Sunshine on my Shoulders

“Sunshine on my Shoulders” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Shreya Rajak, Dav Public School, India.

Sunshine on my Shoulders

‘Bang!’ I opened the door and shut it with all my might. I locked it. Then rushing towards the bed, I switched on the red button near my door.

A 3D screen showed me that I was sad. Tears ran down my cheeks. The bed modified itself and two hands emerged out from the side and brought up a cushion by my side and a pillow under my head.

Life was not good for me that time. I had been working at the research centre for the last 5 years. But everything was in vain. Nothing I have gained these years. I was forced to give resignation. As a result I had no job.

I am idle…just idle knowing nothing.

Wherever I went, I was thrown out due to lack of ideas. I think my ideas weren’t less creative rather the world was much ahead of me. Everything needed more and more complexity. I was fed up with this robotic and mechanical life.

Now, lying on the bed I looked up towards the ceiling. I suddenly sat up and decided to go back in ‘time’. Go back to my childhood.

Recapulating memory was common to me but I never had much time to go back to my little age when I was just a toddler.

“Momma! I’m using the Time Machine.”, I said after an hour and ran to my storehouse in the kitchen garden.

“Wait!” mom yelled, “Have you switched off the auto gas? And take your mask with some O2 caps. Also wear your glasses and ….” she continued.

Ignoring her I ran to the time machine and sat on it. Then I turned towards the dial to set the time on the timeline.

I was going to the year 2008 when I was just 4-5 years old. I questioned

‘How was I that time?’ I wanted to see.

It took 30 minutes for me to reach the set up timeline. I entered the same storeroom but it was quite different.

Did you know? This was more wonderful than what we have now. My eyes went through the old drawings and glorious craft of my father that were hanged in the room.

I got down the machine and switched on the invisible button. I opened the door and peeked through it and came out of the room as no one was there outside. Nobody could see me in this world as I was a future world traveler but my activities could make changes in the present scenario. So, I need to be aware. Now, as I came out, I wanted to meet myself. I silently tiptoed to the house without making further noise. I went into the house through the backdoor and found myself. I looked sweet in my father’s lap. I started giggling by looking at the funny scene of my father sleeping holding me in his lap.

I was sleeping too. I entered the room silently.

Suddenly mommy shouted standing at my back, ”Hey! Why are you asleep? I just told you to make the baby sleep. Didn’t you take a look at her? ”

I jumped off as it was loud to scare me off. My father just got a shock and woke up.

“Oh! I just closed my eyes.” Dad replied. Mom went out nodding her head. I went and sat beside the garden door of the room.

My daddy took the little me and shook me gently.

“Don’t you want to play with me dear?” asked dad.

The girl gently opened her eyes, yawning and stretching herself and hugging her father tight.

She sat up and looked at daddy.

“Wait! Wait!” said the girl and stood up in her shaking legs. She went slowly tumbling and jumping to the nearby wall and opened up a box and took out some of her clays. It looked as if a mess but still it contained some odd figures. If looked imaginatively then it showed two people.

She pointed to the clay and mumbled,

“Daddy… and… meee... hehe…”

It sound sweet and the art was awesome for a 5 year old little one.

“Wow! Awesome ….it’s lovely…” Daddy hugged me and kissed me.

He took up a book from his bookshelf and opened it. He kept the book in front of the little girl and asked, “Could you read it?”

“Na…” replied the girl nodding her head.

“If I say yes” Daddy asked. And the girl opened the book. She ran her fingers throughout the letters and pronounced, “Tee…aich…eee…aargh…eee…”

“There…” papa replied. The girl clapped her hand and read further.

“Dub…lu…aee…ess…”she paused a moment and replied suddenly.

“Waas…”

Suddenly claps were heard from the side of the door. It was my mom. My dad hugged me. He was like my superhero. For the first time I started reading. If my dad wouldn’t have asked me to read, I would have never tried.

The girl read further and further.

I wanted to meet my papa. He was my idol. I flashed back my memory and remembered that by the age of 10-13, I was a good reader and this whole treasure was opened to me by a magical key which was my father. For my every fails he said that failure wasn’t an option, it was a privilege for those who try and for my every success he encouraged me and always said me to look at the world through my own eyes and make it how I want it to be.

Till today I remembered him. He was at back of my every success. I really missed him since he left me and my mom alone in this crowded world.

I understood why I lacked behind and why I couldn’t get any job. This happened because I never worked through my own will. My journey to my past was my turning point. It is easy to think when the things are much simpler. In this advanced robotic world, I failed to use my imagination.

Things are better when found simpler.