Peaceful Silence

"And then there crept

A little noiseless noise among the leaves,

Born of the very sigh that silence heaves."

- John Keats

Cleveland was a peaceful city. A city in which people went their own ways, and minded their own business. Neighbors gossiped, children fought, youngsters smoked, people died and life went on. A city full of people who were blind. Who neglect what was, what is and what is yet to be. A city full of happy people. Amidst the peaceful silence of the city, in a not-so-peaceful house, the silence was finally broken.

WHAM WHAM WHAM! Like a machine gun in World War II.

BAM BAM BAM! Like that of Kill Bill… (He shot me down…bang bang… I hit the ground…bang bang!)

OPPENNNNNN UPPPP!!!! The sound of a little boy…

SHUT THE HELL UP! (………???? Who is this?)

'Who under the light is this? Banging on my door at 7:00 in the morning?? Are you, like, insane???'

'I am your deepest, darkest secret. I am Ba'alzamon, Shaitan, your enemy…!'

'Like hell you are.'

'You cannot hide from me, 'al Thor. You cannot run, I know who you are and where you are.'

'I defy you! I defy you, you light-stranded creature!! You cannot harm me, you do not exist!! I defy you!!'

'I am in your dreams, 'al Thor. I am in your thoughts, I am in you…!'

'Look, Olver, quit it, okay? It's 7:00 in the morning, I am feeling sleepy, and here you are eating my head off!!'

'Wake up, man! I need to talk to you…!'

'Tell me, what the bloody hell are you up to… awake at 7:00 in the morning…?

' I…. gotta go to school today…! I start school todayyy!!!!'

'Ahhh…. I feel sooooo sorry for you, little bro!!!!'

'Sorry…for me??'

'Yeah, tell me what you want, and today, I will do it… for you… before you are doomed to misery!!!'

'Something wrong with you, bro? You like… off your rocker?'

'Insult me, my man. You are spared all today…!'

'Because I start school…?'

'Yes… you really don't know what you are in for, do you?'

'Uhhh….. WHAT?'

'I am so sorry bro that you have to go through all this at such a young age…'

'Assignments, late submissions, dictations, exhibitions, early morning assemblies, complaints in your school diary, PE class in the sun, boring Geography lessons, on-the-dot bus timings, detentions….'

'But…but…but… I…like school… I heard it's nice…Mom…told mee...'

'Poetry lessons, arts and craft, strict teachers, fair-weather friends, expensive canteen snacks…lunchtime bullies…'

'Aunntyyy!!!!!!!!! Rand's telling me scary stories again!!!!!!!! Auntyyyyyyyy!!!!'

Rand 'al Thor roared with laughter. 'Serves him right, troubling me so!!!!' He knew, though, that he was in trouble. Heck, it was worth it. He quickly showered and went downstairs. His mom was on the phone… if only he could sneak out…!!

'Rand, I hear you have been scaring Olver again!! He's your neighbor! He's small. You should be ashamed of yourself!!!!!!!!!!'

'Yeah mom, sincerely, I do feel something from deep down inside my heart… I will apologize.'

She nodded and asked him to have breakfast. Just as he was getting ready to leave, his sister came downstairs.

'Rand, will you drop me off at the shelter? I need to take these cakes over to the small children.'

'Yeah, darling. Get in the car. I will drop you.'

Egwene 'al Thor was younger to Rand by three years. She was twenty and loved life. She was constantly donating something or the other to something or the other. She was a vet-in-progress. She was like, a younger version of Mother Teresa, minus the slums. She loved everything and everybody, except Jack the Ripper and Gawyn, who lived with them, who was the son of Thom. Thom was an internationally known figure who, apart from being a 50 partner in her dad's company, also took up what Charlie Chaplin failed to achieve( minus the toothbrush moustache, more like a Horace Slughorn walrus moustache!) . He even worked in the Queen's private chambers, amusing her, Egwene was sure, in more ways than one. In a very offhand way, she asked her mom

'Mom, Gawyn back yet?'

'No darling, he is still in Washington with your dad, trying to stop the strikes…'

'Oh good, I can be in peace for a while more…'

'I am so sorry to deprive you of the pleasure, though trust me, I'd do anything to stay away from a wild cat like yourself!!' came a voice from the doorway.

Egwene turned around and saw Gawyn, a tall, athletic looking man. She was momentarily stunned. Then, regaining her composure she replied, 'Oh, you are back. I so…'

'You so wanted to see me…'

'The only place I see you is in my nightmares…!'

'Oh shut up, I have no time to listen to your yapping!'

'Darling, Berelaine called while you were away. Like a hundred times.' interrupted Mrs.'al Thor.( Gimme a break!!!!)

'Berelaine… who's Berelaine? Gawyn, who's Berelaine. Oh, like I give a damn who Berelaine is…!'

'If you must know, Egwene, she is my latest girlfriend. She's so damn se..oops! Look at the time… I gotta go! She's waiting…! Uh, Rand? My cars still in the office. You mind dropping me off? At Guild and Man?'

'He's dropping me off first, actually!' shot back Egwene.

'Look, you two, stop fighting. I will drop off both of you. For the last time.'

'Um, Gawyn…', said Egwene in a strangely hesitant voice, sounding as though she was close to tears, ' Where's Dad?'

'He's still in Washington… says he is sorry he couldn't come today…he told me to tell you he will try to be there for the opening of your own shelter.'

Egwene was strangely silent after that. Rand dropped them both off and headed towards the office. It had already been a busy morning, and he couldn't wait to see what else was in store for him.