Ben, an 8 years old boy, wakes from deep slumber on his birthday and couldn’t find his mother in the house. He starts thinking that he has lost her. But something magical happens and that makes it his best birthday ever.
Recommended age: 10+ years
“Ma, can I get binoculars this time for my birthday?”, Ben asked his mother. She was busy sewing a new shirt for him. He was going to turn 8 years old tomorrow and that shirt was going to be his birthday present.
“Not this time, Ben. Next year. I promise!”, she said.
“Ok, ma. Can I go out and play, ma, please?”, asked Ben.
“Ben, you will not go anywhere! Do you hear me? It’s getting dark and it will start raining soon. I don’t want you to get wet and fall ill. Now, come inside like a good boy”, she said sternly. Ben walked inside with disappointment. Soon it started to rain and it didn’t stop all night. The night was windy and stormy.
“Ma, I am feeling scared because of thunder. Can I sleep with you tonight?”, asks Ben. His mother finished the chores and both of them went off to sleep.
Suddenly, Ben wakes up and sees that the door of the room was wide open. He looked at the clock. The time was 4.30 am. Rain and thunder had stopped. Then he saw that his mother is neither next to him nor in the room. Confused, he thought that probably his mother has gone out to get water. But, at this hour? He didn’t really understand. He tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. By then, it was already dawn. Ben came out of the bed and started calling out for his mother while walking out of the room.
“Ma!…Ma!…Are you here?” His voice echoed in the house but there was no reply. Ben went everywhere in the house but his mother was nowhere to be found. Ben got scared and worried about his mother. He ran towards the main door to look for her outside and as he opened it, he saw a box lying on the doorstep.
It was a white box wrapped with a green ribbon and there was a card kept on top of it. He remembered that his mother always told him to stay away from suspicious things. He didn’t know what to do. Whom should he ask? He daringly picked up the box and started opening it. He kept the card aside and loosened the ribbon.
Ben opened the box and saw a pair of binoculars inside. The binoculars were black in colour and big enough to fit in his palms. Then he picked the card and opened it. The card read:
“Though it’s the same world, we all see it through different eyes. This pair of eyes is for a young boy who will never find himself alone looking through them.”
Ben wanted to keep these binoculars as he wanted them as his birthday gift. However, his mother denied saying that he is too young for them. He looked to his left, then to his right but he couldn’t find anyone around.
“Who kept the box here?”, he mumbled.
He took out the binoculars from the box and looked at them closely. First, he looked from the side from where the closer objects appear far. He looked at the tree nearby and it appeared so far. Ben got very excited and almost forgot about his mother. Then he turned to the side from which distant objects appear close. As he looked through, he saw his mother standing!
Ben got startled. He kept the binoculars aside and looked around but couldn’t see his mother. He picked them up and looked once again. And there she was! Now Ben was very scared. So scared that tears started rolling down his eyes. “Ma, I promise I will be a good boy and listen to everything you say. Please come back!!”, Ben said and started sobbing.
He sat on the doorstep for some more time thinking about his mother. The sun was about to rise and his mother hasn’t returned home. He was missing his mother. He wanted to be with her.
“Why is it that when I look through the binoculars I can see Ma, but not without them?”, Ben thought.
He looked again through the binoculars and saw his mother clearly. She was standing under a tree, wearing a yellow dress with pink flowers on it. Her hair were open and flowing with the soft wind. As Ben zoomed in closer, he heard her mother saying, “Hi Ben! Don’t be scared of me. I am your mother. I may not be there with you physically, but I am always going to be there with you whenever you’ll look through these binoculars.”
Upon hearing this, the binoculars almost fell from Ben’s hands. He understood that his mother will not return. How will he live alone? What will he do without her? How will he live without her? Why did she go? Where did she go? These questions began running through his mind.
He wanted to talk to her. He picked the binoculars and looked through. His mother was glowing in the rays of the rising sun. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were full of same love that he always saw. She seemed like an angel.
“Ben, what I am going to tell you today you must never forget. There are many things I would like you to know and learn. I want to see you happy and successful in your life. Never be scared of sharing your emotions, thoughts and opinions. Whatever challenges and struggles life will throw at you, face them without fear as these will only make you stronger and smarter. Don’t think of yourself any lesser and compare yourself with others. Everyone has his own path and speed. What’s meant to be, will be.”
“It’s alright to make mistakes. We are humans, afterall. Don’t stop from taking risks from the fear of failing. Work hard and always stay focused on your goal. Patience always pays. You must never stop learning and don’t let the curiousity within you die. Always be grateful and kind to others. I love you, Ben. I will be there for you and with you always!”, she continued.
Ben was looking at his mother without blinking his eyes and hearing each and every word intently. Tears kept rolling down from his eyes. He wanted to touch her and feel her once.
“Ben!…Ben!! Are you listening? Ben!…C’mon, get up! Wake up birthday boy!!!” Ben opened his eyes softly and he saw a hazy figure bending down on him. He felt a kiss on his forehead. Ben jumped out of his bed and hugged his mother tightly. So tightly that he didn’t want to let go of her.
“It was a dream! It was a dream!! Yes!…It was a dream!!! You’re here, Ma. I love you so much. Never leave me.” Ben couldn’t control his happiness upon realizing that all that he saw was a dream. But, what his Ma told him in the dream, he will never forget. His mother pointed at a box kept on the table. That box was white in colour and wrapped with a green ribbon. He opened the box and smiled. That box had the same pair of binoculars he saw in his dream.
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