Bits of life

A-15 Words-1200

up this bad habit. Some of the states impose ban on alcohol drinking and wine consuming. Many wine shops too closed due to the police raids and arrests of the owners of such illegal shops. This products might be suggested to extremely cold countries and regions to keep the body temperature normal. Otherwise unless recommended for medical purposes, there is no reason why civilized individuals should indulge in drinking these beverages. If drinking is banned and effectively curbed, community health will improve and everyone can stay peaceful and healthy. This will be especially true of women who suffer abuse at the hands of their drunken spouses. I observed many men irrespective of their work and background head straight to the pub to have a peg. That one peg leads to several and by the time they return to their places dinner would have cooled and paled. A drunken man is an angry man. Alcohol goes straight to their heads and stays there till its effect gets diluted. In the meanwhile this person takes out his frustration and rage on the poor children or the harried wife. I remember the story I heard from one of my police buddies. This man who came from the pub started taking it out on little girl of five. He started beating her blue and black. One of the neighbors couldn’t stomach the violence on a voiceless girl and rang the police. By the time my police buddy arrived on the scene it was too late and the little frail thing left this world. Paul couldn’t come out of this trauma for a long time.

If the government introduces prohibition and implements it effectively then there the menace of domestic violence might be ridden of.

Lost in the web of my thoughts touching on several issues I hadn’t taken note that we entered the outskirts of Elizabeth city and grandfather’s estate was five minutes away. I became alert and noted that Elvira was lost in the pages of a book she carried and aunt Sarah dozed again.

“Elvira and aunt Sarah, come on folks, we are here at uncle John’s house,” I told them.
“Oh, are we there already?” asked aunt Sarah.
“How fast you drove Jim! I hadn’t noticed the passage of two hours. Thank you for a wonderful and comfortable ride,” said Elvira politely.
“Oh, you are welcome. I am sorry I was not the perfect escort to you ladies. Give me a chance and there I am traveling through the lanes of life in imagination. That’s the reason why uncle John calls me an incurable romantic and a dreamer with eyes open,” I confessed to them.
“Oh, come on Jim, you are OK,” said aunt Sarah affectionately.
“It is a wonderful occupation Jim. Very few can engage themselves with their thoughts. I am glad you take the chance to look inside you whenever you can,” was the wise verdict of Elvira.

I turned the car into uncle John’s estate and drove on for another five minutes before reaching the portico before the big house. The house stood white against the blue sky and the sight was breathtaking. I heard Elvira whistling at the sight, a gesture, which was, I was sure, a sign of being impressed by what she spotted before her. I parked under the wide portico. Soon afterwards, Ashley drove in and parked the van just a little distance off, behind my car. Everyone alighted and started taking stock of the surroundings. I heard Ashley’s cry of surprise at the big house with its hacienda look and the number of windows with their doors opening to the outside. Elvira walked to the left to look at the small Venus made of plaster of paris standing daintily in center of the rose garden. Water sprayed from Venus’ broken hand as if begging someone to come and replace the arm. She herself looked tall and graceful in the midst of the lawn surrounded by a variety of colors. The season being spring garden was awash in colors covering trees, plants and bushes. Green showed in different shades varying from bottle green to parrot green and many others falling in between. On the one side of the house, uncle John maintained a playfield with arrangements to play tennis, throw ball and volleyball. He didn’t spare money and effort in employing suitable hands to look after his estate. I should complement him on his ability to manage so many chores at the same time. His grain farms, orchards and vineyards besides the famous stud farm on the one hand and his own house and the estate around it on the other take more than an average person to manage agreeably. I am truly amazed to find this extraordinary skill in uncle John. I loved him and admired him.

In a while, we heard the sound of the hoofs of a racing horse and looked towards gate of Emerald Farm to check on it. The neighing of a horse was clear as it stopped short outside the portico, and lo! Uncle John alighted from the horse back with a saddle on it and looking like a handsome knight shining in his jodhpurs and a bamboo hat, its strings tied under his chin that showed stubble with a mixture of grey and dark. The moment he stepped down, all of us gathered around him. He was like a magnet drawing everyone in the vicinity to him unequivocally. His looks were more rugged than refined, his complexion swarthy and not pale like those who stay indoors most of the time. His hands were big and no doubt calloused. He was terrific, looking like a cross between a cowboy and a knight.

Both Ashley and Elvira walked to us as we started chatting and hugging uncle John. He spotted them and hailed to Ashley,

“Hello sweet Ashley, I am happy to see you my girl. Finally, our Jim could draw you out of that clinic of yours and brought you here. You should look after your patients no doubt. But you must also consider spending time with us, your admirers and well wishers. What do you say Jim?” asked uncle John with a teasing look in his blue eyes.

Ashley shook his hands and stood aside to let him see Elvira and introduced her to John.
“Uncle, this is Elvira a very close friend of mine. I took the liberty to bring her along so she can have a pleasant break before she started her post doctoral studies in the earnest.” Then she turned to Elvira, and said to her, “this is uncle John, Elvira, Jim’s maternal uncle. Jim loves him and I know why. There is no one sweeter or more broad minded than uncle John. I am a great fan of his. You will understand the reason behind my statement in a few minutes.”

Elvira raised her honey colored eyes to John and said quietly in a sweet and clear voice, “Hello John, thank you for letting me come. I hope I won’t be disturbing your families getting together,” she halted. John’s smile disappeared and in its place some other inexplicable, mysterious expression appeared. He stared