There was a huge palatial bungalow at his back. A vast expanse of green plantations and apple orchards he could see at a distance little over than 100yards away - the length which measured even behind him and explained the magnificent width of the road upon which he was lying.
He laid on his death bed, he knew it. At least he thought he did. His body was raging with torture, yet there he laid still like a rock , as though he was having a bad dream which extended to the brink of consciousness but yet keeping the body asleep. He could only move his face but words spoken from his mouth were not having the support of his vocal chords to give it voice.. It truly was probably more terrible than the worst nightmare for him.
Let me disclose it here, that this was happening for real. An elderly man, with few white strands had been gently applying a paste – P215 with such affection which only comes when just a last few ticks of the clock stay. Suddenly, he frisked the young man’s hand around as if to check the time but the person was not wearing a watch. But, the elderly man had been re-assured and found what he was looking for.
Wate Newton, let go of the arm and placed it gently on the floor. Standing up, he drew a cigarette from his left pocket and lit it. Took a couple of drags… then.. looking at the lad – he came close to him and bent down and placed the cigarette in the lads mouth letting him take a few puffs. The young chaps eyes started watering as if wanting to express something really important but he couldn’t move and as we’ve already found out he was incapable of speech. All he managed to do was that he mouthed – “ Happy Birthday….” The last word was lost as his mouth got covered by the other’s hands.
A tear dropped from Mr. Newton’s eyes and he kissed the young fellow on his forehead, played with the hair, as he said, “ I have to do this. Always remember, that you are the apple of my eye.”
Abruptly, he got up and calculatedly moved exactly 1.618 feet away Looked straight into the eyes with a broad smile. Then, everything happened so quickly that a breath fell short to describe when it was over. The old man acted with expert skill faster than a trained suicide bomber. He removed the explosive from his right pocket, pulled out the corked ring and connected his already burning cigarette held by his lips with the RDX and even before it could reach the point the fusion was activated and a loud resounding BOOM echoed far and wide, in the open.
The horror was unmistakable and his eyes seemed to have widened beyond the limits that his face could allow for a split second but had immediately been shut as tight as possible. . The flames had dowsed over him with fierce merciless menace but it was all well thought of, the paste had shielded him from all harm’s way. He was alive with just a tattoo on his arm to wonder about all his life – as he looked down he saw that it spelt – A P P L E.
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The previous night, his friend, his companion , his father had explained him everything. But before that it is important to talk a little about Young Wate Newton Jr. had an inherent curiosity always boiling up inside him to research his family history. It was eight at night, when his father took him for an unusual walk around the orchard, it was unusual for him, for sure to go for a jaunt at this hour.. Mr. Newton asked, “ Have you heard the story of Sir Isaac Newton?”
“ Was he our ancestor?”
Slightly distractedly, he replied, “ That is yet to be known. But the tale goes that one fine day as he sat under an apple tree, probably engrossed in thought or perhaps he was meditating while some say he was reading – an apple fell on his lap and he got distracted. At first, he did not bother and simply continued doing what he was immersed into when all of a sudden he was stuck with an idea and he discovered the “ Law of Gravity” . This much is commonly known to everyone, but what is not known is that this wasn’t an accident. He was sitting underneath the Apple tree as he had been bid by either his father , friend or companion who had given away their life and taken a vow of secrecy from Isaac Newton to never reveal their sacrifice to the world or else it would be in vain.”
We went into the house where we set up our usual game of Scrabble and then an intellectual discussion and debates about various theories and ideas. But today was different, I distinctly noticed my adversary form the word Apple seven times in that one game. Oh !! We played with very different rules but that isn’t important right now. What was interesting was , he made a revelation. He spoke about how Hindu scriptures held the knowledge of how to unravel one’s past lives. He said that the cause and effect disregarded death as a fresh page in life, which meant that the causes one created in their previous lives had every bit of effect on their present life. That each and every thing could be logically explained if only one was exposed to that awareness.
I sat there listening to him, speechless. Never having believed that such garb can really exist.
He went on to reveal that he was born in India in his previous life and his name was Ved Nath. He said, “ You see the similarity in the phonetics – Wate and Ved. And that’s not all, I was an exporter of apple from Kashmir. I looked very attractive and was a spendthrift philanderer. I disregarded what anyone thought about me and went ahead to have babies with many woman. I would mock men from my tribe and neighboring areas for being dastardly and a bunch of loosers. Kashmir is well known for its soothsayers and on one such occasion I came across a man who cursed me” – he said, “ I speak for all those you have enraged by your blasphemy, hear me well, when you are reborn you will die either by rotting like a fruit – being hit by a painful plague or else self destruct yourself.”
Mr. Newton continued , “ Half way through his prophecy, I’d already begun to laugh and didn’t hear him out. But my conscious had registered it and perhaps that’s why it has come back to me.” He paused and I was spell bound to speak anything.
He started scribbling on a piece of paper and then he showed it to me. It read Apple – A = 1, P = 16, P = 16 , L = 12 , E = 5 . 1 + 16 + 16 + 12 + 5 = 50.
“ That’s the age at which this curse will get enforced.” He said. He explained that the sage had been referring to a fruit, which is either eaten or goes rotten. The only fruit that comes out striking is this.”
It was my turn to speak, “ Tomorrow is your 50th Birthday. Do you mean to say.. you are telling me… what are you trying to say?” I never asked him how he was so sure about what he knew.
He replied, “ Whatever happens tomorrow, promise me son – you will not repeat the mistakes I made in my previous life and repeat this cycle.” I conveniently forgot to mention before, that I was very attractive to look at and being from the rich background I held- girls truly fell over each other for me.
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Now, I lay there on the road, helpless and torn apart inches away from me as I’d just experienced my father companion friend just blast off into nothingness like the Big Bang. Why he’d chosen to do it exactly at a distance of Phi beat me. As I laid there with only questions and no answers.
I had decided to stay on guard today, after being told everything only the previous day. But little had I known that even my past life had been studied or perhaps I would have to undergo a paralytic attack as a part of the curse whence it enacted itself, had been purposely hidden from me by my father, companion and friend.
There was much to be discovered. I was deep in thought before I realized something that I could move once again. After a few moments, I got up and walked back to the house. I will need to begin with my father’s diary I said aloud.
