GOD GIVETH AND GOD TAKETH

GOD GIVETH AND GOD TAKETH AWAY

I held his frail hands of skin and bone and he muttered something inaudibly. His words had no sound but, I knew that he had a lot to tell me. Even with no sound coming out of his mouth, I understood everything for, I was the closest to him and shook my head in affirmation of every inaudible word. He was leaving us. I was speechless and grief struck like a bombshell. I regretted seeing him as a skeleton and tried to remember him as the tall giant of a figure with an everlasting smile, during his heydays of youth. I came out of the room with wet eyes and a heavy heart.

After a bath in the holy river he was dressed in a milk white sarong and a matching shirt with a huge plate of the best of fruits respectfully on his head. He respected GOD skanda so much, at least once a year never failed to make this long journey of over 150 kms from Galle to Kataragama. Our infidelity towards God never deterred him from inviting my family on this annual trip for he enjoyed our company outside the religious rituals within the kovil.

We were married to the two sisters of a wealthy family nurtured by a single widowed father. A highly disciplined teacher turned businessman who never had any respect or belief of a divine GOD. He respected Buddha but, never set his foot into a temple and so was I. We were birds of a feather in that aspect. Infidels in the eyes of zealots.

My brother in law had started his life with a very little education working as a helper at his rich uncle’s spare parts shop. Starting with scrap he believed his rise to riches and fame, and eventual marriage to a girl from a rich and respected family was the action of GOD Skanda. Adding strength to his respect towards God, each day passed with prosperity and riches at his fingertips. Eventually he became a zealot of God Skanda justified amply with the money he earned hand over fist. The so called influence and blessings of God on his success started to melt the hardest nut inside my stubborn self. Born as the black sheep of my family, I still refused to surrender to God even though my prosperity was coming through at a snail's pace.

With wet eyes, I looked up at his son who years back controversially took over his dad's business. Going in his father's footsteps everyone expected him to further strengthen the financial empire built by his father. He started driving the most expensive cars and generously spending money on family festivities etc. Everybody praised him except me. Only I knew that all these drama were exercises in smoke and mirror. My warnings fell on deaf ears and his actions did not hold water. An empire was crumbling when death approached this skeleton of a figure who once stood high like a giant.

Within a few months of his death the bitter truth of debts bombarded this family and the son took the only way out by selling his business establishment reducing him to the state of a pauper. God gave him and took everything back including his family respect and dignity.

Last but not the least, fuck that God who gave and took everything back. My happiness and success was through my own sweat and not a single fucking God can take that away.

(Based on a true story with no malice intended towards anyone living and may he rest in peace)