Payback

It was still some time before the orange balls of flames settled in the deep waters of the vast Arabian sea off the coast of Queen’s necklace but Jeeva’s mind was else where. He had only thing on his mind. Suicide. He was simply tired of this wasteful life he was leading. Things were not happening as it were meant to happen. His job sucked and his girlfriend had deserted him. Depressed and lonely, he had made it firm he would end it all today as he walked aimlessly down the promenade looking for an appropriate place to jump in the sea when the time was right.

 

Thud! The impact was strong as someone bumped into him and a bouquet of flowers smashed against his face before it went sailing across in the air and fell in a pile of dusts. A couple of joggers ran past each lost in their own thoughts, their feet trampling the flowers. Angrily, he turned around to find a girl kneeling on the ground and with one hand feeling the floor for the flowers. The other hand held a white stick while dark glasses covered her eyes. Her lips were covered in a frown. She must have been in her early 20s and beautiful marred by the absence of her eyesight. Suddenly she looked up in his direction. ‘I am sorry Sir. I am really sorry. It was my fault. I wasn’t smart enough to detect my way around. Jeeva stopped in his track. He looked down at the girl and then he stooped low on his knees.

 

‘Are you looking out for your flowers? He asked her apologetically.

 

‘Yes, I can’t seem to find it. Would you help me with it please?’ She asked with deep remorse.

 

‘I am sorry’, he said softly. ‘The bouquet is spoilt, trampled by some joggers…’ His voice trailed off.

 

‘Oh dear… oh dear… oh dear’. The words came out with a big sigh. She kept the walking stick down and slapped the palms of her hands to wipe away the dusts. She gave another big sigh as she got up and murmured to herself, ‘guess another day.’ She started to walk way clamping her stick on the cobbled pavement noisily. He stood watching her and then saw her stop and turn around in his direction.

 

‘Thank you mister’, she called out cheerfully. It was the smile that did it. He was taken back by it. It was one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen. He continued to watch her as she walked over to two elderly women seated on bench and chatting animatedly. She said something to them and they all looked in the direction where she had her little accident. And the next second, all three of them were laughing heartedly as if nothing major had happened. Subconsciously he found himself smiling.

 

He looked behind him and noticed the flower vendor with his small stall. He realized this must have been the place where she must have purchased the flowers.

 

Seconds later, he walked to the three women clutching two of the best bouquets the man had to offer.

 

‘Hi’, he called out cheerfully.

 

The old women looked at him expectantly. The young blind girl turned around blankly. ‘Hi’, she replied back guardedly.

 

‘It’s me, your nemesis. I was responsible for your flowers back there. Remember me? He asked her.

 

‘Oh yes,’ she replied. ‘I kind of recognize your voice. Can I help you?’

 

‘Yes absolutely. Please be kind enough to present these lovely flowers to your beautiful companions. Mind you, these flowers aren’t as pretty as they are but then this is the best I could do.’ He told her with a regretful voice.

 

The two old women giggled as they looked at each other.

 

‘Oh my my, so we still do have admirers Esmeralda.’ One woman said to another

 

The other woman simply embarrassed by the attention directed at them buried her face in the palms of her hand.

 

‘Wait till I tell the other inmates at the aged home. They will be so jealous.’ The first woman added with a mischievous smile.

 

Hearing them, the young girl couldn’t help smiling as she extended her hand and took the flowers and handed it to the two old women. She turned to Jeeva.

 

‘Thank you mister. It’s not everyday someone is kind enough to bestow flowers on these wonderful women. Thank you.’ She said then added as an after thought. ‘It’s really kind of you but it was really my fault back there. You didn’t have to do this.’

 

‘Oh I had to…’ he replied with a smile. ‘And one more thing, this is for you’, he said extending a single rose and gently placing it in her hand. She wrapped her fingers around the stem and he gently applied a bit of a pressure on one of the fingers so that the single thorn on the stem pricked her.

 

‘Ouch’, she cried out aloud. She quickly put the finger in her mouth as a drop of blood flowed out because of the thorn that pricked her.

 

‘And that’, he added with a smile, ‘is payback…’

 

‘Payback?’ She looked in his direction, a puzzled expression on her face.

 

‘Yes, payback because your smile pierced my heart real bad and its bleeding.’ Saying this he turned around and walked away as their sounds of laughter filled the air.

 

A distance away, he stopped to look back at the three women. They were waiting at the signal to cross the road. Something one of the old woman said made the young girl look in his direction and then the laughter that followed reached his ears. He wasn’t sure who was guiding who across the road as the three crossed the street just as the light turned red, their laughter still ringing in his ears as he continued his journey back home with a smile. He had a reason to live.