Daily Prompt : Faded

In response to daily post’s prompt : Faded

A Christmas Story

Ten year old Melanie wanted a special gift from her parents for Christmas. Her mom’s response was disheartening, she waited for her Dad to come back from work, she was sure he’d never say No. Something happened at work her dad arrived home and went straight to his room, quietly the little girl tiptoed to her dad’s room.

She called him in a whisper, ‘Dad can you buy?…

Her dad immediately screamed and said, ‘No I can’t buy anything for anyone, so don’t tell me what you want, I lost my job this afternoon, you’d be lucky if I could buy food for us!

Melanie’s sweet face faded. She was stunned, she went to her room and started crying. Suddenly a thought came to her, ‘I can ask God for the gift they say if I’m good He will reward me with  whatever I want.’

Next few days Melanie helped her mother, she spent time with her dad told him about school, how she’s getting all A’s in all the subjects. She forgot about the Christmas gift and spent time reading and playing little games with her cat, who she named Cutie. Whenever she was sad about anything , she’d tell Cutie about it.

Days were passing at a slow pace, she saw her friends carrying large boxes of something. She thought it’s the Christmas season it must be her friends are carrying their gifts. She didn’t have the heart to talk about gifts, her parents cannot afford to buy her anything. How can she ask her friends about gifts?

Two days before Christmas, there was a loud knock on the door, Melanie was drawing a picture of Cutie, but the cat kept snatching it and chewing it, frustrated she said,   ‘puss  what’s wrong we don’t give you enough food?’

She heard the knock but no one answered the door, the second knock was even louder. Reluctantly she got up to answer the door. To her surprise standing before her was a tall man with a cartload of food, clothing, toys,you name it everything one can dream of was in this awesome cart.

There was a large letter, it was addressed to Melanie, the man said, ‘Are you Melanie, this is for you, it’s packed neatly, I’m sent straight from Heaven to give this to you. I’m Angel Gabriel, I’m told you were going to pray to God for this gift. Well God read your mind and He (God) said whenever my people ask for things in their mind I hear it and I never disappoint them. You and your parents have a very, Merry Christmas!   🙂

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Daily Prompt : Culture

In response to daily post’s prompt : Culture

There is a lot we can talk about when we think of culture. Let me talk about animal culture weird as it may seem, but my  daughter and I have noticed something very different about our three felines, two are Siamese and we got them from the same litter. Our third feline is a stray, rescued by SPCA(Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals).

I noticed this  kitten in a  store where  my daughter shops for cat food. She was not even a kilogram in weight when we got her, she was scared and our Siamese felines were not pleased to see her. I was not thinking of having another kitten, two was enough. This little kitten resembled a cat we had, you can call it impulse because  I decided on the spot, I want to adopt her. I had no plan it just happened.

We named the kitten Sophie, in the first few weeks she was scared she stayed away from our full grown cats. On the third week Raphael one of the Siamese cats, went near her and gave her a  gentle rub and moved on. His brother Gabriel was not that sweet, he did not hiss but hit her with his paw and wouldn’t let her use the litter.

My daughter was out of town for a week I noticed Sophie was pooping in places where felines don’t. I spoke to my daughter, told her if this continues we’ll have to return her to the SPCA.

After my daughter came home she began to watch the felines, she noticed Gabriel blocked the door to the litter room every time Sophie wanted to use it. Hence Sophie had no choice but to relieve herself wherever it was convenient for her, i.e she avoided Gabriel.

When we realized the problem we kept a close watch, regardless of what Gabriel understood, I told him you will not stop Sophie from using the litter, if you do we will give you away. Whether he understood or not he started staying away from Sophie. Our problem was solved, Sophie was able to use the litter without any problem.

We have three bowls for the felines, when I put food in their bowl, I tell each one their bowl by pointing out. Raphael and Gabriel ate from their bowl, Sophie did not, she’d push them away and start eating from their bowl, Raphael and Gabriel would leave  without complaining.

Gradually Sophie recognized her bowl, whenever the other two cats approach her bowl, she pushes them away.

My daughter and I were discussing the behavior of the three felines. I said, ‘There is a noticeable difference in the behavior  of Raphael and Gabriel, because they were raised in a home with their parents. They do not act wild.”

Sophie is a stray, after her birth she was put in the wild. She was in an island left to fend for herself, she had to fight for survival, she learned to get food by taking it away from the other strays.

I can see an interesting change in Sophie, when she’s hungry, she has her paws together and looks at me. It’s my cue to give her food. She doesn’t cry she waits. Even though she is a feline from the wild she exhibits proper manners, which she learned after we got her.

I enjoy watching our felines, by now I know what they like and dislike. It’s quite an experience for me.

It shows how a bit of attention can change the attitude of animals.

Culture is something we learn from proper education, although there are exceptions to this rule. For the past month and a half I’ve noticed some billionaires with zero manners!

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Daily Prompt : Vigor

In response to daily post’s one-word prompt :Vigor

I’d like to use the synonym of, ‘VIGOR,’ the word I have chosen is strength, somehow I feel I’m more comfortable with strength. When I think of vigor my mind stops thinking after the last letter. I’m lost, it happens automatically.

I’ve given enough reasons why the synonym of the word helps me think.

We have all kinds of strength, in speaking, in listening, in carrying heavy things from one place to another.

I then started thinking what kind of strength do I have. I can read, I can speak,I can cook, I can entertain friends by inviting them to have dinner in my house.

Most of us have mental and physical strengths. But not all of us can claim to be perfect, then I stop and say in my mind. I have strengths but I’m not comparing it with anyone I’m only thinking about myself. That I can speak clearly I consider it my strength and all the things I can do effortlessly pleases me.

I may not have the kind of stamina to walk as a marathon walker, only because I haven’t practiced . This is  where we all our different.How much energy did we use to do well in reading, speaking, studying or in physical activity or mental activity. We only reap as much benefit as we work hard for.

I love watching figure skating, while watching I think, I wish I could skate like Michele, then I hear a voice, ‘she started skating when she was a little girl, you weren’t even in a place where they had this sport.’

But one thing is certain you can accomplish a lot of things if you work hard. Strength, stamina, ability,or vigor, can be achieved with hard work.

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WordPress Daily Blogging Prompt : Pungent

In response to daily post’s prompt : Pungent

The above  plant is asafoetida. In its pure form its smell is very strong. It has a pungent smell, which contaminates other spices if it’s not stored in an airtight container.When it’s heated in oil or ghee its pungency is less.

Buddhist and non-vegetarians avoid it because of its pungency.

It is known by many unpleasant names, in French it is known as,’merde du diable meaning devil’s faces, in English it’s sometimes called, ‘Devil’s dung.’

I’ve heard it’s one of the spices used in lieu of garlic. I’d much rather use garlic than asafoetida because its strong odor stays for days in the kitchen and the hallway.

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Daily Post Prompt :Liminal

In response to WordPress daily post’s Prompt : Liminal

After reviewing the various synonyms of liminal, I came to the conclusion that liminal frontier of experience is probably the best synonym I can try to write about.

One of the meanings tells us liminal frontier of experience is a potent threshold of a personal transformation in which our survival and ongoing quality of life is fully dependent upon our capacity for creative adaptation.

The experience I had after I got married fits one of the meanings of the word, i.e, “A liminal frontier of experience.”

Mine was an arranged marriage I didn’t know my husband or his other siblings and his parents. I saw them after I was married.

My husband left to go to Montreal, less than two weeks after our wedding. He told me he’d like me to stay with his parents at least for six months in their village home. I agreed. I went to their village with my in-laws.

The only mode of transportation to get to the village was by a rowboat. I’d never traveled anywhere in a rowboat, so it was quite a frightening experience for me. When I reached my in-law’s home, there were people coming in droves to see me the(new bride).

I had no privacy the people of the village came and went as they pleased. I was worried I didn’t expect all this, still I put up a brave and friendly face.

Days and weeks were passing by, I had nothing to do, before all this I was teaching in a school in Dhaka Cantonment. I was told to quit my job, because I’d have to stay with my in-laws in the village.

I had nothing in  common with them except the language, my parents were from Bangladesh as were my in-laws.

I grew up in a city away from Bangladesh where Punjabi and Urdu were spoken by all our neighbors, including the shopkeepers etc.

I  studied in a convent, my Dad thought it was the best school in the city.This is a bit about my background.

I felt the time in the village  was  long, there was not a soul I could talk to. I did my best to get used to the situation I was in.

I tried several times to help my mother-in -law in the kitchen, she refused to let me help her, she thought the kitchen was too small and they used to burn wood which created a lot of smoke, she told me to go to the main house and relax.

One afternoon after the table was set for lunch, someone asked me to serve the food to everyone. I was about to get up when my mother-in-law said to me, ‘no no you sit down.’

She asked someone else to serve the food, I sat down, suddenly one of their maids said, ‘The bride can’t even serve the cooked food?’

I was surprised and angry when I heard that. I stayed quiet took it all in and waited for the   day I’d be able to tell my husband, ‘You have some ill-mannered maids where did you get them from?’

I did that long after this incident, my husband smiled and said,’She’s been with us for years, we treat her  as a relative.’

I had to make a lot of adjustments making sure, they’d have nothing to complain about me.

Whether I was successful in my new role of a village housewife is hard to know. I can only say I kept my temper in check!

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Daily Prompt, day twenty five: Sated

In response to WordPress Prompt :Sated

This year because of the reading challenge, I read many books. My goal was to read twenty-five books in 2016. I started on January fourth and completed reading twenty-five books  by the end of May. It gave me great satisfaction to know  I can  achieve my goal.

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WordPress Prompt, 24th November : Chaotic

In response to daily post’s prompt: Chaotic

Felicia was in her classroom, giving instructions on the new Math  chapter they were about to start that morning. She barely told them to open the page, when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. One of the kid’s volunteered to open the door to find out who was outside the door. The person whispered something to the kid, the kid not knowing what to do, said out loud, “Miss you’re wanted at the office.”

The teacher told the kids she’d be back soon and told them to start working on the math problem solving page.

She was out not even a minute when Harry, threw a pencil on the floor. Mike one of the mischievous boys, announced, ‘Let’s play a game of hide and go seek.’

In the beginning the other kids gave him a look, then Patricia the tomboy decided to round up everyone and divide the class into groups of four.While this was going on, Ann started throwing up in the middle of the classroom. The smell was unbearable,  some of the kids, threw their books and ran outside the classroom. The remaining kids were trying to cover their nose and yelling, ‘Ann you should’ve stayed home, look what you’ve done!’

Ann started howling, one of the girls’ tried to calm her but she cried louder. Twenty minutes later the teacher came back and found the whole class in disarray, books on the floor, Ann crying, half the kids out, and the remaining arguing.

Felicia took out her whistle to maintain order, but things became worse. She got so angry she got hold of the chalk and printed in large letters, “Be Quiet Or I Will Call The Principal.”

In the meantime the kids who ran out came in, they saw the words on the board, ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘it’s Ann’s fault, she threw up and the classroom is stinky, you should send her to the Principal for the mess and also for  screaming, it’s not our fault.’

The classroom that day looked like a war zone and the kids as unruly soldiers, who the teacher said, ‘should be court martialled!’

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Mind and Life limerick challenge, week 47: Tell Me A story!

Limerick Challenge, Week 47: Tell Me A Story!

A  girl asked me, ‘Do you like being a teacher?’

I said, ‘Yes, would you like to be  one in future?’

She said, ‘I’m not sure

I can be a cure.

To handle their problems like you my  dear teacher!’

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Tagore Song, posted and translated by Ranu

Today I will salute you

before, I take care of my worldly concerns.

Please keep an eye on me in your heart,

you are in my heart O beloved God

I want my mind to always know it

May the thought of sin embarrass me , O Lord.

Amidst all the uproars during  the day

I want to feel your continuous

presence !

 

 

Every Day Inspiration, Day Twenty: Wrap It Up

Day Twenty: Wrap It Up

This is the second time I did this course. I found it a bit easier,  I was not so confused with any of them as I did when I wrote it before.

I remember taking a while  to figure out,Day Five: Hook ‘Em With A Quote,’ this time I felt I knew what I was supposed to do.

I think I did better this time, because I knew what to expect. I left out day nineteen, I didn’t want to repeat what I wrote  before.

I enjoyed writing every day. I also learned a few more things, that I hadn’t when I did it the  first time.

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