THE GIFT part II

Once out they joined a crowd of apparently crazy people bustling about in a mad rush and after long minutes of walking into the dark they reached two handsome buildings but their destination was neither. What they searched for was the dark gully between them. Only after they entered what they considered safe sanctuary did he plant Doron back to the earth and then said hastily,
“Son, we have come to the final stages of the game everybody else has been caught only the two of us remain. All the people you see out there are searching for us I don’t want us to lose if we stay till tomorrow untouched then we win and the two of us will be gifted dearly for our victory. I only want you to cooperate, you stay here till I come back ill try to go and sort out things with my friends. You dare not step out of this place. Do you follow me?”
“Papa what is the gift?”
“That you will find out soon.”
An abrupt silence fell which Tate took to be a response of conformity from his son, he then tucked the toddler in his cloak and left him all alone to face a cruel world awaiting him beyond this dark corner. Doron while wondering about the gift suddenly recognized the menorah embroidered on his father’s cloak, it was a cloak his mother had gifted Tate on Hanukah.

The only company Doron now had was the queer darkness and his mother’s memories, she was angelic being, her beauty panoramic. The perfect face with all its features at its place and of the correct shape and size, Mame Caesar could be cited as an example of flawless beauty.
Her enigmatic eyes were like stars twinkling over a perfect landscape of rosy cheeks formed under the influence of high cheek bones and terribly soft yet beautifully shaped lips; it all looked like a landscape proud of its beauty and uniqueness. To add a final touch a river of golden tresses flew above all other geographic wonders, one which no bard could possibly describe. This made the tired soul fall asleep.

Soon the darkness of the night faded away and the soundless morning took its place. Now that Doron’s hearing abilities betrayed his capability to hear any human he decided to pack up and to go out in search of his father.

Once again enthusiasm ran in his blood and he set out in search of his father but no sooner had he left that lady luck decided to turn her face away from him and he discovered what he least expected.

To his horror he now found lay before him frozen due to lifelessness the dead rigid body of his father. His overwhelmed body now felt writhing agony torture it, he could see no one to share his misery with so he consoled himself but to no avail. His melancholy grew when the thought came to him that they were perhaps the winner of the game.

They had won but he had lost…….

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After a series of sobs and long minutes spent in prayers and confessions Doron made whatever little and futile effort to pay homage to his departed father and returned to his journey. He now had only one aim, to avenge his father’s death and after he did so he wished to have a peaceful and unlamented journey to his father so that the angels there would welcome him with as much respect his father had claimed for before entering the void.

Amidst the sea of emotion he overlooked the fact that there was a deadly silence that prevailed over the great market square of the Ghetto until a sudden siren followed by a deafening explosion caught him off-guard. On releasing his hands from over his eyes he realised that the southern flank of the fortified city was now rubble and pebble and its cause now advanced on him with rapid speed, it was a tanker and he would never be able to escape it unless he surrendered.

So he stood there, fear and anger surging within him he could no longer maintain his breath and started panting in panic. But unexpectedly the tanker now gave an abrupt pause to its motion and waited patiently for Doron to run away to safety but to its disappointment he didn’t budge at all. After a minute or so, a fair and serious face rose out from the war van that chuckled softly after seeing the size of its contender. The man looked mean but his face softened when he began to speak,
“Boy! What do you do here? This isn’t a place to play about…. What’s your name?”
“Doron”, “Ah! A Yiddish name….the gifted …eh”
“No.”
“Oh don’t bother I’m just a friend we’re the allies and we’re here to free you and your Jewish friends form the tyrant.” Then the conversation came to an abrupt silence and Doron kept a stern and proud temperament. This made the soldier admire him as the two examined each other with cautious eyes.
“You have anyone here?”
“No, everyone has left my family’s dead and I’m the only one left here.”
“Oh I’m sorry I regret their absence.”
And then peace fell in their exchange for sometimes as both hesitated to continue. And then,
“So, what say you want to come with us?”
Doron couldn’t have signified his consent any better, a smile now filled Doron’s face and he ran across to the tanker. The soldier shouted “we have company.” And lent a hand to the youngster and soon they set for their journey. Doron was now free from care there was no danger for him but the tyrant himself, indeed he was with the greatest power in the war the world had ever seen. They rode past many a landscape to be appreciated and then through a field which to his surprise was filled with people dressed like his father, in grey shirts and pants and recognised a few of them too then to his amazement he spotted his mothers face amidst the many which surrounded it. He again felt the same thrill grip him. He could only now see his mother very clearly and knew it was too real to be his imagination so he freed himself from the soldier’s grasp with a hard tug and jumped off the tank.

What would have been a fatal and gruesome demise was now inhibited by a huge pile of grass. The world had never seen a boy so blithe, ignoring the shouts from the soldier he ran across to his mother in an inhuman speed and then shouted to his heart’s content,
“Mutter!”
And she with a number of other women looked at him and then Mame herself started running towards the kid and shouted out in profound happiness “Doron!”
“My little cub I love you.”
“So do I mutter!”
And then an unspoken exchange took place as the woman lifted Doron onto her shoulder and started dancing showing her mad delight.

Tears of happiness rolled down the boys pink cheeks as he learned that day that his gift was his mother…..


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