tranquil22

[tranquil22]

The Fallen Empire

The chieftain adorned the target with a garland of yellow flowers. It had a crest of red flowers to the left which sat exactly on the heart.

My cousin was handed over the ceremonial pistol. He was the first to shoot. I was next, boy of 16 yrs . I reluctantly waited for my turn.

He missed completely. Everybody around exhorted me to fire. I lifted my trembling hand. The gun was shivering more.

I looked at my target. My paternal grandmother who raised me and many others, two of them were standing behind me if I missed.

She had a long list of beneficiaries. Only a few are attending the ritual. In fact she's the godmother of a huge family!! She was seated in a wooden chair.

My first shot too had missed her but was enough to make a wound on her right hand which seeped blood. The hand that fed me a thousand times!!! Hand that patted on my back to put me to sleep a million times!!! She became very old now. She can't do a thing without somebody's help. Old women must be killed; so is the custom of our clan. She looked at me imploringly.

I saw my entire childhood in her deep eyes. I was helpless. I was entrusted with a duty. Duty stands tall on emotions. But sweet memories rushed and flooded my mind. The flood found its way through my eyes. I dropped the gun and ran away from the scene like a mad dog crying on top of my voice.

I sat on ground a little far weeping uncontrollably. "O my dear grandma what a day this is!” I was the apple of her eye. I was the one who enjoyed her attention more. My sight found it hard to wade through tears to reach the wooden chair. I saw a vague white clad old figure suddenly jumping on its feet and crying to spare her, in despair. But metal shots know no emotions.

I heard two more shots and saw a lean fragile body falling off from the chair sideways and then the chair followed suit.

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This was a dream which woke me up in the middle of a night. Though it's been almost ten years since my grandma left us and also there was no semblance with the begging face in this dream with that of hers but I was quite disturbed for long...  Why that dream? Is there any custom like this anywhere in the world?!!! 

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