The Closeness

There are houses to visit. There are sweet boxes in hand. But there is no permission…!

He was thinking…

Those sweet boxes have stories to tell. Stories of years he spent without even looking at the people around him. What was lost wasn’t just years. It was also his beloved one with whom he lived for a few years. Days were spent only chasing money. Years spent believing that savings were everything. Nothing can be reclaimed…!

The body feels a little weary. It is racing towards old age. The only comfort now is when he goes to see his loved ones and their children with these sweet boxes.  It’s a joy to see the children running to him for the sweet boxes. But time has robbed him of even that. The order is not to step out of the house except for essential needs. He hadn’t thought it would last this long.

Is he becoming alone? As he glanced around that big house, he felt a slight fear. Loneliness had truly gripped him. He couldn’t bear to hold that gaze for long. He stepped down to the veranda. A strange sense of emptiness.

Suddenly, the mobile in his hand rang…

“Hi… Hello…”

“Hello, Grandpa. When are you coming? You must come once the corona is gone, okay? We’re longing to see you, Grandpa.”

That little voice shattered his emptiness. Beneath his teary eyes, a smile broke out. Was that smile because he remembered the little ones waiting for the sweets? Or was it the joy of realizing that it wasn’t the sweet boxes they wanted, but him? Or perhaps the realization that he didn’t need sweet boxes to get close to them?

Those around us are the ones setting standards for closeness. To the distant hearts, God is saying that goodness begins with closeness. Haven’t you seen how beavers build dams? To live in water during the summer and store it for later? Similarly, we must preserve our relationships. For all times. For any time when we need solace. The sweet boxes are just a decoration there…!