The Epiphany

Chapter 1

Most of the days I stand near the window of my house peaking through the iron bars. Looking at the bustling streets full of people who have their own life and their own problem.

It's just sad how life is so unfair. Some people are living their life while others are struggling to make one.

Looking down the streets I see a bunch of drug addicts stitting outside an abandoned house staring into oblivion. I wonder what they must be thinking about. Looking deeper I see their lifeless eyes sunken deep into their sockets surrounded by circles darker than the abandoned house behind them.

Eyes which know they have been stripped off their hopes.

A small splinter of light is the only thing that looks bright and alive among them, but it is ironic that the only lively thing among them is what makes them dead. Their cigars which were pursed between their lips tightly.

The sight almost starts to haunt me as one of the addicts looks cold into my eyes. It's almost as he is staring right through my soul and thats when I decide to look away.

As soon as I get back my calm and composure, my eyes settle on a small boy engulfed in the light given out by the small oil lantern placed besides him. He has a book in one hand and a pencil in the other, all of this accompanied by a small series of lines on his forehead.

It looks like he is concentrating on something. Maybe some school home work. A recognise the logo on the bag sitting neatly besides him. It belongs to the local government school.

It's the school where most of the poor section of the society get to attain some knowledge. I myself had passed out of that school.

We had teachers which came and just read out the text book blindly while the children chattered amogst each other and tried to save their blank pages of their note books from getting wet by the constantly dripping ceiling of the class room. The only ones who listened carefully to the teacher were the spiders swinging on their webs as cool wind blew through the cracked windows.

The boy's face lit up brighter than the oil lit lantern as he started to scribble something on his notebook. It looked like he got the right answer. The look of triump on his face made me smile.

But the smile quickly faded away as I realized the boy did not know all of this meant nothing. The bright glittering eyes and the fire that burned within him meant nothing, because people like us had no future even if we had beautiful dreams.

The drug addict with the soul less eyes and the little boy with bright focused eyes sadly had two different dreams but the same realistic future.

I suddenly feel a gentle tap on my shoulder.

I do not get startled as I am used to the sudden turns my life takes at every moment.

It's my mother. She  points to the direction of the wall clock that hung loosely to the cracked wall with peeling paints.

"Ah it's already 12:00pm."

I have to go for work tommorow. I thank my mom for the reminder. She pushes my hair off my fore head and gives me a kiss.

My mother lost her voice in an unforunate accident after which my father left me and my little sister alone.

Its been 5 years and he never came to visit us. I don't even know if he is dead or alive.

I leave the window open for some light to enter. Lay on the sheet placed on the floor and drift off to sleep hoping tommorow would be a better day.