July 28, 2007

Today we will read about a chick’s life. This tale is narrated by the chick: “Hello. Hi! Over Here! Down Here! Down here! Yes! Here I am! Hello again. My name is Toto. I am a chick, and I live on a farm, (but you probably knew that!), with my three brothers and four sisters (we are eight altogether). But despite my large family I feel alone and left out. The story I am about to tell you is from my life experiences, and it is very sad indeed.

As I mentioned before, I live on a farm, with dozens of other hens and their chicks. But in spite of our large number, I am alone and friendless. I am not to be blamed because of my friendlessness. This is because of a matter which is out of my control. As you know (or not) we are hatched out of eggs. Over here the custom is that all chicks are to be hatched at the same time. It may be silly but we have no authority to change it. Even if we tried Bucky (that is what we call the farmer) wouldn’t understand us.

Anyway I’ve heard that in the past few years all chicks have been hatched in the same week or so. But I could not follow this system and I hatched a month later, and the other chicks knew me as the strange, deformed and abnormal chick. My mother and siblings instead of comforting me in my hour of need gave me a cold shoulder.

My mother blamed me because she thought it was my fault that she had to sit in the stifling heat, cooped up until I hatched. And my siblings acted the same way because they saw my mother doing it.

Everyday I got scolded and criticised for every little thing I did. I mean it wasn’t my fault that I had hatched later than the others. How could I be in control of something which happened before I was hatched? But no one understood me.

And Bucky, our farmer, he too instead of supporting me shouted at me whenever he saw me, that it was because of me that one of his “top hens” had gone down in production, and would always kick me before I leave.

Tired of my miserable life at the farm, I would spend hours in a nearby field. I would position myself on a rock, and weep away all my worries.

Then one day, something happened! The light of Heaven shone upon me, and gave me the answer to all my prayers. As usual I was seated on the rock, and was about to begin my weeping routine, but I was more depressed than I usually am, and did not notice that I had caught the attention of a kindly looking gentlemen.

“Hello there! Are you alone too? Well, so am I. Perhaps we can find comfort in each other’s company. Eh?” he asked. The gentleman spoke so kindly that I could not resist, and besides this was the first offer of friendship I had had since I had hatched.

“Why are you so alone anyways little chick?” He asked. I turned my head towards the farmyard and shook my head.

“Oh! So your own kind doesn’t like your presence either, yeh?” He asked again. I nodded my head with approval.

“Well that settles it. I’m not wanted where I belong, and you’re not wanted where you belong. So let’s be friends. Eh?” He asked. I nodded once more with approval…

And from that day onwards we have been good friends. I did not know why we had become such good friends. All I knew was that he was the first and only person who understood me. He named me “Marvin” and I called him “Darwin”.

Then one day, as I was waiting for Darwin, I noticed something unusually strange. The field from which Darwin would usually immerse was filled with men and women dressed in black. I did not know what came over me, but I had a sudden urge to know more about what was going on. As I proceeded towards the location, I heard some people muttering:

“I don’t see why we should give him a decent burial. After all he cared about was himself!”

“I completely agree,” said another. “Funeral?” Since that word was new to me, I was even more confused. As I advanced to the centre of the commotion, I noticed that people were shooting looks of disgust towards what looked like the body of a person. As I continued further I discovered that… that… it was the body of my… my…. my beloved Darwin!

The whole world shook before me. Several questions formed in my head. Why wasn’t he moving? What was wrong with him? No one noticed me because they were busy with their own affairs. Several questions arose in my mind. Why? Why did God take away the only person who liked me?

I remembered from one of our talks that he had told me that life goes on, the challenges we meet, we must face them boldly, and that one has to go one day or the other.

Well that is the end of my story. I’m sorry it had to be such a sad one. But yet not all tales are happy. Sad stories bring us back to reality. Everyone has to lose someone they love. This story is a way of preparing one for that day. Good Bye! Till we meet again!”

This was the story of poor Toto, I hope you realise that this also happens to others, but we must never give up hope and pray for a better life.