On Parents’ Day

On Parents’ Day

“William, please come here” a feeble voice came.
"Listen to me, my son"

It was thirty-year-old William’s father aged nearly eighty-two. He often remained ill and called William time and again so that he could talk to him . his parental love had not diminished in spite of William’s indifferent attitude towards him.

‘What’s wrong with you, Dad? All the time you keep on calling me. If you feel sick you can consult a doctor. I am not a physician, see?"

"I don’t need to visit a physician, my child. You are my physician this time."

"I have no time to listen to your nonsense talk. I’ll give a patient hearing to you in the evening when I return from office."

"Listen… my child…I am not feeling well. I may die some day and you will no more be disturbed by my presence."

"I am getting late, Dad, please pull yourself together and take rest. Good bye!"
He went out of the house stalking.

The days passed one by one and his father passed away one day. Now he was left alone with his regrets. Today the world is celebrating the “Parents’ Day”; people are flooding messages for their parents via media but William sits all alone, thinking about his acrimonious past. He wishes strongly to forget his past but it is his conscience that pricks him time and again. It is a fact that his father was not good to him in his childhood and he had not showered the affection on him that he deserved. This was the thing that alienated him from his father.He tries to justify his behaviour toward his father by thinking about these things.

"He was not good to me in his youth…he never treated me properly… yes… I am right…he was unkind to my mother as well. I remember how he used to beat her on petty matters… he... he did it on purpose… he had no love for his family… I am confused, I am totally confused. I don’t know whether I was right or not."

But his conscience again and again stings him by drawing his attention toward his father’s kindness to him.

"No,  silly man, no. He was good to you. He loved you. He got you admitted into the university. He went with you everywhere. He gave you protection and security. But you have done nothing for him other than grieving him through your harsh words and your ruthless actions. You could not talk sweetly to him. You never came home in time when he was ill. You are incredibly bad! His ill-treatment of your mother does not authenticate your conduct. You shouldn’t have been as bad to him as you were… you are cruel! You are evil incarnate! You are not a human being! You are a devil! You didn’t ask even how his health was when he was on the verge of death. Now, don’t feel dejected and sad, brute! Feel happy rather on his demise… he has departed and that’s what you wanted. I know you are not grief-stricken from inside. You are happy…you had no concern with him throughout his life. How can you feel sad now?"

He thought again and again why he didn’t pay attention to his father when the latter pleaded for it. He may get all the things in life but is unable to get a father again. He may get a wife again if he loses one by chance; he may beget another child if he suffers the loss of one and lastly, he will acquire money and his office another time in his life but will never repossess his lost parent. Now he will be remorseful all his life.
Last but not the least, I would like to raise the question: whose this fault was? was it the son only who was unfaithful to the father or the father also played a part in destroying his son's life? Because it was the father who caused the conflict in his son's mind about his being a devil and it was this dilemma that forced him to maltreat his father even in his last days.It is possible that unconsciously the son would be taking revenge of his mother's unhappy life due to his father's mistreatment. It goes without saying that the child is the part of his mother's body and he can never forget her. The children brought up in  such an environment are unable to behave normally all their life.  I know very well that if I go to a psychologist to examine this case he would never blame the son only for the mishap because when the unhealthy plant of hate takes its roots firmly on the mind's soil, it  poisons and ruins it to the extent that it becomes a wilderness.The first duty is that of the parents to never let it grow.Seeing from this perspective, parents' day should be the day of taking stock of deeds not only for the children but also for the parents.

Well, I leave the conclusion to my readers. They can look it from many different views as they like. I would not draw the conclusion in order to give my readers an opportunity to think and decide.