Just Bliss

I am the fourteenth child of my parents.
Some decades it was possible for people to afford to have many children.
It was the only activity parents had, as there were no media to entertain them. The Breaking News did not put them alert on heels and toes so repeatedly.
Nor were there any captivating and charismatic fashion and music shows or Internet.
. So, in short, I was the fourteenth winning star of their luxury time.
Unfortunately, I saw only the eldest two out of seven brothers and six sisters, including me seven, for 12 of my siblings passed away before I was born. Let’s overlook how and why they died.
Being the youngest survived was raised like a fragile flower.
They protected me from the sun and rain. My brother didn’t let me step down the school bus myself. He carried me in his arms inside the home. I was intelligent and silly at the same time.
Too innocent to be true
I was intelligent n silly at the same time so let me elaborate n prove it to my dear wise readers to decide. Being a brainy girl, I topped in my annual exams in class KGII. I was awarded books on Annual Prize Distribution Day. My class fellow Arifa who was my friend too asked me to give those books to her to take home and show them to her parents. I happily gave them to her. But as usual, She did not bring them back the whole year. Next year the same thing happened. I won, and she took it away. I’m relieved that she never asked for my report book.
I had an only brother who was 20 years older than me and loved me dearly. He always brought gifts for me when he went outstation. Every time I took those to show to Arifa, she religiously took them to her home to show to her parents. I never got my gifts or awards back. Doesn’t it prove that I am intelligently foolish?
I was, and am even today, very silly and kindhearted. I learned First Aid. Every Sunday, ailing children and relatives of our servants used to come to get free shots and dressing of their wounds from me. Poor simple people preferred free treatment. I loved to serve them.
Gusher Khan was our full-time servant. He was sincere and faithful. One day while plucking figs, he fell from the tree.
I was reading my Science book under the oranges tree.
He had broken his ulna bone. At that very moment, I was reading how to take care of such an incident. So, I hurriedly gathered two sticks. I tied the stick, wound the bandage firmly, and put his arm in the sling.
I followed written in the science book. Gusher believed in my treatment and refused to show it to the doctor. As a result, he has the same deformed arm. Both of us never shared this with our elders.
Each Sunday, an old beggar regularly came to get one rupee coin from me. One Sunday, he came to get the coin as usual. I didn’t have it, so, asked him to follow me. I went to two of my friends’ homes in two different areas. The distance from my home was more than 2 kilometers. He followed. I asked my friends to serve him too. He enjoyed and ate all that I ate and drank. Then finally I went to the shop to get the change of a ten-rupee note.
From the shop, I came back home. As we got home, Happily, the man took and went away to come back next Sunday. What do you think folk about me now?
To develop a reading habit, my brother suggested I read books. My mother also joined in this project. She made me read out a famous Urdu novel Shama by A.R Khatoon. Though at the age of six, seven, I tried and read out that novel to my mother but believe me, I failed to understand even a single word. I went to the air force library in Peshawar and read all classic novels both in English and Urdu. I composed a letter to my brother in poetry, which he carried proudly in his pocket n showed to everyone he met. I composed! still a mystery to me
Well, it’s not the end of my follies as I have had many such silly happenings in my life. Keep smiling.
I wish you happiness and success in life.