Apple and Orange - Episode 4

Apple and Orange by vino4d - Episode 4

Water bubbled at blue flame. I turned off the helium gas stove and studying its heat. A vintage doc thermometer showed 37° celsius.

"Too hot?" I speared my finger into the water bowl.

 I poured some cold water, sprinkled the salt and stirred the heated water. Testing again the hotness.

"Perfect" 

 Now grabbed both turtles, transferred to the bowl. 

"Ma. He is cooking the tortoise" my sister called my mother.

"It was a sin, don't kill the turtles"  Mother said, walked towards me.

"Ma.. I bath them"

They are warming up and fell asleep. I brushed their shell with my sister's toothbrush. 

Fungus on the shell was dying during the salt bath. Its spiky nails gashing my epidermis. They didn't like bathing—which baby like bathing?. After all, drying them by towel, making them basking at sun and leave back to the tank.

"Cute" I smiled at the sleeping pets.

***

"Is turtles leave home?" the house owner asked my grandma, was stood outside the home.

"I want to talk with you" I approached him, before grandma answering.

I repeating the same lecture to him.

"No, this is not… we are tamilians. Our elders said things for our goodness. So, we must obey the elders without questioning." He protested.

Then I told the history of tamilian that I know. 

"No. The turtle are not allowed to pet in my religion. Don't pet turtle here." He snapped. 

He was Muslim guy. And I was born in Hindu family. I never heard anything about this opposition on his religion and already tried to find turtle references on Islam.

"Extol the name of your Lord, the Highest, who has created and regulated, and has destined and guided" 

 Verse [87:1-3] from Quran, the holy book of Islam.

This verse was positively related to turtles. And I found no opposition for pet a turtle in Islam. But I am not argued.

I smiled and asked, " Give me a time for two months"

He nodded.

What was I thought about him before was wrong.

'A Experienced Man will act matured'

I must change this stereotype.

"What was his problem" I thought, was lying next to my kids.

"His problem was not an ignorance. what then?"

"Arrogance" my brain said.

I smiled and looked Orange. She trying to catch the pellet and can't aware of transparent plastics—fixed for the platform, was banging her peanut head repeatedly on invisible barrier. I helped her.

"You will help to this one but who will helping others  in ocean" my brain asking me.

Now, I had no mind for engrossing about the ocean. I just had two months. How to keep my kids after that.

"Go for some job" my brain adviced.

***

I applied for computer programmer job, and got call letter for interview, it was on Chennai. 

"Take care of turtles. Ten pellets for each per day. Feed them regularly" I instructed.

"This was a fourth time you repeat the same. I know. You first go da." My sister lost her patience.

"you also keep one eye on them ma"  I put my bag back and hurried out.

"Okay, when will you back?" my mom asked, as  following me

"I'll be back shortly" I replied.

 "do you have money?" Mom rushed to kitchen

"Yes" I said, was reassuring my pocket, had five hundred rupees —earned by did construction labour work— in purse.

"Keep this" mom gave me several twenty and ten rupees from her purse. "Wait for your father, he will drop you at railway station."

"When will he come. When will I go. I'll get a bus"

"Are you told him that you go to Chennai"

 "You tell him ma.. "

 "I'll go" I said to grandma, she replied that to be careful.

I put the slippers on feet, was waved to my mother and sister, and walked. I reached railway station, was at a stone bench and awaiting for the train.

"I forgot my toothbrush" I thought.

"It just for a day. Even at home, you are not bothered about brushing then why now" my brain teasing me.

As the horn honking, train stopped at platform. People jammed at the door—of general compartment coach. I looked for a gap and inserted myself into the compartment. The Train—especially our coach— was overcrowded. I was crushed by co-passengers.

"Two third of reservation coaches are empty" one of the passenger grumbled.

"If they're allowing us to occupying the empty seat. Then there is no problem" another one said.

Whenever traveling at train—in general couch, l never get the destination without hearing these dialogues. 

As all standing in crammed place, a head was falling on my shoulder. I pushed the fallen head away, but it backed again. I sighed. Later I found and got the place for me at 'luggage only' rack and asleep.

***

To be continue...