The Greatest Birthday Gift

It is a story about a boy who received the rarest and the greatest birthday gift. It is about a crime which you may regard it as mistake. It deals with human whose feelings are too sensitive.

                Winter season, cool breeze, bright sun rays made a morning wonderful. Letting that wonderful light to illuminate the room Jennifer of age 40 opened the door. She went near to his son’s bed “john, wake up. It is your birthday. Let me wish you”, she picked up his trousers to wash them.  John didn't react. She kept her hand on his shoulders and tried to wake him up by shaking him. No response from his side. She kept her fore finger below his nose to check his breath while her left hand was holding his hand to check his pulse. Though tests were different, they gave the same result of his death.

                Robert Wilson, a police officer was handling the case. He has 4 members under him to help him to solve a case.  All the five members were searching the house for a clue. A glass with half filled water dissolving some drug is on the table.  Below the bed they found a bottle having sleeping pills. Jenner fell from her foot, “my son can’t do suicide, it is his birthday”, she cried. 

“Send the body for autopsy”, Wilson ordered his subordinates.  He consoled her, “I can understand your feelings. There is nothing we can do. It is hard to believe but we have to admit that he is dead. Did you find any difference in his behaviour yesterday?”

“He is very active, he used to be forward in every aspect, even in his death”, she shed tears, “he is sad from 1 week, when I asked, he said “nothing, some school stuff””.

Wilson searched john’s computer. He found a dairy and it was unlocked. He opened the application. 

2^nd December, 2012

Lilly, my best friend and I are joining the trip that my friends are planning.  Though I have not spent much time with my friends they offered me to join their trip.

3^rd December, 2012

The journey with friends made a lot of difference in my life.  It is the fun that we cannot find in video games, movies, parents.

4^th December, 2012

I have lost my purse.  All the money I brought was lost.  But still I am rich having these many friends for me to support.

5^th December, 2012

The jungle was awesome.  We found some wild animals from certain distance by roaming all over the forest.  I could not forget the excitement in Lilly’s face when deer came to us.

6^th December, 2012

This is the last day of our trip. We spent the whole night chatting with friends, playing cards, and dumb shell arts like children. When someone asked me who are my best friends, I said Lilly, Simon, Volt, Albert, Jenny.

7^th December, 2012

I have presented Lilly with the beautiful gift which I have found in the forest.  Her smile gave me utmost satisfaction that I have never felt even when my mom bought me computer.

8^th December, 2012

Tomorrow is Lilly’s birthday.  Today night I.e., tomorrow early morning I have to wish her at 12 A.M. I will not meet her today and surprise her tomorrow with a beautiful gift.

9^th December, 2012

Morning at 12 A.M. Jenny, Albert, Simen, volt and I went to her house and called her.  We celebrated her birthday on road by cutting a cake. Out of all the days in a year, birthday is the special one.  We expect some surprise on that day.  I presented her dress which she was looking at the shopping mall when we were going by that road.  I sold my bicycle to present her that gift and said to mom that I lost it. In the evening she arranged a party and invited all our friends.  I have practiced to dance there to impress every one.  But cool drink spoiled my dress avoiding me from dancing.

10^th December, 2012

Today is the first day I have not seen Lilly from past 5 years. She might be tired of yesterday party.  There is nothing special today without her.

11^th December, 2012

She came to college and busy with her friends.  When I went to her she got a call and went away, not even looking at me.

12^th December, 2012

She was in facebook online when I logged in.  When I messaged her ‘hai’, she has logged out.  But I found her updates continuing.  It felt to me like I went to some one’s house and they closed the door over my face.

13^th December, 2012

I phoned her today, but she didn't attempt it.  Not even disconnect the call.  Her phone went on ringing and ringing.  I thought she was busy with some work.

14^th December, 2012

I could hear her phone ringing all the day but not her voice.  I want to scold her for not attempting the call when she attempts the call.

15^th December, 2012

I think she avoids me, because if she was busy she should call me back once after her work. But she didn’t do it.  Why is she avoiding me?

16^th December, 2012

I wanted to ask her straight that why is she avoiding me? I went to her home, knocked her door. The servant came and said that Lilly is out of station.  But while I am returning home I found her talking to jenny in her house.  After coming back I have phoned jenny and asked her the reason. She said that Lilly is not willing to talk to me. I felt like all the power in me loosing.  My body temperature is increased.  I could see but I could not feel my vision, I could her hear but could not respond to it, I could eat pizza but could not feel the taste in it. I feel like I am loosing my world. Every work I do, my mind works only on her.  My eyes filled with tears.  Tomorrow is my birthday, under any circumstances she should call me and she will call me.

After reading this, the eyes of Robert Wilson also filled with tears.  He looked around to check presence of any one in the room. He copied this data into his cell phone and deleted the file.

After the autopsy the body is shifted for death ceremony.  Every one in the college who knows john attended it.  Lilly and jenny came with flowers.  Every one wondered what the reason was that made him to commit suicide.  Jenny looked at Lilly in a way that she is responsible for his death.

While Lilly was returning home alone, a car stopped in front of her.  Robert Wilson got down from that car and said “YOU ARE UNDER ARREST”.

After 7 days of imprisonment she was taken to interrogation room.  She was locked with handcuffs to the table.  After half an hour waiting, Robert Wilson came in.

“How is your 7 days life in jail? Is there every thing ok?” he walked towards the opposite chair.

“What do you think of your self, do you know how it feels there, it was like the hell.  No one came to see me. No one is there to talk to. I waited all the day for the food because only then I could see a human. No work to do ----------------------------------------------------- what the hell do you think of yourself....?” Robert Wilson interrupted her.

“Tell me in a single sentence”, he ordered

“I wanted to kill myself by writing your name for the cause of my death but nothing was available for me to do that”, she shouted

“Now, tell me. Why have you killed john?” he asked.

“what the fu....? I have not killed him. It was a suicide”, she exclaimed

“ho suicide...? if you are going to kill yourself because I have jailed you, it is a murder and if he kills himself for you, it is a suicide..? what do you think?”, he shouted and then he slowed down “What made you to avoid him?”.

“he is a gay”, she answered immediately

“How do you know that?” he asked

“on my birthday, he got ready to dance for me.  He was in a special costume that no one else had.  When I was going to announce about his dance he went to wash room.  He didn't return. I searched for him and found him romancing with Simon.  From then I stooped talking to him and started avoiding him”, she said

“did he see you?”

“No”, she said confidently, “it is a blurred glass through which I have seen him. His costume made me to realize him and I have seen Simon entering the room”.

“how can you be so sure that it was him?” he asked

“Because no one else in the party were wearing that costume”, she said stiffly

“No”, he turned towards Lilly, “There is another person wearing the same costume.  Volt, he is missing in that party. Right?”

“yes”

“They planned to surprise you with duel get ups. Once john starts dancing then volt will join him.  Unfortunately volt was late to the party and at the same time john’s dress spoiled due to cool drink. He was changing his dress while you were watching Volt and Simon romancing.” He said bringing his face close to Lilly’s face.

 Lillly was shocked to listen this. She realized her mistake.

“have you ever asked him about this?”, he asked

Obviously her answer is “No” with very low voice.

“he tried to contact you several times, you never responded. Not even told him the reason you are avoiding” he stopped for a while, “when you were a child, your father died. Your mother sat beside his body crying. There is another person doing the same thing beside the crowd. It was me. He is my best friend.  We both worked together for 3 years. We went to other states on several cases. I used to wake him up when we are on a tour in the morning.  Then I wanted to wake him up but he slept permanently. Then I felt a small pain in my heart.  That pain occurs to a healthy man when he is feared of something or when he is in extreme sorrow.  The same thing happened to John. When he is in extreme sorrow his heart started generating heat.  That heat is transferred to his whole body. Finally struggling so hard he died with cardiac arrest.”

“what...? didn’t he died using sleeping pills?”, she asked

“No”, he said “The bottle contains 100 tablets with seal. we found 86 tablets in the bottle. Each tablet weights 1gm. We found the remaining 14 gm of drug in the glass. If he drunk it some part of drug should be missing. He just filled half of the glass and before drinking it he thought about his mother and dropped the attempt”.

“He came to my house that night waiting for my wishes. He stood on the road such that I could notice him and he could see me. He brought a cake, candles and waited for me to lighten those candles. He noticed me watching him and I shut my windows. After an hour I have seen him still waiting for me. I have written a text on a paper with high font size using sketch pens ‘get the hell out of here’ and after 10 min he is not there” she is crying. “I should have talked to him once about this matter but I imagined myself and killed him”.

“God gave you eyes to watch, nose to smell, ear to listen, skin to touch and the most important thing mouth to eat and talk. If you avoid the first thing you will die and if you avoid the second thing others will die. You have a phone to call others and also to attempt the calls you have got. I have talked to your mother that I would take you to my home for a week. No one knows what happened. You may go home now”, he unlocked her handcuffs.

While she was going, he spoke “listen, it charged a life to make you understand this lesson, if you do not understand this lesson now it may cost another life. Perhaps that life might be yours”.

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

As common many of the fresh writers say, please ignore grammar mistakes but if you want to mention them I will be delighted to your interest.

Reviews

[Sairam Chekuri]

Beautifully constructed story ... When u read the first part of it you can feel the misery of a mother losing her child. A beautiful message conveyed by the author - life is too short to hide things out.. clear out your grudges , express your feelings till life seizes the opportunity to do so... well done author.