"The Man at the Window"

My moods have been really bad lately, owing to the migraines I get. Work has been crazy too and I was wondering if I should go see Poppy today. I stroll past his house still trying to make up my mind and I see him. There he was - standing with his grand-daughter and feeding the street dogs, biscuits, flashing me the most welcoming smile. It was something I couldn’t resist. Poppy’s stories felt like home to me. I stood with them and fed the dogs too.   As Poppy settled into his chair by the window, I asked him if he had any pets growing up given he seemed to be very fond of animals. “Oh yes” he answered. They had cats, parrots, squirrels, dogs, ducks and chickens. I was very surprised because that was a long and varied list of animals. A faint image of Ol’Mac Donald came to my mind. “Wow”, I replied smiling. Poppy asked his wife to get me a cup of tea; I waited impatiently for a story to start, so I could forget about my nagging headache. Poppy and Mary were happy. Mary’s sto...

It was a beautiful Christmas and New Year for the “lovebirds”. Still reeling from the season of celebrations, Poppy and Mary settled into daily life. They took up a one bedroom house close to Mary’s family. The room had a bed, a chair and a small cupboard. There was a little kitchen attached, big enough for one person to stand and cook. The few gifts they had got would come a long way in setting up their home. Poppy just had a box of clothes, as did Mary. That night as they sat on the bed looking at their wedding pictures, they looked at each other and smiled. This was “their” home. This was their little dream. This was where their journey would begin “together”. Life, bringing with it, all the surprises one could imagine. They held hands as they feel asleep, trusting fully in each other, knowing “together” they could face the world, brave and confident. Soon, Poppy and Mary got busy with work. Mary would come back and cook, while Poppy tutored a few children in the neighborhood...

As I walk into Poppy’s house, I see a little girl sitting on the bed with the cat on her lap. She was enthusiastically petting the cat that seemed eager to get away. I walked past her to my seat near the window. She smiled at me and as if it was waiting for that moment of distraction - the cat hopped off and ran. The girl ran behind it, determined to be affectionate. Just then, Poppy came over with my cup of tea. He sat in his chair and said “That’s my granddaughter”, he said and was literally glowing with joy as he said that. I nodded and smiled. From the corner of my eyes I could see the cat was still being chased around the house. It was July when Poppy had proposed and before he knew it, it was November and he was back in Calcutta. It was a busy time for Poppy as he was giving interviews and planning his wedding. They had decided on a December wedding, adding on to the festivities of Christmas and New Year. In the first week of December, Poppy received a letter. It was from ...