The May Child

How It Ended

She wrapped her fingers around the kid's icy palm and sobbed silently into it. As the first light appeared in the sky and the pale, cold, small frame of the kid began to disintegrate into thin air, Veda's sob turned into a high-pitched wail of anguish. The thought of not being able to see, touch or feel the child's warmth pounded behind her skull and she held onto the tiny body until she was left alone on the dew glazed grass.

She layed there until the stabbing pain in her chest sufficed, she stood up and walked slowly towards the river, which she and her team has uncontaminated and made potable a week earlier. While the world around her was now awake and running, she watched her rippled reflection as her world came to a pause. The birds flew in circles above her in the blaze of pink and red sky, conveying that everything has to return back to mother earth. The cuckoo sang in the East, offering its consolation, and the low rain clouds drizzled to put off her burning sorrow.

After what seemed to be an eternity, she started towards her inn, which she and her partner had rented for some time. One step closer towards uncertainty and two steps far from the past, never turning back even once until she reached her inn.

The door swung open and a young man with ruffled hair and sluggish smile stepped onto the porch and wrapped her into his arms. "I have been trying to reach you since dusk yesterday, where have you been ?" he inquired, smoothening Veda's hair. "Where is the kid?" he asked. "Veda, where is the kid?" he asked again, pulling away from her. She stepped away, removing his hands from her shoulder, and strode inside without looking at Yuva. She felt his gaze lingering on her before he rushed out towards the river.

*********************************************************************************************

"The swings are fun. Can we go once again? And tis tim , I want to fly upper and upper" squealed the kid when Veda brought her home, back from the park yesterday. "Sure, but why don't we finish the kiwi first, and I will take you to the park again", suggested Veda, tucking the kid's red curls behind her ears. The kid puckered her lip and shook her head, "I want the cothon candy, no kiwi".

Veda lifted the child and made her sit on the kitchen counter. "Okay, I will buy you one and take you to the park only if you eat your kiwi" she mischievously squinted her eyes, "and promise to eat the greens at dinner today" she added. The kid's jaw dropped open, and she beamed at Veda and finally nodded sternly when she understood that it wasn't a joke.

Veda pecked on her cheeks and ruffled her hair. The sun rays lighted up the kitchen floor as they peeled the kiwi and sang 'Wheels on the bus'.

***********************************************************************************************

Now, standing at the sink, Veda bit her lips, attempting to push the sob down her throat. On the other side of the counter sat a nest with broken blue eggshell. She reached out to it and began to piece the shell together again, hoping to bring back the kid at the end of the puzzle.

She heard the door close in the hall way "Veda, Where is the kid?" Yuva questioned as he stormed into the kitchen. His breath heavy with exhaustion from the sprint and eyes brimming with concern. Which quickly switched to impatience when his question was met with silence. He tsked and forcefully swiveled Veda around, trying to catch her eyes. His eyes shifted between the shell in her palms and the nest. He sighed and cupped her cheeks, lifting her face up to meet his eyes, he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"She's gone" mumbled Veda. "She's gone, Yuv" Veda bit her lips again. "They....they live only for a week." she said under her breath. Every word struggled out of her mouth "She slummed in my arms and.... and disintegrated. I couldn't do anything, but watch. I.....she wanted the blue cotton candy and I promised to get her one". Tears rolled down as Veda chocked.

Yuva gapped, making an effort to take in and understand his partner's words. She's gone, Disintegrated, the words replayed in his ears.

****************************************************