Writing Prompt: Buffalo Nickel

2006 was a weird year for me. I was invited to go to a wedding of a friend’s daughter. I waited till the last minute hoping I could make some excuse. I did not succeed, I had to travel all the way from Newfoundland to Alberta. The time difference between the provinces is four hours. I started early in the morning and reached Calgary at 10 p.m., I was exhausted . The airline did not provide any food. It was horrible.

I checked into a posh hotel selected by one of my daughters, her theory was why worry, mom is paying. The wedding was okay, there was  only one person I knew,it was the bride’s mother. She was busy receiving guests. I was busy staring at all these strangers whom I never saw  before or will ever see, once I was home.

The nickel I picked was minted in 2006.

Calgary skyline  by Wikipedia.

http://sabethvillewordpress.com/2014/02/23/365-days-feb23-buffalo nickel/

DP Daily Prompt: Shake it Up

It’s kind of ironic that I am supposed to write about my twelfth birthday. For starters I did not have a birthday party. I remember a few days after my birthday, well, I can still visualize the day as if it happened only yesterday.

On the twenty second day after my birthday, my father’s condition suddenly worsened . We were playing outside completely unaware what was happening inside the house,until I heard a loud scream. We rushed inside, my Dad was on the bed trying to say something to my brother, who was holding my Dad’s hand and telling him not to go. After a few minutes all was quiet,my eldest brother was on his way to get a doctor,by the time he came with the doctor, my Dad stopped breathing.

The doctor examined my Dad and said , “I am sorry, it’s too late!” My brother asked him how much was his fees.

He looked at him and said, “I do not take money from a dead man.”

Our home was a scene of sadness ,my Mom was crying and reading the Qur’an , my sister kept crying and said, “I am so sorry I wasn’t home when he died, I couldn’t say goodbye to him.”

We were numb we did not understand what death meant, I and my younger siblings did not realize it was final, Our Dad will never come back.

Then my brother wanted to know from our mom, what should we do next. My mom wanted us to leave the place and go to Bangladesh our original home.

The preparation took six months. We left Rawalpindi by air. We stayed in Dhaka for a few days and went to my maternal grandpa’s village. We lived in his house for almost a year, my eldest brother went to Comilla a small town to buy a house for us to live.

We moved to Comilla which became our permanent home.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/daily-prompt-shake-it-up/

Writing Prompt: B+

Last week-end I listened to some songs . The lyricist of these songs is Rabindranath Tagore. I listened to several songs. All of them would get an A+++++….

I would not dare give him anything less.

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/365-days-feb23-B+/

DP Daily Prompt: Walking On The Moon

I saw some pictures of astronauts on the moon,it looked like they were hopping. I know lack of gravity made them look like they were walking in slow motion. Whatever we choose to call it I guess we are free to do so.

When I first tried to walk on ice I wasn’t sure I’d be able to succeed without falling and breaking my leg. I managed to walk slowly, every step I took felt like it was an accomplishment.

It might seem weird to people who are born and brought up in a cold country, to them walking on ice is no big deal.

I was born and brought up in a country where the word snow is unknown. When I tell them how difficult it is to walk on snow or ice

they do not get it.

Although I live in a cold country now , I still am scared to walk on snow or ice.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/daily-prompt-moon-walking/

Fear of loss

Writing Prompt: Seconds

I always loved spicy food. Once our whole family were invited to dinner to my parents friend’s house.  The lady whom we addressed as auntie was a very good cook. I was excited, I knew she makes everything tasty, we were looking forward to this dinner. When we got there our aunt told us her daughter-in-law cooked the meal. I was somewhat disappointed to know she was not the cook. Anyhow I was anxious to find out if she was as good as her mother-in-law or better.

Dinner was served, the main item was  “Seekh Kebab”( seekh is an Urdu word which means, skewer). The aroma of these kebabs were out of this world. Talk about spicy the lady was not skimpy as far as the spices were concerned. She was very generous with the most important spice ,cayenne powder.

Seekh Kebab is a dish where spices are important,too much or too little ruins the taste. Our hostess was a seasoned Chef , the kebab’s were so tasty, I still remember the taste after such a long time. They were served with Parathas( flat bread made with white flour and pan fried in ghee( clarified butter).

All we were interested in was the above two items. I cannot remember what else was there. We talked about this meal for days. We were invited again to have this meal,it wasn’t the same something was missing, maybe it was missing the love or our hostess wasn’t in a good mood.

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/365-days-feb22-seconds/

DP Daily Prompt: Tainted Love

Yes I know a friend who was unceremoniously dumped. She had no idea it was coming.

She was my classmate who became a friend when we were studying in the university. She met him when she was visiting her cousin, the guy befriended my friend’s niece. He found out all about her from the niece,who was overly anxious to tell him, her aunt’s name and all the rest of it.

This part is hazy because I really am not sure how the two got interested in each other. Let’s assume he sent her a note, she reciprocated. This was the beginning.

This went on for a while ,her elder sister knew about this guy. She vehemently opposed her seeing him.  My friend decided to  move into  the residence to avoid interference by her sister.

One day she asked me whether the students in the university open other students’ mail. I had no idea because I didn’t receive mail from home,and never checked the mailbox either.

This question aroused my curiosity, I smiled and said, “Do you expect mail that you don’t want anyone to open?”

She had to confide in me. She told me about her boyfriend and her sister’s unwanted advice. I found out he was a prof. in the university. Lot of female students were interested in him. He was a brilliant student and also very handsome. Which explained why all these other females were anxious to know about him. Their love affair continued, I completed my degree and left to study for my education degree in another university. During this time I heard nothing from her and I was also busy with my studies.

After completing my degree I came back to Dhaka, one day I met her sister in the shopping mall, she stopped me and said,”I want to tell you something about Nina.”

Nina and her boyfriend decided to get married, since she was the youngest daughter and the rest were married, her parents were planning an elaborate wedding, wedding cards were printed and distributed.

A week before the ceremony was to take place, Nina received a letter from her fiance, explaining how he was unable to marry her, because while in training he met another woman, he felt he had to marry the other woman because he wrote, “it would be a greater sin if he didn’t marry her.”

Talk about unceremoniously dumped, I haven’t  heard anything that can top this . She was informed by several people what was happening. Nina chose not to believe them and  thought they were trying to break the relationship.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/daily-prompt-tainted-love/

Writing Prompt: Undo

If I could un-invent something, it will have to be cigarettes. This thing that is hazardous to health was invented by an English beggar,his name was Horrey Thormfield. The story goes he asked the local butcher for some scraps of wax paper, he put the paper in some kind of pipe he had, he enjoyed smoking this invention of his.

He lost his pipe in a card game. He already loved what he smoked, he rolled this scrap paper into a cylindrical shape and started smoking.This was the world’s first rolled butcher wax paper cigarette.

Now there are all kinds of cigarettes in the market.  I and others who agree with me is this rolled paper filled with tobacco is the cause of lung cancer. It also endangers the health of non- smokers. Why have something which is so bad for health.

There is going to be repercussion from the cigarette industries who are making money, from smokers who cannot do without it. But non-smokers will I hope support it.

I cannot think of a possible alternative but the thought the consumers would save a lot of money if the cigarettes are no longer available and the houses would not smell should be helpful.

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/365-days-feb 21-undo/

DP Daily Prompt: Nothin’ But A Good Time

Imagine that tomorrow, all your duties and obligations evaporate for the day. You get the day all to yourself, to do anything you please. What type of fun activities would make your day?

I thought of something which is probably not related to this prompt but it was funny. A contractor once told a navy commodore, “Sir all you have to do is say yes and your mansion would be built.”

The commodore smiled and said, “Is it some kind of magic you are telling me about, I only have to say yes and the mansion would appear.”  This is how the contractors bribe the officers in our part of the world.

It has no relevance to the prompt, or maybe it does such as all my duties and obligations evaporate for a day, I get the day all to myself to do anything I please. What kind of fun activities would make my day.

The first couple of hours I’d be in a state of unbelief, pinching myself until all of me is blue, is it really true I get to do whatever I want, something which I enjoy? Next couple of hours I’d thank whoever it is allotted me this day to have fun.

When I’m done thanking and use my time of unbelief. I realized I’ve already spent four valuable hours of the day by my useless thought and action.

It is time for lunch, I have to cook to satisfy my hunger pains.The good genie gave me all day to have fun but forgot to employ a helping hand to do some of my chores. Yes I get it I have to imagine all that is taken care of.

My stomach refuses to believe that I can be happy without food. I don’t think that’s going to work. So I spend an hour cooking,eating and doing the dishes.

Because I decided to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner all at the same time to save some hours for fun, stupid me I can’t move now. What am I to do?  I called the good genie to magically remove all the food out of my stomach. The genie was in a bad mood because while I had the day off, the genie had to work harder for all those people who had the day off as well.

I ended up having no fun at all. My time was spent trying to make the genie happy.

URL: http://dragoneystory.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/daily-prompt-new-sensation/

Writing Prompt: A Plot Of Earth

You’re given a plot of land and have the financial resources to do what you please. What’s the plan.

First of all thank you to whoever has given me the plot of land and the financial resources to do what I please. It is a swell idea. I’ll get to work immediately so that whoever has given this land does not change his/her mind.

Here is my plan. I will divide it into parts,1. for housing; 2. for a school; 3. for a small hospital;5. for a playground; 6. a super market; 7. A Drug store;  8.  farming ;9. a business center.

This place will be called :

Marghdeen: I got this idea from Allama Iqbal a renowned poet and philosopher, who spent his life thinking of a place which will be free from poverty, corrupt government, wicked landlords, thieves and beggars.

Farmers would take care of their land and will not share the produce with landlords, they’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor without worrying about wicked landlords.

The residents will be able to own their home.

The school will be built to teach important subjects that will be beneficial to keep up with worldly affairs. No one will be left out.

The hospital would be built for the sick and also proper lessons will be given on how to live a healthy life.

A playground will be an important place to run around and play games.

A supermarket would have meat,fish,poultry and vegetables and grains and everything from tea coffee etc.  for the consumers.

A drug store will provide medication and other things.

A business center will provide knowledge to anyone who needs to know how to carry out their daily business.

Thieves and beggars will not be seen here,because the citizens will be self sufficient.

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/365-days-feb20th- a plot of earth/