It seemed to be the darkest night of the year.
He came to me quietly at the stroke of twelve. His sunken, tired eyes boring deep into me. He looked lost... dejected and relinquished.
Touching my coarse texture, his hands checked whether the knot was tight enough to take his life away, tight enough to take his troubles away.
His four kids lay there in deep slumber. The poor debtor farmer's children slept peacefully cuddling each other. Far away from reality, far away from turbulence, waiting to start a new day.
They would come back from the fields only to be snuggled by their doting mother and father. Father... Oh wait!
Their father is standing right in front of me caught in a turbulent struggle of life and death.
He moved closer to me. Holding me in his rough hands he said, "You will be my garland of death. You will free me of all my miseries. There's only one thing we say to Death- 'Not today!' But today is the day I embrace you. Take me away for I no more wish to continue this unfathomable journey."
Saying so, he twirled me quickly before he could change his mind. Oh! I wish I could make him see the truth.
"Look around my friend before you put yourself down. Please consider everything you've accomplished to get to this point, every life you've touched and every moment you've pushed beyond your fears. You are a champion, you are a fighter. You are worthy of nothing less than the deepest love you have to share." Wish I had the voice to tell him all that.
The ceiling fan started creaking slowly. His lifeless body swayed like a pendulum. His soul departed leaving everything behind, but I was still there supporting him,
I was there...
like a mute watcher.
like a condemned slayer.
I was his noose of fate.
