Noise outside my window
Chip-chip! Chip-chip! Chip-chip! Chip-chip!” The squirrel outside my window was making quite a racket this afternoon. “Stop the racket!” I said as I opened the window and stared harshly at him.
“Quite a tough stare you’ve got considering your wife made you a good breakfast!” said the squirrel, grinning gleefully, “Noticed you relished the masala dosa she made!”
“What’s the dosa she made have anything to do with you?” I asked.
“Just thought you’d be full of joy when you opened the window!” said the squirrel cheekily, “Also considering you would be overjoyed after finishing most of the book you are writing?”
“I don’t understand,” I said crossly, “Why good breakfasts and a finished book should be brought into this conversation?”
“It’s you I can’t understand!” said the squirrel, “With so many good things happening there’s no joy on your face.”
“Oh, you expect me to sit on the tree and chirp like you?” I asked disgustedly, “Especially when you should be worrying about that eagle that came looking for your little ones yesterday!”
“Was that what you were doing, worrying about some interloper entering your home?” asked the squirrel, “Or whether you had enough money in the bank to last the month?”
“While you were chirping away like an idiot, that’s exactly what I was doing!” I said.
“And how many times has your home been robbed, or you’ve seen a zero bank balance?”
“Well, now that you mention it, never,” I said reluctantly, “But one should always be prepared for any eventuality.”
“Aha!”
“What, aha?” I asked.
“So that long face you’ve got is the face of being prepared for an eventuality that’s never happened so far? And you would rather keep that face on, than chirp like me for the good things happening in your life?”
“Now that you put it that way…” I agreed reluctantly.
“There’s no other way to put it!” said the squirrel, “You wait night and day for catastrophes to fall on you while losing precious thankful moments.”
I kept the window open as the squirrel continued its joyous chirping, “Chip-chip! Chip-chip! Chip-chip!”
“CHIP-CHIP!” I chirped.
My wife walked into the room, looked at my happy face and asked, “Did I hear a baritone chip-chip just now?”
I winked at the squirrel who winked back at me and soon we were joined by the sparrows, the parrots, the crows and woodpecker, all chirping, cawing and calling out in thanksgiving, for simple wants that had been fulfilled!
“CHIP-CHIP…!”
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist with an estimated readership of 6 million. He also conducts a short-term writer’s course. Contact him at bobsbanter@gmail.com for more details.