HERAT

One perfect sunny day,  a Father with his son was walking along the beach. The Father spoke to his son:

 “Dear, one day I will be gone.  But I will never leave you. I am always around, watching your every deed. I only have to fix some things.  You know, some family business. Uh, by the way, you  will meet someone along the walk. On your journey, you have to take care of  her and love her;  treat her like how you treat me....”

With the breeze of the fresh wind , as the rays hug  the blue waves, the son closed his eyes- resounding the last words his Father said. “On your journey, you have to take care of  her and love her; treat her like how  you treat me....”

“But F-ff—faath-ther, when will that day be..... ? “ , the son said. But as soon as he opened his eyes, his Father was already gone....

The son is named  Shunam. A typical boy . A dreamer. He is now in the middle of  Haret Beach alone. Being aloof this time doesn’t bothered him. But what his Father said prior to the scene does. His Father told  him that the beach where he is this time is temporary; Herat  beach is not his permanent home. He was reminded not to be confident about  the place- that though he is just there for a short-term, he should grab the moment to prepare himself for the real world.

“There’s nothing wrong in enjoying life here, son. But note, please be responsible. Please be HUMAN. “

Albeit these thoughts kept on crossing his mind, Shunam still continued walking.

At the instance, he met a very beautiful woman or let’s just say a  perfect lady or a pleasing girl-he could not exactly identify.  She looks so amazing, looks so unstained, blooming to the extent. She’s wearing a green glittering robe with white soft shole. It is attached with the array of cherry blossoms and roses. She has a crown----- designed with the most greatly-shaped leaves you can ever found in the beach.  Her hair seems so shiny , its color is like a golden poinsettia kissed by the sun during summer. She has bangles of copper, rings of silver and her fingernails are polished with gold in his candlelike fingers . Her skin is fairly tan and flawless. She is simply a WONDER. Yes, she really is.

Shunam approached her and asked her name.  And the girl replied  “ I am  Untera ... ( yun-te-ra)” . Shunam suddenly remembered what his father said. And so he thought to himself that this could be the girl that his father was talking about.

Shunam decided to broke the fleeting moments of silence  . He told the lady that he was going to take care of her.. and love her.. and treat her like how he treat his father. He made a promise to the beautiful  lady. But the lady made no sound . So then again  he broke his curiousity.

“Hey.. do I make sense to you..?”

The lady replied. “yeah, sure..”  Shunam stared at her eyes and was stunned by what he saw. The lady’s eyes were blue as the ocean.. Very much alike. Her lips are like tinted by cherries, the fresh one.

Shunam spoke, “Umm, Untera?.. If you don’t mind, umm, uhh.. you look like a mother... eh ? I mean, yeah! You’re so mother-figure ... “

Untera smiled and said “uh-oohh...Dear, yes I am....”

Surprised by what he heared, Shunam felt  overwhelmed. He asked Untera  if he can call him “mother” and she willingly affirmed.  Since then the two had started to build a close relationship. They lived together in the beach, enjoying every moment.

One time, Shunam was carried away by the shimmer of Untera’s golden bracelets in her wrist. He asked if he can borrow one  for awhile. Untera said:

“Dear, you don’t need to borrow if you can have one....”

Shunam was uncertain of what Untera was saying. So with no any second thoughts, he asked..

“w-wwhaa-what do you mean, mother?”

“That means, I’m giving you one of my golden bracelets..”

“wooww!!” Shunam shouted in disbelief. He was so happy staring the whole day the golden bracelet. Untera felt the same.

The next day,  Shunam desired having more than one bracelet. He wants to have another. But this time he preferred the copper braclelet. But he was too shy to ask Untera . Untera on the other hand had an idea of what Shunam wants. From Shunam’s nonverbal cues, she  predicted what the boy wants. Later on, she approached Shunam.

“Dear, you want the copper bracelet right ?”  Untera spoke.Shunam blushed.. “yy-yyesss... umm, uhh... Can I have one too, mother?”

“Of course you can.. Dear,  for the goodness of her child, a mother will always be ready and willing to give anything  that is just...”

He hugged Untura so tight and kissed her with so much joy.

The next few days,  Shunam desired even having more than two. He was so fascinated now with glittering bracelets that he wants so much and have more of it. Last time, he asked Untera to give her  5 golden bracelets. Untera unhessitantly gave him. The following day he asked  10 golden earrings. Untera  grant him with no  delay.And yesterday , Shunam asked 30 golden rings..

 Untera observed that  Shunam was  becoming too obcessed already. So she decided not to do him the favor anymore. When Shunam heard her words, he got so angry.

“ I thought a mother would give anything for the goodness of her child !! You said that to me! Gold is good for me !! So why aren’t you giving me anymore?? I hate you! “ Shunam strongly said.

“Dear..I told you the last time, that   “for the goodness of her child, a mother will always be ready and willing to give anything “   but I think you have forgotten the last phrase.... remember ? What I exactly told you ...... ?”

Shunam paused and started to ponder. “for the goodness of her child...a mother will always be rr-rr-ready and wi-wiii-lling to give anything  THAT IS JUST.... that is just..... that is just.....”

“You’re taking so much gold from me already... I am always giving you a favor..  every minute, every day, every week and now it’s been a whole year. My son, who am I for you ? A Mother or a Benefit ?  You promised  to your dad that you will take care of me.. And do you think you did you part ? One time you picked a young leaf from my crown.. you said you will replace that leaf.. but you never did... is that the way you show your care ?”

“But I said I’ll replace that leaf tomorrow.... !!! Can’t you understand that ???”  Shunam spoke in high  voice.

“ Listen dear... If you took a leaf today, you must replace it today..  There is no such thing as tomorrow for everything which is temporary.. Tomorrow  will never come.. Nor  yesterday never came.. Today comes.. That’s the truth.. If you’ll replace the leaf in my crown tomorrow, I know you will then say that you’ll replace it the next day.. “

Shunam  madly replied “ Alright fine! Then I will replace your leaf today...!!”

The two part ways with cold feelings to each other.

In the sunny morning, Shunam found Untera lying on the sand.. very pale.. very weak.. very critical..

“M-mm-moother! What happened to you ? Mother !!! wha-whaaat can I do ?? “ Shunam said while in panic.

Untera gets weaker and weaker.. She is chasing her breathe.. The leaves on her crown started to get brown... Her eyes started to turn black.. Her skin begins to be yellowish.. Beauty is vacating from her..  She looks so devastated.. She looks so abused.. She looks so.....

In Shunam’s mind ,things had flashed back.. His conscience is speaking ....

“Boy, your mother is suffering.. And you know who to blame?

Who ??

YOU.

Me ? why ?? no! It can’t be me! I took care of her..! I even replaced the leaf I had picked from her crown! I even stopped asking for golden bracelets already ! I’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!! No! It’s not me!! It’s not me!! “

“Shunam..... listen..... “ , his conscience spoke.

“ no!! No!! It’s not my fault! I did nothing wrong! Noooooo!!!! “  Shunam started to cry.

“ Shunam! LISTEN!! PLEASE LISTEN!!”  , his conscience said.

Shunam gradually calmed down...

“ SHUNAM... Hear me.. hear my voice... I want you to hear me... Can you clearly hear me now ? Connect with me.. I’m begging.. please CONNECT with me...”

“yes I’m trying... yes... I .. am.. trying...!  “ Shunam replied.

“ You know what’s the problem of you, Shunam ? YOU DO NOT LISTEN. You are so self-absorbed.  You only want to hear yourself.. You want to be heard.. yet you don’t even want  to hear others... That is not life all about... You know that.. Your mother is suffering.. and it’s because of you.. Because of what you did.. Shunam, reflect.... You did replaced  the leaf in her crown...  But you only replaced one... Shunam, recall... You had picked many leaves from her crown.. because you were awestrucked by its beauty.. But you are taking too much...  You took 1000000 leaves for the whole year, and you only replaced one ?? Is that love ? Is that an effort ?? or is it just a compliment ?? Your Mother is giving you tons and tons of golds.. But you were never satisfied... You are...”

“STOP SAYING THAT!! THAT’S NOT TRUE....!!! “ Shunam shouted with force.

“NO, Shunam... that’s the truth...  YOU ARE SELFISH..You only promised to your Mother that you will take care of her because she has something that you want... You want her gold.. you want the crown of leaves.. you want it. The only thing you  did the least is to stop asking.. But it is not love at all. It is not caring at all.  If you love your Mother, then you should sustain her... because life is a give and take.. You take too much from her.. and now the questions is WHAT  DID YOU GIVE TO HER THAT WOULD SUSTAIN HER LIFE ? Nothing. You gave nothing because you did nothing. All throughout your life you think of yourself.... You forgot th-tha....”

“no!! I forgot nothing..! I still can remember what Father told me! ! That I should take care of her and that this life in the Herat Beach is temporary..... I can still recall that! So I never failed to remember everything! “ , Shunam defended.

“Shunam...  I don’t insist that you forgot your vow.. I know you never forgot it.. But dear,  life is not all about the promises you have made... Life is all about putting into action what you have taken in the oath..-and that’s what you have forgotten. There’s no sense in promises unless you fulfill it through you actions. And yes, you are here temporarily.. But then you disregard something that your Father had told you... Do you remember ?”

“ .... that though I am just here for a short-term, I should grab the moment to prepare myself for the real world... “ Shunam supplied.

“Yes. Shunam, is this how you prepare yourself?  You need to prepare to be a better person. And to note, being a better person means to take care of your Mother with all of your heart, all of your soul without expecting something in return.. But you failed...  Now, do you think with that, you made yourself better ? Have you prepared  well for the real wold? You want an honest answer?....”

“tell me.”

“NO,YOU HAVEN’T.”

Shunam was crying. Crying out loud. He is idealess of what to do with his mother whose life is in danger. Untera is now almost dead.. But she strived to live still.. She loves Shunam so much... Now the leaves in her crown was gone with the wind.. All that can be seen is the skeleton..looking like a  dry branch of a tree.. Her skin is like a rotten plant...  Her eyes are now black as a polluted sea.. She has no more golden bracelets.. all were gone.. The beauty in her was gone.. 

Shunam desperately spoke..

“Mother.... I-i-i—am sorry.... it’s all my fault... it’s all my fault... I am very sorry....” He kept on sobbing..

Untera, lying in Shunam’s legs, trying hard to reply..

“ D-d-ear, I am your Mother.. I love you.. and I always will.. But...  Not like you, I am more s-s-sensitive...  Not.. like... you, I am more defenseless.... Not like you, I should be more c-c-cared... Not like.... you... as possible as can be I shouldn’t  be abused...  Dear, I can give you a-aanything.... You are living be-b-cause of me.. and as what your conscience speaks about, life is give and take.. I can sustain your life if you will sustain me...  Not like you, I am not human....”

Seconds left,  Untera is  now on the fifty-fifty state...

Shunam was crying in the state of being confused..

“Mother....! Mother..... Please hold on.... ! oh pleeeaseee... Mother! I don’t understand... I don’t get it...” Shunam keeps on sobbing...

“ Dear, every part of me, is formed purposely..  If you take some parts of me excessively, it’s like you are killing me softly...” Untera confessed.

“You are saying that you are not like me.. that you are not human... Mother, I don’t get it... please hold on.. please don’t leave me.... I am puzzled with the things...  You are my Mother... yet you are not human! B-b-b-uuuuut... y-yoo-You are my mother! Oh pleeeaase!”

“Yes I am your Mother... “

“But if you are my Mother, why are you not human...?? “

Two seconds left before her life ends..... and Untera said her final words....

“because I am your Mother.............................. NATURE..... “

****silence***

-THE END-

**** AVON’S TRIVIA***

Did you realized the following while reading my short story? :

*From the very start, I capitalized the letter  F of the word “Father”.. Because the character of the Father there, is God himself.

*The name Shunam is just a result of a scrambled letter from the word HUMANS...  because I want the character of “Shunam” to best personify what most of the humans do to the world today..

* Herat Beach- the word Herat is just scrambled from the word EARTH.. that’s why I assert there that Herat Beach is not Shunam’s permanent place.. Because in reality, EARTH is just a temporary residence of HUMANS..

* UNTERA- the word Untera is just scrambled from the word NATURE...  that’s why I describe Untera in the story, as something very physiologically relevant to nature.. If you can remember her phrase , “every part of me, is formed purposely..  If you take some parts of me excessively, it’s like you are killing me softly...” – Untera is analogous to Nature.. If we abuse nature, it’s like we are killing her gradually...

*the crown of leaves- represents the forest.. where Shunam used to pick  1000000 leaves a year and only replace it by one leaf- that’s how I hide the image of deforestation in the story..

*the golden, copper and silver bracelets-  represents the minerals that Shunam excessively asks from Untera.. –that’s how I hide the image of extreme mining that humans are pushing through these days..
*The story is entitled "Herat"- or EARTH. This word carries the heavy symbolism for reasons that the whole setting is in Herat Beach, the EARTH. Another hidden symbolism is, HERAT represents both the humans and the nature. Meaning to say, that the world ( aside from the Supreme Being)  is mainly charactered by HUMANS and the NATURE. 

*I purposely ended the story with a sad part.. Because on my own view, if I’ll make Untera alive, the case will be – in reality, nature can still be active without the effort of humans. That’s not the real point. Nature can fill the life of humans if humans will take care of her.

* Since the last part of the story hurts, I assume that readers( or even all people)  will not let the same thing happen in reality- that nature will die.. and be no more alive. The aim is, you will take the action never to let the similar situation happen in reality and you will make the effort to achieve a happy realizable ending in the real world!