The calling bell shrieked. A morose Mala was at the door. Her chicken-work salwarkameez gave her a personable look.
She danced around the table, humming a song as I prepared her ginger ale. I recognised the tune:
I am sixteen going on seventeen.
Waiting for life to start;
Somebody kind who touches your mind will
Suddenly touch your heart.
It was not too difficult for me to sense that she was woolgathering while we conversed. So I stopped talking and waited for her to speak. She picked up the newspaper and pretended to read it. She let it drop suddenly on her lap and looked up.
“I came to pray for my exams,” she said, sipping the drink.
“Oh, I see. I was wondering where on earth you were all these days. Now I see why you have suddenly become a lover of prayer.”
“Aunty, pray that I will somehow pass.”
“So you think you can pass by praying.”
“I am unable to study. My marks are going down. My teacher is angry and my parents are furious.”
She finished in one breath.
“Why Mala? Whatever happened to you? Why this sudden turn of events? You are a good student.”
“Aunty.. .er.. .nothing.”
“Nothing? How can nothing affect you? I am interested to know what this something called nothing is. Woolgathering instead of studying?”
“You said it.”
“Who’s this Romeo?”
“I won’t tell you.”
“Fine. Keep it safely to yourself.”
“Aunty, you won’t tell anyone, will you? I came to Christ no aunty? Then I tried to sever this relationship. But he’s stubborn. He says he cannot forget me and threatens to commit suicide if I stop meeting him. My friends know about it. We have exchanged a few letters. How can I go back on my word? What will my friends think of me? The very thought is frightening. And he’s not a bad boy at all. He’s such a nice guy. I am unable to get him out of my mind. I can’t even pray or read the Bible. I just can’t study.”
It was drizzling and the electricity had failed. The flickering flame of the candle threw dancing shadows on Mala’s face as she sobbed with abandon. My heart turned within me, though I could not empathise with her. Why, 0 why didn’t I warn her earlier? I sighed, tired of seeing the necessary evils of life. If I had known a little earlier, I would not have let her get caught in this whirlpool.
“Is he the one with a mousch, your brother’s friend?”
“Mm. He comes home to see my brother. That’s how the whole thing started. He was friendly to me. Then I noticed a tenderness and longing in his eyes. I couldn’t resist it. Everytime I heard the sound of his mobike, my feet ran to open the door. One day when he came I was alone at home. He locked the door and...and...” She swallowed hard.
I held my breath.
“... embraced me...and...”
My heart missed a beat.
“And we heard our car horn.”
I heaved a sigh of relief. My prayers for Mala were not going waste.
She did not so much as lift her head, drawing meaningless figures on the floor with her toe nail.
“How long has this been going on?”
“Six months.”
“What did you write in your letters?”
“Er...nothing.”
“Oh dear, the sky has not fallen down. You are not the first teenager to mistake infatuation for love. After all, it is natural for opposite poles to attract.”
She wiped the sweat off her forehead.
“God created sex and sex instinct is good if used properly. How old are you?”
Her eyelids hesitantly fluttered up. Sixteen.”
“Mala, you are just out of the nest eager to fly into the vast world. You do not know the world as yet. Youthful feelings are very strong. When a young man shows some affection for you, your feelings are aroused. That does not mean you have fallen in love. You may think so. But that’s only puppy love. It is blind passion. True love has four eyes. It sees, observes, waits and tries to find out more before committing itself to a person.
“In any case it is foolish to fall in love at your age. There’s a whole lifetime before you. You are not mature enough to choose your life partner. Wait till you are mature enough for love and marriage. God will send the right person at the right time. Now studies are your priorities. Put an end to this racket. This is an age to know young men, not to fall in love with anyone.”
She blew her nose.
“Don’t flunk in your exams. Forget Babu. Nothing terrible will happen as you fear. You think that fellow will commit suicide?”
“Don’t call him fellow.”
Mala shot back. I was stunned for a minute. Terrible teenagers.
“I’m sorry. I mean that gentleman Babu. Take a bold step. Flee youthful lusts. Remember, while we must resist all other temptations, we must FLEE youthful lusts.”
I took Mala’s right hand and formed a ‘V sign with her pointer and middle finger, indicating two.
“Second Timothy, second chapter, twenty second verse. Stop seeing that fel...sorry, gentleman and you are on your way to VICTORY. You are not responsible for his life. Quit worrying about him.”
Alas, can oceans of fantasy be dismissed in a jiffy?
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
The calling bell shrieked. A morose Mala was at the door. Her chicken-work salwarkameez gave her a personable look.
She danced around the table, humming a song as I prepared her ginger ale. I recognised the tune:
I am sixteen going on seventeen.
Waiting for life to start;
Somebody kind who touches your mind will
Suddenly touch your heart.
It was not too difficult for me to sense that she was woolgathering while we conversed. So I stopped talking and waited for her to speak. She picked up the newspaper and pretended to read it. She let it drop suddenly on her lap and looked up.
“I came to pray for my exams,” she said, sipping the drink.
“Oh, I see. I was wondering where on earth you were all these days. Now I see why you have suddenly become a lover of prayer.”
“Aunty, pray that I will somehow pass.”
“So you think you can pass by praying.”
“I am unable to study. My marks are going down. My teacher is angry and my parents are furious.”
She finished in one breath.
“Why Mala? Whatever happened to you? Why this sudden turn of events? You are a good student.”
“Aunty.. .er.. .nothing.”
“Nothing? How can nothing affect you? I am interested to know what this something called nothing is. Woolgathering instead of studying?”
“You said it.”
“Who’s this Romeo?”
“I won’t tell you.”
“Fine. Keep it safely to yourself.”
“Aunty, you won’t tell anyone, will you? I came to Christ no aunty? Then I tried to sever this relationship. But he’s stubborn. He says he cannot forget me and threatens to commit suicide if I stop meeting him. My friends know about it. We have exchanged a few letters. How can I go back on my word? What will my friends think of me? The very thought is frightening. And he’s not a bad boy at all. He’s such a nice guy. I am unable to get him out of my mind. I can’t even pray or read the Bible. I just can’t study.”
It was drizzling and the electricity had failed. The flickering flame of the candle threw dancing shadows on Mala’s face as she sobbed with abandon. My heart turned within me, though I could not empathise with her. Why, 0 why didn’t I warn her earlier? I sighed, tired of seeing the necessary evils of life. If I had known a little earlier, I would not have let her get caught in this whirlpool.
“Is he the one with a mousch, your brother’s friend?”
“Mm. He comes home to see my brother. That’s how the whole thing started. He was friendly to me. Then I noticed a tenderness and longing in his eyes. I couldn’t resist it. Everytime I heard the sound of his mobike, my feet ran to open the door. One day when he came I was alone at home. He locked the door and...and...” She swallowed hard.
I held my breath.
“... embraced me...and...”
My heart missed a beat.
“And we heard our car horn.”
I heaved a sigh of relief. My prayers for Mala were not going waste.
She did not so much as lift her head, drawing meaningless figures on the floor with her toe nail.
“How long has this been going on?”
“Six months.”
“What did you write in your letters?”
“Er...nothing.”
“Oh dear, the sky has not fallen down. You are not the first teenager to mistake infatuation for love. After all, it is natural for opposite poles to attract.”
She wiped the sweat off her forehead.
“God created sex and sex instinct is good if used properly. How old are you?”
Her eyelids hesitantly fluttered up. Sixteen.”
“Mala, you are just out of the nest eager to fly into the vast world. You do not know the world as yet. Youthful feelings are very strong. When a young man shows some affection for you, your feelings are aroused. That does not mean you have fallen in love. You may think so. But that’s only puppy love. It is blind passion. True love has four eyes. It sees, observes, waits and tries to find out more before committing itself to a person.
“In any case it is foolish to fall in love at your age. There’s a whole lifetime before you. You are not mature enough to choose your life partner. Wait till you are mature enough for love and marriage. God will send the right person at the right time. Now studies are your priorities. Put an end to this racket. This is an age to know young men, not to fall in love with anyone.”
She blew her nose.
“Don’t flunk in your exams. Forget Babu. Nothing terrible will happen as you fear. You think that fellow will commit suicide?”
“Don’t call him fellow.”
Mala shot back. I was stunned for a minute. Terrible teenagers.
“I’m sorry. I mean that gentleman Babu. Take a bold step. Flee youthful lusts. Remember, while we must resist all other temptations, we must FLEE youthful lusts.”
I took Mala’s right hand and formed a ‘V sign with her pointer and middle finger, indicating two.
“Second Timothy, second chapter, twenty second verse. Stop seeing that fel...sorry, gentleman and you are on your way to VICTORY. You are not responsible for his life. Quit worrying about him.”
Alas, can oceans of fantasy be dismissed in a jiffy?
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org