An Ode to the Aged

An Ode to the Aged

Achuthan Nair was getting old. After a long stint in Govt. service, and his wife passed away, was staying with his only son, Mukundan Unni.
Unni and Devika, his wife have moved to a new Flat in Kochi, where both are techies. They have a son, Madhav, studying in college.
Achuthan Nair is frail and not so healthy due to age-related issues. When he walks, he has to hold on to the wall...
As a result, wherever he touched, the walls became discolored, shabby and covered with his fingerprints. 

Devika figured this out...would often complain about walls getting dirty, to her husband, though he pretended to have not heard at all.

One day Nair had a severe headache. When it became uncomfortable, he massaged himself with some Ayurvedic oil he had stored earlier in the cupboard on his head. And as he touched the oily hand, oil stains appeared on the walls while moving to the ante-room too. 

Devika could not control her anger and screamed at Mukund to tell his father not to touch the walls while walking. Then, out of anger or frustration suddenly, he shouted and abused his father. Achuthan Nair looked at him in pain and didn't utter a word.
When he became normal, Mukundan  Unni was ashamed of his behavior since his father said nothing and was silent. 
While walking outside one day, his father held onto the wall and screamed with pain in the joints. Soon on another day while walking holding the wall he lost control and fell.  He soon passed away after lying in bed, silently for a few more days with no complaints. 

 Mukundan often felt guilty and remorse. He could never forget his father's expressions. Soon his passing caused him more pain. 
After some time, they wanted to paint the house. When the painters came, Anand, his son, who loved his grandfather more, refused to allow the painters to clean up his father's fingerprints and erase those parts in the room. 
The painters were accommodative,very nice and had an idea. They created a unique design by drawing a beautiful circle around those marks while keeping the fingerprints of the Patriarch Achuthan Nair.
 
Later, that painting on the wall with their father's handprint became the highlight of the home.  Every person who visited their home appreciated the unique design. 

Much water has flown through Periyar and Mukundan Unni also has become old.  Now he needs the support of the wall to walk.  One day while walking, he suddenly remembered those harsh words made to his father.  Immediately, he tried to walk without holding on to the wall. 
His son, Anand was watching this and he immediately came and told him to hold on to the walls while walking.. He looked into his eyes and stood for a moment, silent.. He looked down so that his son wouldn't see the tears swelling in his eyes...!
He walked without the support of the wall and looked, when he was worried that he might fall, he felt his son's hand holding on tightly.
His granddaughter, Aparna who was witnessing all this, immediately came forward and put his hand on her shoulders, and lovingly asked him to walk... Mukundan started crying almost silently inside.  
He felt that if he had done this for his father, he would have lived with them for a longer time... 
Granddaughter took him inside and sat him on the sofa. Then took her drawing book to show him. He saw in it that the teacher appreciated her drawing and gave great comments. 
The sketch she drew in the book was his father's handprint on the walls of their house.  Her caption for it reads….
"Let all children love their elders alike..."   

Mukundan  back in his room could not control himself and asked forgiveness from his late father. 

( We also grow old with time. Let us take care of our elders and teach our children the same ..!! )

🙏🏼

Note: The seed for this story is from WhatsApp Group and the author is not known.