning sea shell. It will grow all over India in all places. It is also used as a medicinal flower and is good for losing weight.

The small leaf flower will grow, once a year and it will grow in bunches, and it is the flower that grows in the south of Kerala during the summer season. It is called Golden shower and it is also a medicinal plant. We walked for a long time, through the garden and he is explaining every flower in the garden.

I want to know more about him, like what happened to him after I left him, and how he reached here. But I felt it is not good to know his things much, maybe he will tell those things by himself. The sun is setting and it is already time for him to attend the night classes.

We have the waterfall area near the lotus pond. The waterfall was Atlantis-blue. It was gushing over the rocks. At its widest point, it was surging and plunging down the mountain. It had a beautiful serene pool at the bottom. It was veneer clear. The waterfall flowed as smoothly as syrup.

The frogs croaking nearby added to the wonderful sounds. I threw myself under the waterfall. It was so cold that I started shuddering. I sit beside the bank and let the nougat sweet smell of flowers wash over me. Later I had some ham sandwiches and they were Godly.

The evening sky is so beautiful in my homeland, it made me stand still sometimes. After that I went inside all who went for walk, came mom and Arundhati, went to prepare the dinner, I played with my children for some time, when they started playing by themselves.

I went to my dad's room, to spend some time with them, uncle and dad talking, I knocked on the door and they told me to come in, I joined the talk. They are curious to know about life and job in a foreign country. My uncle asked me about the plan to return to the homeland permanently, Dad told, "Son both of us feel lonely here, we want you to look after the property.

 I accepted his proposal and told them that I am planning to return within two years, but I have to accomplish some formalities before that. They all become very happy, and a day with your family is a very different experience. Days passed, so fast my leave days are nearly over. Within these two weeks, I become a good friend to Roshan.

Two days before I return, I went to say goodbye to him. He felt a little bad, but after some time, Sir, "Wherever you go you will be a good, person I wished you good luck. You are lucky to me also and to others. I asked, "you told this thing before, I am not a special person, how I am lucky for you.

He said, On the day you left, telling me to do something to my mom, The person started hitting my mom mercilessly, I stopped him, gathered my courage, and told that man that I will repay the amount in a year, he challenged me and after he left, I took my mom, to hospital.

After she recover, she said that my dad left some property, in the backyard of this house, trying to sell the property, and earn money. I asked her mom, why you are not told them before, and she said, your father is very adamant about a sale that, because he believes, after his death, he doesn't have anything of his own.

So, he wants to earn more, money by working with others, land and he took a loan to make you study and he wants to send you to do the office job. He had the money in the bank for your studies. Hence, he sold himself to that heartless man, and he died continuously working hard on that, person's land. That person threatened me by the amount to be paid, and in you.

I was shocked to hear that, I was determined to end this thing from my roots, I sold the land and got a good price for it, I repaid the loan, within six months, and also I able to earn extra money for my studies, I started planting some flowers and started learning about it, and the land which we sold, that person opened a company of woollen clothes, my mom got the job of the tailor in that, and she told me to focus on my studies, and she also started earning from that.

After some days, your father saw my interest in gardening, and told me about the garden business, in this way I started earning well and also completing my education. Maybe, on that day if you do not show up, and instruct me I will not gather the confidence, and settle down. I laughed to hear his story. It is time to return to my actual world. The world of achieving my dreams. He is also a good omen for me.