I am a scarecrow in the middle of the field. I have skinny limbs and
can’t stand without support. I have a twenty four hour job and can see in the
dark too. The wind is my friend. He helps me nod my head and wave my arms. I
can’t do anything with my legs. I need to keep my balance.
I can’t speak but sometimes
A croaking sound comes out of my throat as the wind blows around me.I usually
sport a large turban; three bands of sacred ash are mandatory on my forehead.
Shiva’s third eye in the centre band
wards off the evil everywhere around me. My hair flows long like a Sadhu
from Benares.
My responsibilities are great.
They sit lightly on me though. I can’t help nodding my head; I can’t help
waving my arms. These come naturally to me. I love my job.
I wave and nod to keep the
undesirables away or more correctly keep them at bay. What fire does to the
wolves and the bears I do for the crows and the sparrows and the pigeons … I
scare them away. I like to think that small boys, girls and thieves are in awe
of me.
If I did not wave they
would stop, and then we would not have harvests. The farmer would have no grain
and all would starve.
Babies and kids would
exhaust themselves crying. Cattle would have ribs and dogs would steal poultry.
Calves would have no milk and the cock would be slaughtered.
Only the crows would be
happy and they would invite the vultures too. Then they would have a right
royal feast. Calves, chicken, ribbed dogs and cats, and silent large headed
babies with open eyes as the light dies out slowly.
I am the scarecrow in the
middle of the field. I wave things on. I know my responsibilities and I never
stop.
Sometimes when the wind
helps me I look to the sky and the birds they know that I am watching, the aero
planes think twice about landing here and the clouds too move on.
They must not stop they
must not fall.
I just give them a look and
a nod and they understand.
I sometimes wonder what my
son would do without me…I haven’t seen him for a while now…but I suppose he
would understand.
———•———
Today while I was minding
my business two guys came on a motorcycle. They stopped and looked at me.
I gave them a look and tapped
the rider r gently, “move on” I mouthed, he looked at me intently for a moment.
The second stranger who looked like my son kept scanning the horizon behind me…
The rider spoke to me. “You
look tired old man, don’t you want to rest? But not to worry, soon you will
have a long rest.”
Some people in the field
stopped to watch us. I waved them on. If they stop then we will have a smaller
harvest and then we will starve, then the crows will have a field day and
invite the vultures along.
The man put his hand in my
pocket and took out some nuts and jaggery. I always keep some nuts and some
jaggery.
I like to feed babies and
kids even as I like to scare them a little at first.
“You know you should get
some rest now old man” he says while popping some nuts into his mouth. “Everyone
wants some rest now and then and I‘ll help you get a long rest. Would you like
to rest old man? he asks. I nod my head…I wave my arms I want them to move
on…they don’t seem to understand.
Close your eyes, the man
says to me.
I close my eyes. I feel a
sharp prick on my arm.
———•———
The men carry me on the
bike.
As we move slowly on the
rutted road, I dream my dream. It is always the same dream…
I am supine, and the crows
descend, they are followed by the vultures which hover over them, a couple of
dogs sniff around me keeping the crows at bay. The crows hover over aiming to
devour me once the dogs leave the scene. Babies cry and women scream. Men come
running and stand in a circle around me.
I want to tell them “keep
moving, otherwise all would starve; the dogs will develop ribs and the babies’
big heads” but not a sound escapes me.
———•———
I wanted to open my eyes
but the man had told me to keep them shut. As I open them I feel a sharp pain
on my arm a second time.
And then I dream a
different dream
I am lying on a stretcher
placed in a palanquin. The air is suffused with the warmth of the sun and there
are no clouds. The palanquin moves slowly and gracefully, and my nostrils catch
the smell of jasmine, marigold and rose. Somewhere a bell rings and a priest
intones the names of God.
I wave at the few people who
are travelling with me. They have come to watch me, and they seem relieved that
all is well.
After the dream is over I
open my eyes.
———•———
The motor cycle man is next
to me and looks at me quizzically. Are you at peace now he seems to be asking?
A stranger who looks like
my son is speaking to him.” How is he ” he asks, the motorcycle man pinches
me…I feel a slight pain and then nothing.
I want to tell the stranger
who looks like my son that all is well
but no words come out…I look to the sky and find it devoid of clouds, there are
no crows…
I try to get up but find I
cannot move, really I do not feel like moving at all.
The motor cycle man pinches
me once again and although I feel a little pain, I say nothing “old man, rest in peace he says” and moves
away.
———•———
It is late afternoon now.
I am the scarecrow in the
middle of the field. I have my job to do.
A few clouds move slowly
into my line of vision and I try to wave them. I find I cannot move so I try to
blow them away.
They look different now;
come to think of it this is a different field. Somewhere close by I hear the
sound of a train engine …. It seems to be coming closer. Can’t really do
anything about it but I must blow and nod it away.
If I do not wave, the
engine would stop and the people would stop by, and then we would not have
harvests. The farmer would have no grain and all would starve….
As the growl of the train
engine grows louder I see the motorcycle man and the stranger who looks like my
son come near me….They look at me and the motorcycle man pinches me again.
The two of them shake
hands. The stranger who looks like my son seems pleased. I will arrange for the
property papers next week. We need to close this deal quickly.
As they move away I keep
blowing away, I have my job to do.
