Monday, November 9, 2009

Both Sides Now



I've looked at love from both sides now, from the give and take, but still somehow it's love's illusion i recall. I really don't know love at all.
-Both Sides Now. By Joni Mitchell

Disclaimer: The song has only as much connection with the post as you make. Nevertheless, listen to the song, it's beeyootifool.

The beads of condensed water appeared, grew heavier, and finally rolled down. JD sat and stared, almost absent and content at the same time, at the glass of hazelnut (his favourite) coffee on the table in front of him. Today was a strange day. Nothing in particular happened but on this strange day JD felt strangely happy. It was one of those days when you feel like you could hug everyone you meet, when you pet the stray dog you usually avoid and probably even buy roses at the traffic signal with no recipient in mind.

He even thought that his usually unruly hair looked good today. He turned his head from side to side while looking at his reflection in the glass wall of the cafe he sat in. His gaze then followed the reflection of condensed droplets on the coffee glass. Some movement on the other side of the glass broke his trance. It was a little poor boy peeping into the halogen-lit world inside the expensive cafe. He seemed to be studying JD, for JD looked different from the usual cafe-going bunch. He gave a toothy smile as their eyes met. JD kept looking at him but the boy soon lost interest and turned his attention to the TV perched on the opposite wall. He seemed very excited and happy. His hair was rough and dry, his eyes a pale yellow, his skin leathery and his feet with broken nails stood firm on the pavement that must be hot enough to fry an omelette, observed JD. The world inside was so different. The girls on the opposite table must've spent a bomb on those french manicured nails, the AC kept the place nice and cool even in this hot summer, the TV aired celebrity lives and JD's new shoes boasted of a Michael Jordan sign. The little boy outside looked happy to even get a glimpse of the good life.

Since it was JD's i-am-happy day, he felt a sudden urge to share his happiness with this unfortunate boy. He went outside and offered to take the boy in. The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He had stood here and happily looked inside every day but no one had even spoken to him let alone take him inside. He put his hand into JD's and walked inside, slightly scared and embarrassed but delighted. The AC felt so good and the cushion was so soft! JD ordered sandwiches and ice-cream for him. The boy looked around the cafe as if he had never seen it before and wanted to touch everything; the coffee glass, the table, the cane of the sofa and even the glass wall. He smiled from ear to ear as he lapped up every last crumb of his food.

Half an hour later JD walked home even happier than he was before. He couldn't remember another time when he had made someone so happy. The toothy grin kept flashing in front of his eyes and every time it did so, JD smiled, both inside and outside. He would remember this boy for days.

The boy stood on the hot pavement again, waiting for another JD to take him in. He'd never been so miserable before. The sun hurt his eyes and the pavement his feet. He wished for the feel of the soft cushions. He touched the glass wall, it felt warm and he remembered how cool it had felt from inside. He begged a young girl entering the cafe to take him in and the cafe manager came out and threatened to hit him. He remembered how happy he was this morning and cursed JD for JD had made a beggar of the poor boy.


11 comments:

Sakshama said...

Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels...

Abhishek Agarwal said...

We've spoken about this... Wonder if you remember, (hope you do)...
Well written.

Zinque said...

@Rain: welcome hither

@Abhishek: I do remember. though one thing i hate is for the reader to know the end of the story before he reaches it.

Marvin said...

the analogy, as i interpret it, is exquisite. i quite like it.

Anonymous said...

I don't know anything...

Piper said...

Full marks for the idea. The description at the start, the build-up is also pretty good.

But then it seems that you lost patience towards the end. Because of the ending, it sounds more like a fable than a story.

Also, from whose point-of-view is the story written? It's not neutral as JD's mood is described in every detail. It's not JD's as he doesn't really know what the boy is going through. And it's surely not the boy's.

Zinque said...

@Piper: I do usually lose patience half way through but in this one i think i wanted to keep it the way it is.
as for the point of view: the title says 'both sides now'. every story need not be a narration from one vantage point. shakespeare wouldn't have been able to write at all that way. now, dont argue that he wrote plays. u know what i mean..
thanks for the marks :)

Anonymous said...

wassup?

Anonymous said...

Great build up and written well.
Although I question the 'made a beggar' part.

One's inherent nature is a better predictor of the path that will be chosen vs one stray incident.

This incident could've easily been a motivation factor to climb the social ladder.
*

Zinque said...

@ Anonymous: thanks. and i agree with your point. but it could also be this one stray incident where one event made the boy dissatisfied. there are no rules to such things.

Neeru Sharma said...

I am no writer but just a layman reader. I really appreciate the message. If one really wants to help uplift the poor, it needs much more than your money, they need your love time attention.....Help them become better human beings, everything else will follow....they would become independent.... maybe achievers....