‘It’s just a chair.’
I looked at my mother, her lips tightly pressed together, arching like a rainbow with no colors. She looked worried. I, her son, the reason.
‘It’s everything to me.’
My voice sounded meek, ashamed, but a bitter truth seldom evoked pride. My chair was my haven. It had held me, supporting the imbalance of my joys and sorrows.
It had been there to hold my brokenness.
She was unconvinced. Like all the other times, she had goaded me to rise and stand on my own. And step out for a taste of fresh air, a glimpse of the mid-morning sun.
But she was knocking on the wrong door. My mind was closed, its rationale out of business.
So I stayed fixed in my chair.
It was where I ate, slept, wept, the abode of endless daydreaming. Only shifting myself to the toilet bowl as and when required.
There was nothing I couldn’t do when I sat on its padded frame.
But there would be too much to conquer if I left its familiar comfort.
I was the king of my secluded domain.
But mothers are relentless. Mine was no different.
She had come with a peace offering, a tiny bribe to sway my obstinate mind, and she slipped the shiny brochure into my hand.
My eyes blurred the words, magnifying the cheerful images. My fingers traced the smiling faces, mine could be one of them.
That’s when my mother knew, she had won half the battle.
Her hand found my knee. There was only empty space beneath it.
I had lost my leg in the accident. My father had lost his life.
‘Disneyland, two months from now. Get out of this wheelchair.’
She left me with hope and a pair of crutches. I hopelessly chose both.
The Greatest Gambler was always looking for a game. He was a mind-reader, the undisputed champion.
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I like he responded to the little pleasure his mother presented to him. A bitter sweet story. I like it!
Sometimes small pleasures offer the greatest strength. Thank you. 🙂
How small little things can give us hope for the future beautifully explained.
It’s about appreciating ‘the possible’. Thank you. 🙂
Who else but the mother to give you hope when you have none.
Loved it.
Well said. ❤️Mothers❤️
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It is wonderful to have someone give you that sense of hopefulness. Lovely story.
So important. Thank you Shobana. 🙂
The language in this (as usual) is incredible. I liked how this one was more emotion-based rather than plot-based. We clearly got to see the world through the speaker’s mind. However, I feel slightly torn when it comes to the subject matter. The story itself was sweet and very understandable, but,the wheelchair is shown in a little bit of a negatiive light. “But there would be too much to conquer if I left its familiar comfort.” makes it seem like he can’t conquer his fears from within it. And in reality, going around in life with crutches all the time is extremely impractical for an amputee and he’d probably just use a wheelchair. It’s not a major issue with the story, it’s just that modern media almost always shows having a wheelchair in a negative light. At the end of almost every story and film, the character has to leave the wheelchair or ‘be cured’ in order to be happy and have their ‘happily ever after’, but the reality for a lot of us is that we never will be able to. Happiness can be attained within a wheelchair. And I know that you’re story isn’t saying that it can’t be – it’s just that, at the moment, we need more stories that show that it can – rather than ones that don’t. Still, I extremely enjoyed this story. I hope you don’t mind a tiny bit of constructive criticism. :
I think your comments are more enjoyable than my stories. Seriously! You are free to speak your mind. And I am a great listener. I agree with your viewpoint.
But in my mind the story would’ve progressed to the boy getting a prosthetic leg, so he could move about more freely. But because of the 300 word limit, it’s tough to put everything in there.
‘Happily every after’ has to be found where a person is. There is no riding into the sunset and a knight in shining armor.
I’m going to let your opinion run through my mind, and I’ll come up with an even better story.
And please keep the comments coming. They are so appreciated! 🙂
Thank you, I’m glad that you enjoy my thoughts so much! Surely not, very few things are more enjoyable than your stories 🙂 I see now what you mean and I understand where you would’ve wanted the story to go. It is a shame that the word limit didn’t allow it. I’ve added your Kindle Short Stories Book to my reading list. My list is quite long but I’m a very avid reader! I’ll let you know when I get to it. I’m now a certified fan <3
Thanks so much! Now I’ll be expecting some more constructive criticism. But please take your time. Welcome to the fan club. (I think it’s only you…) Jokes aside. It’s great to be able to laugh at oneself. I love it. 🙂
The ultimate battle of the obstinate mind vs the relentless mother. This is a solid think piece on both the human ability to adapt to nearly any situation and find solace in it, and the sometimes damaging habit of clinging to the familiar, instead of moving outside the safety zone of comfortability and tackling the obstacles to wellness head on. Very nicely done.
Dealing is always difficult. But it paves the way for a smoother ascent. Life is a difficult climb, and staying in the safe zone never gets anyone anywhere.
Thank you so much for feeling this intrinsic vibe. 🙂
True, but we humans are complicated animals who don’t always know or want what’s best for us, thus making your bribe solution perfect.
Yes, bribes that come through when one doesn’t know what’s best for them are indeed blessed.