By Shefali Yeleswarapu
“Are you awake?”, Myra whispered to Cabby. Looking through the side of her eye, she was waiting for him to answer.
Cabby slowly moved, wriggled and let out a small yawn and replied, “Myra! I told you so many times, not to wake me up when there is sunlight around.”. Saying this, he slid into his slumber.
Myra, shook her head intensely and with a little sharper tone she said, “Cabby! Cabby! You are old enough. I can’t keep waking you up every evening like this. It is dark. Just open your eyes and see around.”
Cabby, was very sleepy that day, or rather he would call himself lazing. With lot of reluctance he opened one of his eyes and checked if it was dark. Totally against his whispering wish, it was dark, and it was time for their life to start.
Myra and Cabby led a night life. They were comfortable living their relationship in the shadows and the dark. It gave them freedom to be the way they want to be and do whatever they wanted to do. It was a very different relationship they were living.
Myra and Cabby were neighbours right from the day they set foot on this earth. Both were shy in the beginning, but once they realized that they both saw the world in a similar way, and when they got to know they both feel for things around them in a similar way their friendship took a new direction. They knew they could never find a better partner, but little did they know they were destined to be together for lot many years.
They spoke at length on various topics starting with small things around them to national and internal politics. However, the most interesting of them all was about the people they came across every day.
Shaking up, and easing the slumber out of his body, Cabby asked Myra, “Hey buddy! How do you feel today?”
Myra gave her daily shy smile and replied, “Cabby! You ask me this every day. I am bright and happy as always, My Love!”. Cabby held out & took Myra into his hug.
Myra looked up excitedly at Cabby and started speaking, “Did you know I came across a bunch of kids today who stopped close to me. They were being led by their teacher. Each of the kid had a book and a pencil in their hand. She instructed the kids to look around and asked them to list down three things that made them smile.”
Cabby always liked to watch Myra speak. He liked the way Myra, animated and imitated the person she was talking about. It was almost the same type of discussion they had every single day. But Cabby was so much in love with Myra, that he wouldn’t mind listening to her that way for even hundreds of years. Cabby wanted to kiss her tight when she was pouting and showing the teacher’s reaction to one of the kids.
Myra, was used to Cabby getting carried away every single time she narrated something. Not a day goes by without Myra reminding herself how lucky she is to have Cabby. Waving her hand in front of Cabby, she brought him back from his admiration for her.
Cabby, winks and says, “Sorry babe! You make me get lost in your charm. Now you have my utmost attention.”
Though unable to hide her blushing, Myra continued, “The kids went around the place freely. But one of the kids, his name was John, went and sat on a rock facing me. I became conscious as I did not know if the kid was observing me or not.”
There was a slight streak of jealousy on Cabby’s face. He loved her so much that he was not ready to share even if it was just a small kid. He decided to hold her tight from today, and closer than yesterday.
Cabby interrupted her words, “Myra, the kid would have thinking about something else. Anyways, I really wonder what they would list down. We both keep coming here from a long time. It is as good as our home.”
Myra started blurting out her guesses enthusiastically, “The mighty lake might have caught their attention. I love the lake. It has always calmed us for so many times “
“Maybe, they wrote about the red wooden bridge across the lake. I always held ill feelings for it. But I am sure others love it, as it is designed by the world-renowned architect Mr. DeSouza De’Gale. Do you remember darling, the day when that bridge was inaugurated? “asked, Cabby.
“Oh Yes! I Do! There were so many people, and we could hardly stand all that chaos and rush. We felt pushed to the far corner on our own place. I was so disappointed. And I also remember that after the ceremony that night we had a long discussion about the entire period when they were constructing the bridge. It does pain to remember it!”, Myra said softly with a dull face.
Though Cabby, usually tries to cheer up Myra in such occasions, he didn’t this time, because he himself became a bit low.
Cabby and Myra had stayed up late on the inauguration night and were talking about how many trees were cut down for collect the raw material. Myra and Cabby grew up here. They had their childhood, their youth, and many beautiful memories with the trees. It was a big blow, when they understood they neither will ever feel the breeze from those trees nor will ever be protected under their shadows. The Bridge increased the number of visitors. But, for them, this place had changed for ever.
Coming out of the old memories, they realized it was almost dawn. Myra was the first always to say good bye. A discussion filled with lot of emotions, made both hungry. It was not a time to find food anywhere, so they took few sips from a spring coming out of the lake. It filled their tummies and would give them a good day’s sleep.
Myra wished Cabby, good bye!
The teacher and the kids visited the place the next day. They had brought their lists. All of them sat in a circle on the grass under the shadow of two large trees. The teacher sat on a small rock so that she could see everyone. She asked John to read out first. He took out his book, stood up and started reading.
“I thought a lot before I wrote this. After wandering around the place for quite some time, I was not intrigued by anything. I wanted to ask help from God, so I looked up to the sky. That’s when I knew in a jiffy, what can make me smile. A Majestic, Tall, Strong, Bold, Red colored RedWood tree was looking right down at me. At once, I knew that this is the only thing that’s going to be there on my list. The Red Wood tree that we is currently above me. That is the one! The park ranger told me that it is around 300 feet tall and almost 900 years old. The roots are deep into the ground, and the water is its food.” Finishing reading what John wrote, he said thank you and sat down.
The Tall RedWood trees topped most of the kids’ lists.
Though the teacher liked what John wrote and how the entire group responded, she was sad. She brought them to this place for a purpose. She wanted the kids to feel the big RedWood tree when it was alive. She was told that the tree was going to be cut very soon.
The local government had taken a decision to cut down one RedWood tree, the one which John had described in his passage. To provide more seating options to the increased crowd, from the time of the bridge inauguration, they needed wood that matches with the bridge and the nature around. Benches from the RedWood tree was the option.
Teacher stood up, and she spoke to the group “Kids, the RedWood trees are the best gifts nature has given mankind. And I agree with all of you, on how they are irreplaceable. But I am very sorry, to share the news that will hurt your little hearts. This RedWood tree which John spoke about is going to be cut down very soon. We won’t be able to see it again.”
All the kids gave a big grunt and nodded all their heads from left to right and right to left, showing their disagreement to what their teacher just said. She tried to calm them down, but her efforts were in vain. She realized it was best to walk them back to school. John turned back, one last time to look at the RedWood Tree he fell in love with. The tree waved its branches as if it were saying good bye! John wiped his two little tears and went along with his friends.
Right after the group of kids left, there was a huge noise like as if there were huge thunder bolts across the sky. Birds nestled in the branches of the trees flew away. There was a continuous roar of big iron saws cutting something, and then one final loud thump. The big RedWood tree hit the ground. Loosing its life, in just few minutes. The tree which lived for 900 years, was no more alive!!
The workers cut the long, wide, strong trunk of the fallen tree into numerous pieces and left for the day.
It was evening, and was slowly getting dark. Time for Myra and Cabby to meet and start their Day!
Cabby thought that since, they had a little sad tone of talks, he would be up early and plan a surprise to cheer Myra. He folded his fingers into the shape of a heart and closed his eyes and turned to the direction where Myra usually sits.
He waited for almost 10 minutes but could not hear Myra. She was never late. Not a single day in all these years has Myra been late. Cabby was shocked. He slowly opened his eyes and was shocked to see the sight in front of him.
His 900-year-old companion, his Love, his dearest soul was lying there helpless on the ground. Humans had taken away the most precious thing to him. They left his heart broken. Cabby and Myra had imagined many more hundreds of years together. They were very young when compared to their parents, who had lived almost 2200 years.
That sight raged an unsettling fire in Cabby. He was not ready to forgive anyone who did this. He wanted to teach each and everyone a lesson. He moved his branches fast making the air move in circles at high speed. The whirlwind rubbed and rubbed the dry branches against each other until a fire started. Cabby’s revenge against humans was a Forest Fire. He loved Myra so much and could not live the rest of his life seeing her made into benches on which people were going to sit. He wanted his Love of Life to be alive and talk. But that was not going to happen. And this place which was so special to Myra and Cabby, now should not be available for anyone to enjoy.
Cabby wanted to shout out loud, “Humans! Trees are living beings. we breathe same as you do. We live as you do. We also love as you do. You have no right to kill us. Or take away our love from us! Deforestation is not just cutting down trees, it is taking our life from us, our dreams from us. REMEMBER!!!!”. If only he had a language that could be understood by humans.
Burning in the fire he lit, he was smiling as he was going to meet his love very soon.
By Shefali Yeleswarapu
what an interesting narration it is, kept me curious till the end. I love the way the plot of the story is unfolded. Looking forward for more !!
Amazing Story of Silent Beings !!
Very well written story regarding Red Wood trees. The sad situation of fires at red wood forest region has been brought forth in a emotional manner.
Very nice story. This reminds me Panchatantra way of inculcating moral to the people cruel in destroying the trees for their selfishness. Very creative.
Veerabhadrarao P
Wow ! What a narration ! So engaging 🙌🏻