It is back again and like all the times, it brings a new day
with it. I lie under this tree, in the heavenly pleasure of early morning sleep
and his rays touch my closed eyes from the gaps among the tree leaves.
Another day, another adventure…..
No matter how soon I wake up, I always see brother, up and
fresh. I wonder whether he sleeps at all.
Mother before leaving told us, “Always be together and that
way you would survive long”. She left us when we were kids like every other
mother does. It took us several months to understand the difficulty of
survival, the risks of everyday struggles. We always wished time stopped when
we were fast asleep in our mothers lap.
Brother seems to be ready…
When everyday life is a struggle, you got to think of it as
an adventure lest you cannot survive it. That has been our secret of happiness,
no matter how hard the day was, how difficult to get even a single bite of food,
how much tears came out of our eyes as if there is unknown connection between
hunger and tears. We learned to look at it differently and are survived this
way only.
Now brother with narrowed eyes is approaching me slowly, an
indication that the game is about to start. He took a leap into air and as I
jumped aside, he fell down with a thud. I laughed hard looking at his face
covered in dirt. He shook it off and made a sudden jump at me. This time I am
not quick enough and he got hold of my leg. I tried grabbing his neck but ended
up just getting a meek hold of it. It might have inflicted enough pain; he left
my leg and moved back few steps. I haven’t let his neck go yet. Now on his four
legs he raised himself to two legs, an unexpected move! He dropped himself over
me and I am on ground, falling on my face.
He won the fight again like several other times. He is
always the stronger one between us but I always gave a good fight. The early
day fight is a game for us, an activity, and an exercise that makes us ready
for the rest of day. Prepared and ready, for another day’s fight!
After few hours search, we found some food that would keep
us alive for some time. Our stomachs are not full but enough to keep ourselves
content and happy.
It is now right on the top of our heads and beaming with
full power. It’s mid-afternoon, a time even my tree would not give me full protection
from it.
Fortunately I found this thing under which I can hide myself
and have a good afternoon sleep. It’s not hot under this and I need to be alert
all the time.
After what seemed like few hours, a huge man came near this.
I know what I am supposed to do; I adjusted myself so it passes from above me
without hurting me. I have become expert at this after all these years.
The man drove the thing off, removing my shelter. It is
almost evening now and my stomach is ready with yet another request for food.
Another search, another struggle and yet another adventure
for sustainment, I thought to myself rolling my body on the ground, “After all
this is the life of a stray dog.”
