Happy Birthday Dad

Sarah stepped out of her office.Cool breeze crawled on her face.She
percieved that the streets of Singapore had just been dampened by a
rain. The cool air and the smell of damp soil lured her to take a walk
home even though she was tired and exhausted.

As she took slow and careful steps, her thoughts carried her to the
days of her childhood with her father. He used to hold her hand and
take her on a walk usually on cool evenings like that. Sarah would be
full of questions like, 'What flower is that?', 'Wow look at that bird
daddy! What bird is that?' and 'What is that man selling?' Her father
would have answers for all.

Walking down the road, Sarah came across a tree which was laden with
yellow flowers. The rain droplets on the flowers made them look more
enchanting. She looked around to see if anyone was noticing. There was
no one except a couple on a bench quite far away. But they were so
engrossed in themselves that even if a thunderstorm was to arise they
would not bother to look away. So Sarah took a quick leap and clutched
a branch. She then shook it hard causing flowers to shower on her. She
twirled around with joy. Her father used to do that on her with the
tree that they had had in their backyard. After she became a young lady
she and her father would sit under that tree and talk for hours about
education to politics. The day that tree was chopped down was still
fresh in her memory. She had cried for hours that day. Even today she
looks at the leaf of that tree she sneaked away without the knowledge
of anyone even though it may seem silly.

An ice-cream man rang his bell only to clear her thoughts.
He said persistently, "Fresh ice-creams madam. Very tasty ice-creams;
give one a try madam" and handed out one to her.
Sarah looked at it. Her taste buds wanted it more than ever. She knew
that it was hard for her to resist an ice-cream but she also knew that
with weather like that she is sure to catch a bad cold. She reluctantly
shook her head and walked away.

Sarah stopped by at the 'Banana Leaf Restaurant' to pay the balance
amount for the food she had ordered for the party she hosted the week
before.
The owner put his hands together in an Indian fashion and said,
"Namaste, madam, how's your husband, Kumar?"
She bowed and replied, "He is fine."
"Do send my regards to him."
She said, "Sure" and handed him a thousand dollar note.
He said," Be seated for a while madam, I'll send someone to get the
change."

Sarah not wishing to sit down she strutted around noting some of the
changes in the restaurant's interiors. She thought, 'This is the
restaurant in which I confessed my love for Kumar to my dad. He was
very supportive. I still thank him not only for consenting to the
marriage but also for the words he said 'I have full faith that my
daughter will never be wrong'.'

It had started to drizzle again when Sarah left the restaurant. She
had an umbrella with her but she chose not to use it. She loved getting
drenched once in a while when she was in college. If her dad asked she
would say, "Oh! my God I forgot that I had an umbrella." He would
simply say " You've got a naughty child in you."
She laughed and suddenly aware of the fact that she was laughing to
herself, she hung her head and ran away.

She swung open the door of a nearby florist as she had promised her
daughter a handful of roses. The aroma of the fresh flowers entered her
nostrils and made her raise her eyebrows. For a moment she felt herself
rejuvenated. She bought some red roses and she was about to leave when
she asked, "Mm I want a single yellow rose. Could you?wrap it?"
She held the red roses in her hands and kept the yellow rose in her
handbag. 'For daddy', she thought.

When she reached home she found that the door was locked. 'So,
nobody's home', she thought. She opened the door with her copy of the
key and laid the red roses on the table. She then moved to the living
room. She placed the yellow rose before a portrait and softly said,
"Happy Birthday dad. I miss you. I miss you very much."

THE END