Road

Crystal’s Gait

The road.
[Source – Pixabay]

Crystal walked in the centre of the quiet road, laughing, frolicking, humming a sweet tune, breaking away from the role of the pedestrian, swaying and moving forward, sideways and backwards, sideways.

Reaching on time didn’t bother her, so she jumped out of joy, tapping on the road as if saying hello. The road, a bit confused, said “where to?” And Crystal tapped, tapped, tapped and said, “do you change and grow bigger when it’s quiet?”

Quietly the road began observing itself (and continues to do so even now).

Walking ahead Crystal met a tall tree that mimed some ten thousand stories, each one blowing away with the wind, now and then. She sat to listen, then walked away carrying a dozen (stories) in her pocket.

She has been walking since so long, she doesn’t remember when and where did she start. But nothing is amiss and so she continues ahead with now some hundreds of stories in her pocket.

Crystal stops only near water-wells to drink the cool calming water and see her reflection in it before gulping it down. An older self beams back at her from deep within the well and Crystal, checking her hairstyle, waves a greeting, rippling the water.

The stone steps, the tiny plants, the rope and tin bucket, in union with the well, then tell the visitor (Crystal) a story about the well and the sky. She is carrying this tale along, she dropped some (stories) there to make some space.

And she is walking, walking, walking away… laughing and frolicking, humming a tune, breaking away from the role of the pedestrian, dancing on those days when it rains.

Crystal
[Image by Piyapong Saydaung from Pixabay]


Weekly Newsletter

A weekly dose of stories! Get the posts from the Chiming Stories in your inbox and read it when you can. Subscribe now, it is free!

This field is required.

Recent Posts


A Dog Trying to Cross the Road

A dog trying to cross the road

I said to myself

Dashing cars dashed by

Whizz honk-honk-honk whizz

Right left, left right

This metallic river in a hurry

Tries to reach somewhere

Trying, reaching is living

I said to myself

But what about the poor dog,

Who is trying to cross the road?

The dog stood on the footpath

Aware about the hurrying metallic river

Trying nothing, reaching nowhere

Moving now, stopping now, living now.


Weekly Newsletter

A weekly dose of stories! Get the posts from the Chiming Stories in your inbox and read it when you can. Subscribe now, it is free!

This field is required.

Recent Posts


Shared Moment

I stopped then on the road, don’t know why exactly, my mind blank and my eyes fixed on the ground. I couldn’t move.
What was I hoping for? To see a rainbow? By looking down?

The wind swam past me and I heard it quickly whisper something, I didn’t get the message. Split seconds passed, then I finally looked up and straight.

Before I could realise, I had crossed the road and now was walking on an old worn out footpath. Grey surroundings didn’t overwhelm me, how could it? But a marigold did, how couldn’t it?

Marigold standing alone with yellow, orange, red coloured joys looked real. I became the part of the background and the marigold became the centre.

I was jealous, why did I take this journey?

The sun rays fell on the chosen one and the Marigold shone bright, beamed its joy. It communicated to me, but how… why?

I smiled for no reason. Marigold nodded at me and I foolishly raised my hand to say ‘hello’.

Fool I made of myself, and still I liked that feeling. In that shared moment I changed.

Thoughts Versus Giggles

Giggling, a shade of pink.
[Source – Pixabay]

Samira was walking briskly. Her thoughts followed her where ever she went, in shade and dust, amongst the crowd and throughout the dim alley with matted hoardings. Life in its minute detail, including the folded chit in a jeans pocket, spoke to Samira. Thoughts dappled with plaintive acceptances and mellowed retraces were highlighted.

Everything was perfectly normal when Samira turned in slow motion, her hair flying dramatically, her eyes looking for… Alas! There was nothing filmy to see, except something comic – pigeon droppings dropped on a man’s head. Samira grimaced as if she knew the pigeon or the man.

It started to drizzle. Samira smiled, almost chuckled, why, because she had an umbrella. And then came the moment – heavy, pouring rain made the pedestrians hide in shops, except a bunch of few who had an umbrella. Samira shined with a beautiful pink umbrella.

La la la laa laa, la-la la la laaaa! She was reminded of the grand music score from Chariots of fire.

But all this for a few minutes and she was back in shade and dust, amongst the crowd and on the rough road. She looked at the people around her and wondered about their life, sufferings, dreams and hopes. Gosh! In a puddle, Samira saw her gloomy face and noticed her laces. Now, just like the others, she looked for a corner and sat to tie her laces.

Umbrella on a side, down on her knees, Samira got drenched as a rusty, rickety roof pipe broke brazenly. Pedestrians saw it, ignored it and then saw it again. Sheepishly Samira got up, then acted brave till the road curved to the left. “It is over”, she said.

Samira walked, deep in conversation with herself when a little girl, a beggar, came running towards her and started to walk with her. She thought, now she will ask for some money, now she will beg, now. But the beggar smiled and said, “I just want to go till there”. Samira nodded and looked at her pink umbrella happily. The beggar giggled as her little brother joined them. Samira looked at both of them and saw the two most radiant smiles she had ever seen.

Gladly she walked with them, not thinking anything, quietly and happily. Giggles overpowered her thoughts.


Weekly Newsletter

A weekly dose of stories! Get the posts from the Chiming Stories in your inbox and read it when you can. Subscribe now, it is free!

This field is required.


Subtracted World

Non nobis solum – not for thyself alone.
[Source – Pixabay]

I am the King and the Queen,

Of my subtracted world,

From my bedroom to where my smartphone takes me,

It’s shinning and laughing with glee.

Walking on the road, I hit a plastic bottle

‘High Score!’ cried my smartphone, when a little

Skinny girl pulled my sweater

Dirty hands open up… there was a letter

Crumpled, old and torn…ah, useless

I thought, but still checked it, to find two words

Remember Addition?


Weekly Newsletter

A weekly dose of stories! Get the posts from the Chiming Stories in your inbox and read it when you can. Subscribe now, it is free!

This field is required.

Recent Posts