The Disgruntled Lady
Charlotte scribbled something on the paper, looked at it critically, then shook her head disapprovingly, and not satisfied with cutting it out with one stroke of her pen, she went on scratching on it viciously, as if not to leave any remaining mark. Then she tore the paper out, crumpled it and tried to throw it in to the waste paper basket, missed her aim, and the paper landed in the middle of the room. She got up with an exasperated expletive, cursed herself for being so clumsy and stamped on the discarded mass repeatedly, deriving some obvious pleasure.
Charlotte hated herself, hated everything around her, in fact she hated life itself. She was not interested in anything or anyone. Everything seemed -meaningless and futile. She did not know what to do with herself. She found life unbearable .It was at this juncture that relatives and friends tried to help. Perhaps she would have to take the advice of a Specialist eventually but they felt that as Charlotte had everything to give herself optimum fulfilment in her life, it was worth trying.
Charlotte’s grandmother, a dear old lady, had a very soft and compassionate nature. She couldn’t bear to see Charlotte in that state of mental impasse. She had to do something to alleviate her misery. In her endeavour to help, she rushed to the nearest market and bought a beautiful dress for her. Then she came gushing and exuberant, wrapped her arms around Charlotte and announced, “See Charlotte what I have bought for you.” Charlotte languidly surveyed her grandmother, then protested, “You know Granny that I don’t want anything from anybody. The old lady thinking nothing of the rebuff, tried to arouse her interest by adding, “ The dress my dear is of
the very colour you dote on, and which will look so good on you. “
“Oh and how would that be of any use! Do you think that I am going to wear
the dress—no, not me, there is no one to even look at me, leave alone my dress,”
“ Charlotte don’t worry, we will be going to posh restaurants to show you off in that attire.”
Charlotte became more agitated and she raised her voice and retorted,” what
extra pleasure would it be to go to these joints where I know no one , and isn’t the taste of wine the same whether I have it in a Five Star restaurant or in a hovel ! Besides I would definitely not like to put on weight by having all the rubbish which these restaurants serve. I am also not going on a course of antibiotics by eating the stale food which they pass off as delicacy.”
Granny, belonging to the older generation was not a person to be discouraged. She
persisted with her coaxing. “Now my dear, perhaps you would like to go to a funny movie to have a good laugh wearing that gorgeous dress---that would be a real flip to your mood and make you feel euphoric.”
Charlotte had had enough of granny’s pestering. She closed her eyes in sheer
exasperation and exclaimed ”Granny you are incorrigible.”
At last the old lady realised that she had arrived at a dead end and with her head down ,the unopened packet in her hand, exited from the room without another word, in impenetrable
silence.
It seemed that depression was contagious!
Charlotte’s seven year old son was listening intently to the conversation. He felt that he should also help to make his mother happy. “Mum,” why don’t we go to a hill station for a short holiday?” he suggested.
On hearing this Charlotte detonated like a nuclear bomb. “I would rather go to
my grave, than go to a hill station. What charm is there in driving up the winding roads,
feeling queasy--- one feels miserable when one is nauseated. It is definitely not a pleasant
experience. Besides when trudging up the incline, one gets so winded up. Is there any
pleasure in that! There is another problem--we will have to take a lot of luggage because of the woollies. No, that is not a good suggestion.”
The youngster’s high spirits were at once bridled, but he continued nevertheless. “Why don’t we go to a sea resort , that would also be a lot of fun.”
Charlotte again objected vigorously “ Oh no , it would be more boring than visiting a morgue. Who can sit there watching the waves continuously hitting the shore, wave after wave, with no
variation, making the same monotonous jarring sound. One cannot even take an enjoyable
splash in the ocean; the waste pipes in the town empty their obnoxious contents into it. As
for the beaches, they are littered with polythene bags, paper, coconut shells and what not.”
“But there is great fun in making castles in the sand, collecting shells and chasing crabs”!
argued Robert.
At being crossed, Charlotte lost her temper and let him know in no uncertain terms that no one could persuade her to go either to a hill station or to a sea resort for a holiday. Notwithstanding his mother’s adamant attitude, the indomitable youngster, not to be turned down so easily, continued, “Mum, let’s go to a jungle safari then, perhaps you would like it.”
Charlotte glared at him. “Do you think I am some sort of an idiot that when I can
watch lions and tigers just going to the zoo which is five kilometres away, I will waste my
money, energy and time by trying to spot them in the jungle, where perhaps we might not
even find them. Animals look the same whether in the jungle or in the zoo. Going for jungle
safari is nothing but a meaningless exercise meant for people who have nothing to do.”
Robert looked deflated. Though he was not a boy to accept failure, he gave up on his mother, as he felt some people were born to be unhappy, and she was one of them.
His sister Gretta also took up the challenge and tried to cheer up their mother. “Mom why don’t you join me when I go to the orphanage to feed the helpless newborn babies and toddlers missing the love and affection of their parents ---it gives a lot of satisfaction you know.”
“ How can it give me any satisfaction when I can’t stand children” came back her mother’s rejoinder.
Gretta knew that her mother’s objection was very true so she suggested that her mother should help in the Home for the Aged. “This suggestion was also not at all appealing to the discontented lady.
“The Aged are the privileged Ones, they get everything done for them, but what about me! Why should I, the unfortunate sufferer, put out myself for them.” Charlotte’s patience was ebbing , so she unceremoniously told everyone to leave her alone.
Charlottes’s husband was hearing the conversation that was going on. Now he decided to reason out with her. “Darling,” he said gently, “haven’t I given you all the comforts you need, a car , a luxurious house, the best of all food, you cannot have any excuse for this disinterest in life.” Charlotte’s only response was, “just leave me alone, I don’t want to have anything to do with anyone,” with that she shut the door at their faces with a bang.
Day after day Charlotte kept herself encompassed within her impenetrable shell of aloofness. She only dwelt on the aspects which made her unhappy. Nothing satisfied her. She found fault with everything----there was nothing that she desired, nothing to look forward to. Then with a vengeance, so to say, a terrible affliction struck her. She lost her appetite. She lost her glamorous looks. At times she felt she was finding it difficult to breathe. Her body was racked with pain. Then she started getting fever every evening. She grew worried and had to shed her exclusiveness and ask her relatives for help. Now fetching a glass of water for herself was a difficult proposition. She prayed night and day. She prayed so that she could get up to take a stroll in the garden and smell the scent of the blossoming flowers. She wanted to be able to enjoy an ice cream stick with Robert. She watched him relishing the treat with the cream dripping from his fingers. But alas she had the feeling that she dared not put anything into her mouth---even ice cream seemed revolting. As each day came to an end, she realised that she did not have much time to live for she had become weak and frail. She regretted having not done anything for other human beings to get God’s blessings in the next world. How was she to face death? If her bodily stamina had permitted, she would have now gladly taken the orphans in her arms to see a smile on their faces. But it was unfortunate that she would never get a chance ever again. When the children came home with anecdotes of their friends’ families enjoying their holidays, she also longed to be out of her bed and have fun like they in hill stations and sea resorts. If she could only be well again!
Charlotte’s family were very sympathetic and concerned. They were always at her side. Doctors visited her daily and her husband left no stone unturned to get her treated. The doctors had diagnosed Cancer. The family did not divulge the awful information to Charlotte otherwise she would not have been able to withstand it. But a change had come upon her. As her condition became worse, she became more reasonable and pliant. She seemed cheerful despite her sickness. Everybody was puzzled. The doctors and family members were all anxiously waiting for the blood report as it takes three weeks to show the results. Charlotte’s husband had lost his sleep and kept on pacing the floor up and down .Robert refused to go to school in order to know the result. Gretta sat at her mother’s bed-side and stroked her hair but every minute she prayed with the deepest fervour that God would spare her from the dreaded disease.
The family assembled in the drawing room when Father came back from the Diagnostic Lab and handed over the Report to the Doctor. The Doctor announced that Charlotte did not have Carcinoma as presumed. The near and dear ones all sighed in relief. This episode was an eye opener for Charlotte. She realised how much everyone cared for her and that she was indispensable for them. Charlotte now valued her life and was never disgruntled for she had realised that Life was indeed a precious gift from God.
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