SHADES OF LIFE: SHORT STORIES COLLECTION

Black Lives Matter!

Blacky, a 4-year-old black cloud was playing outside his little home. He was making couldy balls on the ground made of black clouds and throwing them up. Smiling; when he saw them burst into thin air. Suddenly, his eyes widened by a flash coming from a distance. He looked in the direction of the light, mesmerized. At a far distance, on a hill of snowy white clouds, there were a lot of stairs, leading to a gate from where the light was coming. He had seen that gate a lot of times before but never saw it open. It was the first time for him. He had never even heard of anyone he knew talking about it. He had always wondered where that gate led. But no one told him. He remembered asking his mother, "Ma, what that door is? Where does it open to?"

His mother had said, "It opens to somewhere we can't go. Don't think about it."

He had stopped talking about it with time but his curiosity never died. Instead, it made him more interested in knowing about that gate. He had made up his mind to find out about it, someday.

Today, that day came, when he saw the door open for the first time. His eyes were still widened, looking at the glowing light coming out of it. To him, it felt like a source of some positive and divine energy. He kept looking at the door curiously when a voice was heard, "There is a vacancy for a cloud in Heaven!"

As soon as the announcement was made, all the young clouds started to run towards the snowy hill. He was too young to go there. So he just kept on looking at the other clouds who were trying to outrun each other - to be there first.

While looking around, he observed something strange. All the clouds who were running towards the gate of Heaven were white! All the black clouds were looking down with sad expressions, not moving an inch from their position. He was confused and thought of going to one of the black clouds and asking why is he not going to Heaven. But his mother came looking for him at the same time. So instead, he asked his mother, "Why aren't they going for Heaven, ma?"

His mother looked at the opened gate. She had heard the announcement as well. But as usual, she didn't respond to it. That announcement didn't bring any curiosity, a smile, or excitement for her. She sat on her knees beside her child and said in a loving voice, "My child, Heaven has no place for us. It is only for white clouds."

Curious Blacky asked instantly, "Who said that?"

His mother, though knew that no black cloud had ever walked those stairs to reach the gates of Heaven, didn't know who made that rule. She was speechless.

Looking at her expressions, Blacky said, "Once I get older, I'll go to Heaven."

A loving mother didn't want to break her child's heart. So instead of telling him it was impossible, she decided to play along. Knowing that someday, he would face and understand the cruel reality, and said, "Yes, my love. You go to Heaven when you grow old."

The child smiled with bright eyes. He looked a the gate of Heaven, where he saw some white could going inside and the gate closing behind him. the light started to reduce and vanished after some time. But the light in the eyes of the child was growing stronger.

Suddenly, it all changed, when he heard a cruel laughter. He looked in the direction of the laughter and saw a few white clouds laughing at him. One of the clouds, Whity, said arrogantly, to his friends, "See, one more Black cloud is trying to do the impossible. He too will be disappointed like the others of his black community."

They all started laughing again. Blacky looked at his mother. She was sad. Wanted to defend her child, but knew the reality. So, couldn't say a word. But Blacky, being unaware of the fact, said, "Why is it impossible? It was not impossible for the cloud who went through that gate just now. Then why would it be impossible for me?"