He came... He saw…
&
He conquered again….
(This is a work of fiction. It is an attempt to resurrect and reclaim something precious from my yesteryears. This is dedicated to Caesar and to all those who loved him.)
“Like many other Humans, they believed that they owned their dogs instead of realizing that their dogs owned them’
101 Dalmatians – Dodie smith
‘I’m a dog, and because you humans are less rational beasts than I, you are telling yourselves, ‘Dogs don’t talk’. Nevertheless, you seem to believe a story in which corpses speak and characters use words they couldn’t possibly know. Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen’
My Name is Red – Orhan Pamuk
Caesar had a dream....
I, as usual dreamt about the place I had known all my life. The home and the environs were as fresh and charming as the days I had spent there. I was with Mummy walking in the garden. I followed her faithfully trying my best not to walk in front of her. I loved and respected her. It was indeed an act of joy to walk with her, to guard her against the possible threats that lurked somewhere in the garden. I could see the fresh soil near the hole that my old foe rodent had created near the compound wall. I tried putting my telescopic nose inside to assess the seriousness of the situation. ‘One day I will get you…’ I whispered to myself and moved quickly to the place where Mummy was pulling out some weeds from the garden lawn.
“It is getting tougher and tougher to keep this garden,” I heard her murmuring to herself. She was the only who loved the garden. I was used to this habit of Mummy because this was also the time for me to inspect the ground for ‘security risks’. I could see that after uttering those words she was moving towards the water tap. I knew that she for the next half-an- hour would be occupied in the act of watering her ‘darlings’. I made a final look at all the possible dangers zones in the garden and decided to check on my companion Chikku, whom I knew would be sleeping in one of the chairs in the living room. She was not a ‘companion’ in the real sense of the term. Daddy brought her thinking that she would be a ‘perfect buddy’ for me. However, time proved this thought wrong as most of the time she behaved in an erratic way. She used to urinate in places that were considered sacrosanct by the family members. I hated her for these acts of indecency. However, Chikku continued her acts without any sense of inhibition. Mummy, Daddy, Attan, and Cheriya Mon used to reprimand her and beat her for this one tendency. She never changed her inclinations and this rather surprised me. However, things never remained the same for her and I often wondered how the family members forgot all these and crowded around her to play with her. It used to irritate me when I see Cheriya Mon going around the house cradling her in his arms as if she was an Olympic trophy. I, but secretly has confessed to myself the fact that she was beautiful. She can melt anyone’s heart with her “cushion like face and pillow like belly”. She was beautiful and she was the only one who assisted me in my operations. Knowing the fact that she was the only one for me, I used to sympathize with her when the family members showered both physical and verbal abuses on her.
As I entered the living room, and I was not surprised to see her still sleeping in the chair as if the whole purpose of her life was to sleep. I disliked her for her ‘laziness’, ‘holier than thou attitude’, ‘lack of adventure spirit’ and many other things…
Caesar …Caesar …. Somebody was calling me. I thought that it was Mummy. Maybe she was in danger. My mind raced and my heart started beating faster. I quickly turned away from the ‘sleeping beauty’ and started running towards the garden. But my legs would not move. I felt as if the whole earth was covered in some kind of glue. I tried to reach Mummy. I heard myself whisper - ‘I am coming Mummy… I am coming ’
He opened his eyes and his sharp ears recognised the voice. It was coming from the small speakers kept in the corner of his room. It was morning and the Angel in Heaven was giving the wake-up call. He got up from his cozy bed and limbed towards the bathroom to start his day. He should get ready for the morning meditation where the Supreme Head - GOD - will address the entire population of Heaven. The thought that he had a dream of his earthly life made him happy. As he engaged himself in the morning routine of taking bath and brushing his teeth, his mind once again touched earth.
At home (Shelter), nobody forced me to do anything. I was always given what I wanted because they knew me and more than that, they loved me. Every morning Daddy was the first one to wake up to make tea for himself (He was the only who got that early in the family). I used to patiently wait for my share of dry bread, which was the breakfast. Chikku, had to be coaxed, and threatened to eat her share of the morning grub and most of the time she missed her breakfast. Because of this, I always got her share. After this first serving of food, I used to sneak inside the house to get some sleep. Peaceful and undisturbed sleep for hours together. The pleasure of this early morning sleep was sometimes enhanced when Mummy came and caressed me. She always started her day only after talking to me. Most of the time she talked about the day ahead. I used to slip into a deep slumber listening to her and enjoying the re-assuring presence of her touch. I do not really remember my mother. Sometimes I used to overhear them talk about my mother and my early days. It seems that I was born in a place called Kunamkulam and was brought here. Daddy was the one who chose me by tying a piece of thread around my neck. Oh, I am grateful to him for bringing me here. This place indeed was a shelter.
Sunlight, which came through the window, was something that broke his reverie and Caesar hurried to attend the morning meditation in the courtyard. He could see that the whole place were crowded with heaven mates. He slowly moved towards the front part so that he can really pay attention to GOD. All around him, his friends in heaven were busy talking about the comforts and other nice things about heaven. Some of them wished him in a very polite manner and he smiled back at them. Somehow, he was not feeling okay this morning. Maybe it was the dream. But deep inside him, the dream created a sense of inexplicable pleasure. It was soothing and filled him with new energy. The dream he had was so over-powering that he felt himself being pulled into that world. That was when, he started day dreaming…
I was sunbathing in the courtyard of my home-Shelter. A daily habit I enjoyed. Chikku never came out to enjoy the morning sun. She was an indoor being who preferred to sleep coiled up in the bed. It seems that her ancestors came from Germany a cold climate region. One day I overheard Daddy telling this to Mummy.Chikku’s father and mother are from this country and she was a pure-breed. I always believed that it was not the past that mattered but the present and the future directions.Eventhough it was a self-comforting belief I know that Chikku cannot be like me. Quite often, she fell ill and I could see the concerned look on Mummy’s face when she tried ‘every herb and medicine’ to bring her back to life. I have reminded Chikku quite often to come out and get the body exposed to the rejuvenating effects of the morning sun. I thoroughly enjoyed the act. When I feel that my body had enough of sun, I take pleasure in doing some exercises - twisting and writhing in the ground making some strange sounds. One day as I was doing this ‘acrobatics’, Mummy and Attan came out of the home and started laughing at me. Even though I felt irritated first, I enjoyed the attention that I was getting. I remember once that Mummy even gave me a coir mat to make this an interesting habit. OLD HABITS DIE-HARD. I was listening to the laughter of Attan and Mummy as they gazed at my strange antics. ..
He was lying on the ground and was twisting and turning much to the amazement and delight of the crowd that had gathered around him. He was suddenly aware of the fact that he was in Heaven and his actions were indeed strange to the people. He got up with a feeling of embarrassment.
The sudden appearance of the angel of heaven on the platform announcing the arrival of GOD saved him from further humiliation. As GOD arrived, the assembly became silent and waited eagerly to listen to his words. ‘My dear children’ he began his talk. Caesar always liked it when God addressed them as his children. He felt a close bonding with God. ‘It’s time for you to enjoy the life in heaven. God continued ‘‘you are the chosen one’s you are rewarded for all the nice things that you have done on earth. This is a dream come true situation for all of you. All those things that you did on earth are something that you should forget. Here we are, in heaven a place to relax and enjoy life. You are all blessed to be here. There is no enmity, no ill thoughts, and bad language here. Only happiness. Then God went on to describe the differences between Earth and Heaven
Earth Heaven
Ugly
Lovely
Emptiness
Fullness
Darkness
Brightness
Sorrow
Joy
Misunderstanding
Clarity
Evil
Divine
Sadness
Happiness
Hatred
Love
Alienation
Togetherness
Cruelty
Goodness
Nothingness
Abundance
Abnormal
Normal
Ennui
Hope
Insanity
Sane
Lethargic
Hardworking
When God said that they should forget everything about their earthly existence, Caesar felt sad.
It is impossible for him because he had already experienced Heaven on Earth.
I was in the kitchen. It was a Sunday. The family had just returned from the Church and I could see that all of them had plastic bags with them. They were getting ready for the Sunday lunch, something for which I eagerly waited for. The aroma of my favourite delicacies filled the air- fish and mutton. I was as usual squatted on the ground in a corner without disturbing the flow of the activities in the kitchen. However, my presence sometimes irritated Cheriya Mon who always cursed me in angry tone. He somehow didn’t like me loitering in the kitchen. He had his own strange and whacky logic about the whole thing, which I never tried to value. I was aware of the fact that as long as I did my duties given to me I will be liked, appreciated, and welcomed. After all, I am better than that horrible beauty Chikku who thought that she was born to sleep and pee in all the wrong places. Mummy knew this fact and Daddy supported me. Lunch as expected was a treat and once again admired the culinary skills of Mummy. I walked towards the bedroom where I am assured of a place to sleep. I soon dozed off and I had a dream - I dreamt about my mother.
The loud sound of a thundering applause made Caesar open his eyes. God had just finished his speech and he was leaving the podium. They all stood up again to pay their respect. The crowd slowly started moving towards the dining hall to have their lunch. He didn’t feel like going along with them. He went back to his room. It was while walking towards his room that the idea struck him. He wanted to go back to Earth and he is going to tell God about his plan. He knew it was difficult to get an appointment with GOD because he was the God. Anyway, he decided to try.
He moved towards the gates of the Garden of Heaven. This is the place where GOD spent most of his time talking and relating with his Creations. Caesar saw the Angel of Heaven trying his best to maintain the decorum of the place. He got the permission and entered the Garden. As he walked through the long winding road, he could see his Heaven mates frolicking in the sun. He saw the lion and the lioness, the cat family and a group of snakes. On Earth, the very sight of a snake made him run for its neck. Surprisingly, he never felt that urge here in Heaven.
It was a rainy day. I was out in the garden to urinate. That’s when I saw something shiny and scaly moving under the mango tree. I felt my heart racing and more blood started pumping into my veins. I moved towards the target, which was moving away from my line of sight. I could see the tail of the thing disappearing into the thick undergrowth. The noise of my barking seemed to terrify the thing. It showed no signs of urgency or fear. I moved towards it. The sound of my breath was sharp in my years and I got the smell of a prey. My agile body slipped into the undergrowth and my eyes started searching for the target. Raindrops created a rhythmic sound as they hit the leaves of the mango tree. I moved slowly without attracting much attention from my enemy. With calculated steps I was about to pounce on the target, when it made a quick dash towards the hole near the compound wall. My nose almost felt the scaly skin of the thing before it disappeared totally into the muddy gap. I was angry and disappointed. I cursed myself for that mistake. I decided that I will wait near the wall to give my foe a chance to reappear. I waited and waited in anticipation….
Caesar was waiting in the queue to meet GOD. After sometime he was ushered in. GOD looked resplendent in his white robe. Caesar smiled at him and bowed down in respect.
Conversation with GOD
‘Yes, my child what brings you here?’ – asked GOD
‘Father I am not able to sleep these days’. ‘Something is disturbing me.’ ‘I am not getting proper sleep and I dream a lot’ – replied Caesar
‘I am surprised you should never forget the fact that you are in heaven’. ‘This place is for restful souls and happy living’. ‘Anyway I don’t think that I can find a solution for your problems’. ‘If you can experience the pain then you should be the one who should find the cure’. ‘Why don’t you spend some time thinking about it?
‘I have tried that father’. ‘My mind is not stable’. ‘It often carries me to earth where I had spent a lovely time with a family’. ‘I am not able to forget them’.
God thought for a minute, after which he said ‘I can understand your problem’ ‘I appreciate that fact that you were able to understand the root cause of the pain’ ‘Now tell me what I should do to help you out’
‘Father I wish to go back to the earth to continue my Earthly life’
God looked at Caesar and said with a smile – ‘That’s indeed a strange cure for your pain’. ‘Very strange’
‘Father I know that, but I am helpless’ ‘Please help me’ Caesar felt the tears rolling down his eyes
God took him in his hands and held him close trying to calm him ‘Oh, my child, please don’t cry’
After sometime GOD said ‘I will allow you to return to Earth but on one condition – you can never go back as a dog you will have to become a cat to continue your life on Earth’ Caesar was happy for fraction of a second but when he heard the word cat he was on his guard.
‘This is the only cure I can find for your pain’. Saying so, GOD kept him on the ground and started moving away from him ‘Think about this and let me know your decision’
Caesar started walking back to his room. The words of GOD fresh and reverberating in his mind. He decided to go to his room and take some rest. As he was walking, he realized that he was having some difficulty in breathing. He started walking slowly and allowed himself to regain the composure. A cool breeze from some where came and caressed his body. He felt better and decided to lie down and think about it as soon as he reached his room. The bed looked inviting and he lost no time in stretching himself on it.
Caesar had a nightmare....
I was taking rest after my lunch. These days ‘the eye of heaven’ shined very brightly and therefore I preferred to spend my daytime indoors. The marble floor was very comfortable I stretched my body on the cool floor and let my body enjoy the coolness. I immensely enjoyed this act of cooling even though I never slept. I was in semi-conscious state. Suddenly my ears, which Cheriya Mon described as ‘fleshy satellites’ picked up a sound which alerted my brain. It was a soft sound which came from the backyard. I jumped up from my resting place spot and rushed towards the source of that noise. There it was.... a cat. Like Humpty Dumpty, he was sitting on the compound wall, licking his body. I barked and started moving towards the wall. The ear-piercing noise of my woof-woof made mummy come out of the house. My target now showed signs of retreating. His action infuriated me further and I was about to jump at him. Before I could do that, he disappeared as quietly as he had come. I stayed there for sometime because I could still smell him with my telescopic nose. When I was sure that, he had moved away, I started walking towards the house in search of some cool spot. Mummy was staring at me. As I entered the house in search, she said “Poor creature! That CAT came in to eat the leftovers of your lunch”. You are very cruel Caesar “. Why don’t you allow that poor thing to eat something”?
I heard what she said but was in no mood to listen to her. She will never know ‘the tale as old as time’ about the animosity between a DOG and a CAT. We hate each other and we do not tolerate the presence of the other. As I was moving through the house, a thought occurred to me because of which I came back to my lunch or whatever was left over of it finished it in a gulp. After performing this act of cruelty, I felt better and I returned to my resting spot. The smooth surface of the marble laid floor once again embraced me in its coolness and a cold blooded thought ran through my brain – cats – I will kill every one of you. I hate you – the improper creations of GOD.
Caesar opened his eyes and immediately recognised the inner battle that was going on in his mind. He heard the noises of hatred and the voice of love colliding in his mind. He got up from his bed and started walking up and down in his room trying to regain his mental composure. He earnestly desired for the noises and voices to die out, but they never did.
Noise of hatred, enmity, animosity, hostility, antagonism, bitterness, dislike, resentment, anger, rage…
‘Hey Caesar’! ‘Hope you are not a fool to take cues from your dreams they are just dreams, meaning nothing…’ ‘Can you imagine living as a cat in that house?’ ‘You will be powerless and weak’. ‘A state of existence where your terrifying woof-woof will be reduced to a soft meow… meow...’ ‘If I was in your situation I will be happy to continue living in Heaven as a DOG superior and commanding attention and respect’.
Voice of love ….
‘Dear Caesar heaven is indeed is a place for you to dream about your earthly life’. ‘You have been thinking a lot about the family – Mummy, Daddy, Attan and Cheriya Mon. ‘Your love thoughts took the form and shape of a dream’ ‘You are indeed in love with them’. Can you ever forget the smiles, laughter and the tears of joy that animated your earthly life?’ ‘I will tell you to return to that state of existence irrespective of the form you take. Cats after all are not creatures that you should hate’ ‘They are just like dogs, co-existing with the humans trying to solve the difficult equations of life by giving them company and companionship’. ‘So please go home…’ ‘That’s your shelter’. ‘Please go…’
Caesar realized suddenly that noise and voices have left him. A soothing silence filled his mind. He now could see a solution to his problem. He decided to meet GOD the next day and tell him about his decision to go back to earth in the form and shape of a cat. After supper, he crawled into his bed and started sleeping. He had a dreamless sleep that night.
Glossary of the Local Culture:
Mummy - (Indian English) Equivalent for Mom or Mama
Telescopic nose - (Caesar and Chikku belonged to the family of Dachshund)
Chikku – Caesar’s better – half queen.
Daddy - (Indian English) Equivalent for Dad or Pop
Attan – Malayalam word for elder brother (Malayalam is the official language of Kerala, a state in Southern India.
Cheriya Mon - Malayalam word which means (Cheriya) small (Mon) son
Kunamkulam - Ancestral land of our family situated near Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala.
21-02-2006
Premjith Mathew
Chennai
&
He conquered again….
(This is a work of fiction. It is an attempt to resurrect and reclaim something precious from my yesteryears. This is dedicated to Caesar and to all those who loved him.)
“Like many other Humans, they believed that they owned their dogs instead of realizing that their dogs owned them’
101 Dalmatians – Dodie smith
‘I’m a dog, and because you humans are less rational beasts than I, you are telling yourselves, ‘Dogs don’t talk’. Nevertheless, you seem to believe a story in which corpses speak and characters use words they couldn’t possibly know. Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen’
My Name is Red – Orhan Pamuk
Caesar had a dream....
I, as usual dreamt about the place I had known all my life. The home and the environs were as fresh and charming as the days I had spent there. I was with Mummy walking in the garden. I followed her faithfully trying my best not to walk in front of her. I loved and respected her. It was indeed an act of joy to walk with her, to guard her against the possible threats that lurked somewhere in the garden. I could see the fresh soil near the hole that my old foe rodent had created near the compound wall. I tried putting my telescopic nose inside to assess the seriousness of the situation. ‘One day I will get you…’ I whispered to myself and moved quickly to the place where Mummy was pulling out some weeds from the garden lawn.
“It is getting tougher and tougher to keep this garden,” I heard her murmuring to herself. She was the only who loved the garden. I was used to this habit of Mummy because this was also the time for me to inspect the ground for ‘security risks’. I could see that after uttering those words she was moving towards the water tap. I knew that she for the next half-an- hour would be occupied in the act of watering her ‘darlings’. I made a final look at all the possible dangers zones in the garden and decided to check on my companion Chikku, whom I knew would be sleeping in one of the chairs in the living room. She was not a ‘companion’ in the real sense of the term. Daddy brought her thinking that she would be a ‘perfect buddy’ for me. However, time proved this thought wrong as most of the time she behaved in an erratic way. She used to urinate in places that were considered sacrosanct by the family members. I hated her for these acts of indecency. However, Chikku continued her acts without any sense of inhibition. Mummy, Daddy, Attan, and Cheriya Mon used to reprimand her and beat her for this one tendency. She never changed her inclinations and this rather surprised me. However, things never remained the same for her and I often wondered how the family members forgot all these and crowded around her to play with her. It used to irritate me when I see Cheriya Mon going around the house cradling her in his arms as if she was an Olympic trophy. I, but secretly has confessed to myself the fact that she was beautiful. She can melt anyone’s heart with her “cushion like face and pillow like belly”. She was beautiful and she was the only one who assisted me in my operations. Knowing the fact that she was the only one for me, I used to sympathize with her when the family members showered both physical and verbal abuses on her.
As I entered the living room, and I was not surprised to see her still sleeping in the chair as if the whole purpose of her life was to sleep. I disliked her for her ‘laziness’, ‘holier than thou attitude’, ‘lack of adventure spirit’ and many other things…
Caesar …Caesar …. Somebody was calling me. I thought that it was Mummy. Maybe she was in danger. My mind raced and my heart started beating faster. I quickly turned away from the ‘sleeping beauty’ and started running towards the garden. But my legs would not move. I felt as if the whole earth was covered in some kind of glue. I tried to reach Mummy. I heard myself whisper - ‘I am coming Mummy… I am coming ’
He opened his eyes and his sharp ears recognised the voice. It was coming from the small speakers kept in the corner of his room. It was morning and the Angel in Heaven was giving the wake-up call. He got up from his cozy bed and limbed towards the bathroom to start his day. He should get ready for the morning meditation where the Supreme Head - GOD - will address the entire population of Heaven. The thought that he had a dream of his earthly life made him happy. As he engaged himself in the morning routine of taking bath and brushing his teeth, his mind once again touched earth.
At home (Shelter), nobody forced me to do anything. I was always given what I wanted because they knew me and more than that, they loved me. Every morning Daddy was the first one to wake up to make tea for himself (He was the only who got that early in the family). I used to patiently wait for my share of dry bread, which was the breakfast. Chikku, had to be coaxed, and threatened to eat her share of the morning grub and most of the time she missed her breakfast. Because of this, I always got her share. After this first serving of food, I used to sneak inside the house to get some sleep. Peaceful and undisturbed sleep for hours together. The pleasure of this early morning sleep was sometimes enhanced when Mummy came and caressed me. She always started her day only after talking to me. Most of the time she talked about the day ahead. I used to slip into a deep slumber listening to her and enjoying the re-assuring presence of her touch. I do not really remember my mother. Sometimes I used to overhear them talk about my mother and my early days. It seems that I was born in a place called Kunamkulam and was brought here. Daddy was the one who chose me by tying a piece of thread around my neck. Oh, I am grateful to him for bringing me here. This place indeed was a shelter.
Sunlight, which came through the window, was something that broke his reverie and Caesar hurried to attend the morning meditation in the courtyard. He could see that the whole place were crowded with heaven mates. He slowly moved towards the front part so that he can really pay attention to GOD. All around him, his friends in heaven were busy talking about the comforts and other nice things about heaven. Some of them wished him in a very polite manner and he smiled back at them. Somehow, he was not feeling okay this morning. Maybe it was the dream. But deep inside him, the dream created a sense of inexplicable pleasure. It was soothing and filled him with new energy. The dream he had was so over-powering that he felt himself being pulled into that world. That was when, he started day dreaming…
I was sunbathing in the courtyard of my home-Shelter. A daily habit I enjoyed. Chikku never came out to enjoy the morning sun. She was an indoor being who preferred to sleep coiled up in the bed. It seems that her ancestors came from Germany a cold climate region. One day I overheard Daddy telling this to Mummy.Chikku’s father and mother are from this country and she was a pure-breed. I always believed that it was not the past that mattered but the present and the future directions.Eventhough it was a self-comforting belief I know that Chikku cannot be like me. Quite often, she fell ill and I could see the concerned look on Mummy’s face when she tried ‘every herb and medicine’ to bring her back to life. I have reminded Chikku quite often to come out and get the body exposed to the rejuvenating effects of the morning sun. I thoroughly enjoyed the act. When I feel that my body had enough of sun, I take pleasure in doing some exercises - twisting and writhing in the ground making some strange sounds. One day as I was doing this ‘acrobatics’, Mummy and Attan came out of the home and started laughing at me. Even though I felt irritated first, I enjoyed the attention that I was getting. I remember once that Mummy even gave me a coir mat to make this an interesting habit. OLD HABITS DIE-HARD. I was listening to the laughter of Attan and Mummy as they gazed at my strange antics. ..
He was lying on the ground and was twisting and turning much to the amazement and delight of the crowd that had gathered around him. He was suddenly aware of the fact that he was in Heaven and his actions were indeed strange to the people. He got up with a feeling of embarrassment.
The sudden appearance of the angel of heaven on the platform announcing the arrival of GOD saved him from further humiliation. As GOD arrived, the assembly became silent and waited eagerly to listen to his words. ‘My dear children’ he began his talk. Caesar always liked it when God addressed them as his children. He felt a close bonding with God. ‘It’s time for you to enjoy the life in heaven. God continued ‘‘you are the chosen one’s you are rewarded for all the nice things that you have done on earth. This is a dream come true situation for all of you. All those things that you did on earth are something that you should forget. Here we are, in heaven a place to relax and enjoy life. You are all blessed to be here. There is no enmity, no ill thoughts, and bad language here. Only happiness. Then God went on to describe the differences between Earth and Heaven
Earth Heaven
Ugly
Lovely
Emptiness
Fullness
Darkness
Brightness
Sorrow
Joy
Misunderstanding
Clarity
Evil
Divine
Sadness
Happiness
Hatred
Love
Alienation
Togetherness
Cruelty
Goodness
Nothingness
Abundance
Abnormal
Normal
Ennui
Hope
Insanity
Sane
Lethargic
Hardworking
When God said that they should forget everything about their earthly existence, Caesar felt sad.
It is impossible for him because he had already experienced Heaven on Earth.
I was in the kitchen. It was a Sunday. The family had just returned from the Church and I could see that all of them had plastic bags with them. They were getting ready for the Sunday lunch, something for which I eagerly waited for. The aroma of my favourite delicacies filled the air- fish and mutton. I was as usual squatted on the ground in a corner without disturbing the flow of the activities in the kitchen. However, my presence sometimes irritated Cheriya Mon who always cursed me in angry tone. He somehow didn’t like me loitering in the kitchen. He had his own strange and whacky logic about the whole thing, which I never tried to value. I was aware of the fact that as long as I did my duties given to me I will be liked, appreciated, and welcomed. After all, I am better than that horrible beauty Chikku who thought that she was born to sleep and pee in all the wrong places. Mummy knew this fact and Daddy supported me. Lunch as expected was a treat and once again admired the culinary skills of Mummy. I walked towards the bedroom where I am assured of a place to sleep. I soon dozed off and I had a dream - I dreamt about my mother.
The loud sound of a thundering applause made Caesar open his eyes. God had just finished his speech and he was leaving the podium. They all stood up again to pay their respect. The crowd slowly started moving towards the dining hall to have their lunch. He didn’t feel like going along with them. He went back to his room. It was while walking towards his room that the idea struck him. He wanted to go back to Earth and he is going to tell God about his plan. He knew it was difficult to get an appointment with GOD because he was the God. Anyway, he decided to try.
He moved towards the gates of the Garden of Heaven. This is the place where GOD spent most of his time talking and relating with his Creations. Caesar saw the Angel of Heaven trying his best to maintain the decorum of the place. He got the permission and entered the Garden. As he walked through the long winding road, he could see his Heaven mates frolicking in the sun. He saw the lion and the lioness, the cat family and a group of snakes. On Earth, the very sight of a snake made him run for its neck. Surprisingly, he never felt that urge here in Heaven.
It was a rainy day. I was out in the garden to urinate. That’s when I saw something shiny and scaly moving under the mango tree. I felt my heart racing and more blood started pumping into my veins. I moved towards the target, which was moving away from my line of sight. I could see the tail of the thing disappearing into the thick undergrowth. The noise of my barking seemed to terrify the thing. It showed no signs of urgency or fear. I moved towards it. The sound of my breath was sharp in my years and I got the smell of a prey. My agile body slipped into the undergrowth and my eyes started searching for the target. Raindrops created a rhythmic sound as they hit the leaves of the mango tree. I moved slowly without attracting much attention from my enemy. With calculated steps I was about to pounce on the target, when it made a quick dash towards the hole near the compound wall. My nose almost felt the scaly skin of the thing before it disappeared totally into the muddy gap. I was angry and disappointed. I cursed myself for that mistake. I decided that I will wait near the wall to give my foe a chance to reappear. I waited and waited in anticipation….
Caesar was waiting in the queue to meet GOD. After sometime he was ushered in. GOD looked resplendent in his white robe. Caesar smiled at him and bowed down in respect.
Conversation with GOD
‘Yes, my child what brings you here?’ – asked GOD
‘Father I am not able to sleep these days’. ‘Something is disturbing me.’ ‘I am not getting proper sleep and I dream a lot’ – replied Caesar
‘I am surprised you should never forget the fact that you are in heaven’. ‘This place is for restful souls and happy living’. ‘Anyway I don’t think that I can find a solution for your problems’. ‘If you can experience the pain then you should be the one who should find the cure’. ‘Why don’t you spend some time thinking about it?
‘I have tried that father’. ‘My mind is not stable’. ‘It often carries me to earth where I had spent a lovely time with a family’. ‘I am not able to forget them’.
God thought for a minute, after which he said ‘I can understand your problem’ ‘I appreciate that fact that you were able to understand the root cause of the pain’ ‘Now tell me what I should do to help you out’
‘Father I wish to go back to the earth to continue my Earthly life’
God looked at Caesar and said with a smile – ‘That’s indeed a strange cure for your pain’. ‘Very strange’
‘Father I know that, but I am helpless’ ‘Please help me’ Caesar felt the tears rolling down his eyes
God took him in his hands and held him close trying to calm him ‘Oh, my child, please don’t cry’
After sometime GOD said ‘I will allow you to return to Earth but on one condition – you can never go back as a dog you will have to become a cat to continue your life on Earth’ Caesar was happy for fraction of a second but when he heard the word cat he was on his guard.
‘This is the only cure I can find for your pain’. Saying so, GOD kept him on the ground and started moving away from him ‘Think about this and let me know your decision’
Caesar started walking back to his room. The words of GOD fresh and reverberating in his mind. He decided to go to his room and take some rest. As he was walking, he realized that he was having some difficulty in breathing. He started walking slowly and allowed himself to regain the composure. A cool breeze from some where came and caressed his body. He felt better and decided to lie down and think about it as soon as he reached his room. The bed looked inviting and he lost no time in stretching himself on it.
Caesar had a nightmare....
I was taking rest after my lunch. These days ‘the eye of heaven’ shined very brightly and therefore I preferred to spend my daytime indoors. The marble floor was very comfortable I stretched my body on the cool floor and let my body enjoy the coolness. I immensely enjoyed this act of cooling even though I never slept. I was in semi-conscious state. Suddenly my ears, which Cheriya Mon described as ‘fleshy satellites’ picked up a sound which alerted my brain. It was a soft sound which came from the backyard. I jumped up from my resting place spot and rushed towards the source of that noise. There it was.... a cat. Like Humpty Dumpty, he was sitting on the compound wall, licking his body. I barked and started moving towards the wall. The ear-piercing noise of my woof-woof made mummy come out of the house. My target now showed signs of retreating. His action infuriated me further and I was about to jump at him. Before I could do that, he disappeared as quietly as he had come. I stayed there for sometime because I could still smell him with my telescopic nose. When I was sure that, he had moved away, I started walking towards the house in search of some cool spot. Mummy was staring at me. As I entered the house in search, she said “Poor creature! That CAT came in to eat the leftovers of your lunch”. You are very cruel Caesar “. Why don’t you allow that poor thing to eat something”?
I heard what she said but was in no mood to listen to her. She will never know ‘the tale as old as time’ about the animosity between a DOG and a CAT. We hate each other and we do not tolerate the presence of the other. As I was moving through the house, a thought occurred to me because of which I came back to my lunch or whatever was left over of it finished it in a gulp. After performing this act of cruelty, I felt better and I returned to my resting spot. The smooth surface of the marble laid floor once again embraced me in its coolness and a cold blooded thought ran through my brain – cats – I will kill every one of you. I hate you – the improper creations of GOD.
Caesar opened his eyes and immediately recognised the inner battle that was going on in his mind. He heard the noises of hatred and the voice of love colliding in his mind. He got up from his bed and started walking up and down in his room trying to regain his mental composure. He earnestly desired for the noises and voices to die out, but they never did.
Noise of hatred, enmity, animosity, hostility, antagonism, bitterness, dislike, resentment, anger, rage…
‘Hey Caesar’! ‘Hope you are not a fool to take cues from your dreams they are just dreams, meaning nothing…’ ‘Can you imagine living as a cat in that house?’ ‘You will be powerless and weak’. ‘A state of existence where your terrifying woof-woof will be reduced to a soft meow… meow...’ ‘If I was in your situation I will be happy to continue living in Heaven as a DOG superior and commanding attention and respect’.
Voice of love ….
‘Dear Caesar heaven is indeed is a place for you to dream about your earthly life’. ‘You have been thinking a lot about the family – Mummy, Daddy, Attan and Cheriya Mon. ‘Your love thoughts took the form and shape of a dream’ ‘You are indeed in love with them’. Can you ever forget the smiles, laughter and the tears of joy that animated your earthly life?’ ‘I will tell you to return to that state of existence irrespective of the form you take. Cats after all are not creatures that you should hate’ ‘They are just like dogs, co-existing with the humans trying to solve the difficult equations of life by giving them company and companionship’. ‘So please go home…’ ‘That’s your shelter’. ‘Please go…’
Caesar realized suddenly that noise and voices have left him. A soothing silence filled his mind. He now could see a solution to his problem. He decided to meet GOD the next day and tell him about his decision to go back to earth in the form and shape of a cat. After supper, he crawled into his bed and started sleeping. He had a dreamless sleep that night.
Glossary of the Local Culture:
Mummy - (Indian English) Equivalent for Mom or Mama
Telescopic nose - (Caesar and Chikku belonged to the family of Dachshund)
Chikku – Caesar’s better – half queen.
Daddy - (Indian English) Equivalent for Dad or Pop
Attan – Malayalam word for elder brother (Malayalam is the official language of Kerala, a state in Southern India.
Cheriya Mon - Malayalam word which means (Cheriya) small (Mon) son
Kunamkulam - Ancestral land of our family situated near Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala.
21-02-2006
Premjith Mathew
Chennai
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