Raman
Jalota's Stories
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The Green Monkey
Hello. My name is Bobby and I am four years old. I live
here and I am standing in the balcony of this big, old and ugly
building because the nurse lady, Jennifer, the one that likes me, told
me that someone's going to come and meet with me today. It's a
man and she whispered something to Christina that sounded like
'father'. Well I don't know about that but I will see who comes
and what happens.By Raman Jalota I have been living here all my life; at least that's what Jennifer told me. She gave me a picture of a beautiful lady with red hair and dark eyes and said that was my mother. Her name was Samantha. I don't remember anything about that. Well, I remember having a mother who loved me but don't know what happened and where she went. This is an old building. It's gray and ugly and is full of kids. All the kids are very small, some of them can't walk or talk or do much of anything. That's why there are many nurses here. They take care of all the kids. I am the oldest kid here, now. I don't know why but all the kids my age kept finding their fathers and mothers and I didn't. Now, I am the oldest kid here, but Jennifer likes me and she plays with me and tells me stories and holds me when I cry. Well I don't know about why I cry but she holds me and makes the hurt go away. I stand in this balcony many times and watch the trucks and cars go running in the streets. Sometimes I can hear a train whistling and chugging but I can't see the train because of all the homes and buildings around here. One day I will go to the train station and see the trains. Jennifer has promised me she will take me. I don't know why I like this balcony and standing here, but I stand here a lot and watch people and cars and clouds and rain and snow. I like snow. It's so clean and soft and it makes me feel good. I don't know why it makes me feel good but sometimes Jennifer takes me for a walk when it snows and she lets me feel the snow fall on my face. Oh wait. There's a black car pulling into this building. There's a man in a long brown coat that's coming out of the car and he is going in through the door. I don't know why, but I feel like going to my own little room now.
..
I can
hear Jennifer and a man in the hall. They come to my room and
Jennifer says in her usual fun way, "Are you in there,
Bobby? Can we come in and see you?"I am watching the door as Jennifer and a man in a blue shirt, gray pants and a long brown coat; walk in. She comes to me and puts her arms around me. "Bobby, this is Mr. Paul Smith." The man held out his hand to me and I held it in my hand. I think he wanted to shake my hand and was not comfortable with me just holding it, like little kids always do, so I let go of it. "Hello Bobby, I am Paul." I nodded my head. He looked at me and my room and turned to Jennifer. "He is in this room by himself?" "Well yes, now at this point. We try to keep the older children separate from the tiny ones and the rest of the children are younger than Bobby." Paul looked at Jennifer and nodded in understanding. I think he didn't want to say that he knew I was the oldest and the rest of the kids that used to be with me had found fathers and mothers. "Bobby would you like to go for a walk with Mr. Smith? He wants to walk you to the store and talk to you." I said OK. I don't think Paul had been with little kids. He was not comfortable walking with me. I put up my hand and held his hand, but he wasn't ready for it, so I let go of it. We walked out of the building and into the street. There were a few cars on the street and a few people walking around. He pointed to the right and said let's go this way. I nodded my head. He walked me to the drug store on the corner and we went in. He bought me an Root beer float and bought himself a coffee. We sat on the counter and he asked me if I wanted something to eat. "Can I have a candy bar, Mr. Paul?" I pointed to some Kit-Kats and the store manager gave me one. I opened the wrapper and started eating it with my Root beer float. He sat in silence for a while. He was worried about something or was thinking very hard. He smoked a few cigarettes while sitting there. "Bobby, do you remember when you came here?" "Today?" "No, when you first came here, to this town, this place." "No. Jennifer says it was two years ago but I don't remember." "Do you remember who brought you?" I shook my head. "Do you remember your mother?" "Jennifer tells me she is pretty with red hair and her name is Samantha. I have a picture in my room." He shook his head slowly, "Do you remember her?" I looked at him not understanding what he was asking me. I had just told him about her. "Do you remember your mother at all." It made me sad and I said that I remember her loving me and being nice but I don't remember too much. I tried to hold my tears but some of them came out. Paul tried to use a napkin to wipe them; I took the napkin from him and wiped my eyes. He puffed at his cigarette some more, "Did Sam say anything about me to you?" "Who is Sam?" He got up slowly. He seemed tired. We left the store and slowly walked back.
..
It was
the next evening that Jennifer told me Paul was going to take me for a
ride in his car. He came in the evening. It was cold but
not snowing. Paul brought me some candy and two toy cars. I
put them in my room. Jennifer said I must say thank you. So
I said thank you.He has a nice black car. I like the car and I ask him if it's his car. He tells me no, it's rented. "Do you have a car where you live?" "Yes I have a Saab." "Is that as nice as this one." "Almost, it's a little older than this, but nice." "That's good." I nodded my head. We drove through the town and then he stopped at a movie theater. "Do you want to see a movie?" "Yes." "Have you seen a movie before?" I said no. He bought me some popcorn and we sat in a dark room watching lions and giraffes and hearing lots of noise. I ate the popcorn and went to sleep. Driving back, he asked me if I liked the movie. I nodded my head but I think I didn't like the movie. He smoked more cigarettes and started talking. "Bobby there was a war five years ago and I had to leave Samantha. I went to fight and she wrote to me. She told me a little bit about you and then I didn't hear from her anymore. She had lost her job and was having a hard time taking care of you and herself. All I know is she moved out of town and tried to find a job. She had very bad luck and didn't make it." He looked at me and said, "Do you understand." I said, "what's war?" "Sometimes the president tells the people to go to war and then people have to go and die. I work in the army. So it's my job to go and fight and die." "Why do you have to fight?" "Because we have a war?" "Why do we need a war?"
..
I heard
Jennifer talking and then I heard Paul's voice. I didn't go into
that room but stayed outside the door."I don't know if he is her my son." "The papers we have give his date of birth and the name - Robert Smith." They are talking about me. That's my name - Robert Smith. I don't know why, but I like Bobby. "Robert. That's such a common name. And then Smith. It doesn't help." "The bombings of the cities destroyed all records and lives. The war is over, perhaps you can help save a life now." "Yes but I just don't know. I thought seeing him would tell me if there is a little bit of Samantha in him. Some connection some tiny gesture something. That would have been enough. But I don't feel anything. I can't see anything to remind me of Sam." "It's up to you what you decide. He is loved here, so I would hope you do the same if you take him. He is a little quiet and shy but " Someone was coming down the hall, so I moved quickly to the balcony and stood looking at the street below. I dont know this Paul. He's not bad but he is not as nice as Jennifer. I would like to stay with Jennifer, but I think I am not going to be able to stay here for too long. I think I am getting too old to stay here with Jennifer. I am sad and I stare at the street and cry. Jennifer comes to me and puts her arms around me. I put my arms around her and hold her. "Look it's snowing. Do you want to go walk in the snow?" I nod my head. "Come on Bobby. Just you and me. We will go to the park and watch the ducks and dogs." We go for a walk in the snow. She holds my hand in hers and even though we are wearing gloves, it makes me feel good. Then we see the ducks. I run to the pond and look at them. The pond is half-frozen and covered with beautiful white snow. The ducks are swimming in it and are walking on the ice. There are two dogs barking at them but the ducks are not paying any attention. An old man with a cane is tearing pieces of bread and throwing them at the ducks. He gives me a piece of bread and I tear it in little pieces and throw it in the water. The ducks go swimming to where it lands. Jennifer took my hand again as we started to walk back. "Bobby, Paul will be coming back tomorrow and will take you for lunch." I said OK. She walked for a while then she said, "He is leaving the day after tomorrow. But he wants to see you one more time tomorrow. OK?" "Yes." "Do you like Paul?" "He is OK." "He can't decide if he wants to take you with him or not." "I want to stay here with you." Jennifer knelt on the snow and kissed me on the cheek, "I love you Bobby. I hope we do what is best for you." I don't know why but I don't want to leave here but I also don't want to stay here. I half-cry half-sob all the way back.
..
The sun was shining when Paul came back. I went with him in the car. He started to drive and asked me where I want to go eat. "I don't know. I have not gone out to eat." "What would you like to eat?" "Ice cream?" "For lunch." "Yes or after lunch." He smiled and kept driving. He drove to the middle of the town and stopped at a place to eat. He ordered a sandwich for himself and one for me. I also got a lemonade. We ate quietly. After that he got me an ice cream. I tried to eat it all but it was too much. I was full. "Would you like to go to the beach?" I nodded. He drove to the beach. It was cold and quiet but still very nice. The sea looked calm, there were small waves coming to the beach and going back. I looked for seashells but didn't find any big ones. We walked back to the car and Paul stopped. He looked at me for a moment then pointed at the shops around the beach. "Let's go to these shops. I will buy you something. Something for you to remember my visit." "OK." We walked around the stalls that were selling food and gifts and then we stopped by a little stall that had toys on the counter and hanging by the door were stuffed bears. Paul asked me what I liked. I shook my head and kept looking. There was a green monkey on the top shelf in the corner. I looked at it and said, "Grinky." Paul was at the other end but he walked quickly to me. "What was that?" I pointed to the green monkey and said, "I want that one. That's Grinky." Paul knelt down by me and put one arm around me. I think he was crying. "Wh .. why do you call it Grinky?" "That's his name Grinky." Paul put his arms around me and hugged me. "Did Sam tell you his name was Grinky?" I don't know who this Sam is but now I remember my mom had given me a green monkey and she had told me his name was Grinky. The End
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Copyright © 2004 Raman Jalota. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author. |
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