Seeking Heaven(contd)

“Haha. I was just joking. It is not very scary afterall.”

She came close and sat on the stool by my bed and looked at me eagerly. Gosh ! such innocence ! I have to invent a story. Invent ? Ummm. Let me tell bits and pieces from paradise lost.
I kept the pad and pen on the table, slid down so that I could rest my head on the pillow well. Pulled the other pillow below this one so that even as I lay there, I could see her face.

“Do you know who satan is ?”

“Yes. He is the devil who kills people if they go out in the night, no ?”

“yes. Yes . you know at lot. He was actually an angel – the most beautiful and important. He was called Lucifer, the light bearer.”

“oh ! why did he become a devil? Did he turn into demon with 3 heads and 6 hands?”

“No no no. That demon was Lucifer’s servant. He became like that when he was getting fried in Hell’s fire.”

“fire ? why did he fall into the fire?”

“Melle, melle. I’ll tell you. What happened was , one day, God announced that he had made his son as the king of everything. Lucifer didn’t like this when he heard it. He said God decides what ever he wants and does things without even telling them anything and that He always wants to be praised and does not like opposition. Lucifer convinces a few other angles to fight against God. Then immediately a war starts – Lucifer and his angels on one side and God’s angels on other side. Angels fight hard for one full day and manage to drive out Lucifer and army. But in the night Lucifer plans hard, makes new weapons and strategy and in the next day’s battle beat the heaven’s angels. Now the angels rush back to God for help.”

“Mole, uncle ine shalyappeduthathe. Uncle inu sukhamillannariyathilliyo ?”
(“dear, don’t disturb uncle. Don’t you know that he is not keeping well?”)

Leena was here. Kumaran was with her. Kumaran , the doctor , the pride of our village. When he had returned from England after his studies, everyone was there to greet him. In some meeting that he was asked to speak about his achievements, he had apparently told that I was the reason for him being what he was. Well ! I felt happy to hear that. 15 years never seemed a separation. I was his friend , mentor , financier ..well ! I had even started him off on smoking and drinking. He never coughed. Even on his first smoke. It was curious, the way he smoked I mean. He never took the smoke inside. A puff inside the mouth and he used to blow it out. I kept telling him to take it to his chest and feel the heat in the lungs. He never listened. Here he is, my doctor.

I tried to sit up. It was a strain. The whole body was aching. The pain in the stomach was getting worse but I tried to not think about it.

“Stephen saare enikkanda. Kidannolu.”
(“Stephen sir, don’t get up. Lie down.”)

“enthado Kumara, njaan eppo vadiyaakum ?”
(what’s up Kumar, When am I going to die?)

“saaru veshmikkathe. Pandathe poleyounnumalla. Ippol canceru vannalonnum valiya kaaryamalla. Njan Chemoyude kaaryam chodikkan vannadanu”
(“don’t worry sir. It is not like early days. Cancer is not a big issue nowadays. It can be cured. I came to ask you about Chemo.”)