I’ve been following the very interesting 3WW at Intrepid Dreamer’s blog for the last couple of weeks. Every week, I manage to miss it… and today, finally, I landed at the page on a Wednesday 🙂 So here’s my entry:
3 words: Engulf, Imminent, Tamper
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Daughters. Sons. Grandchildren. They huddled around the hospital bed. She was 90. Frail, weak. ‘Some water, Ma?’ the youngest daughter asked. Ma shook her head. Very slightly. ‘Wi…’ she muttered. Nobody heard. They were far too engulfed in sorrow. Much as they had hated the old hag, the fact was, they had spent a lifetime with her. Living off her ancestral wealth! ‘Wi…’ Ma said again, this time, a little louder.
The eldest daughter heard. ‘Did you want something, Ma?’ A look of exasperation crossed Ma’s wrinkled face. She motioned to the wall across the huge hall, on which hung a massive TV. The ‘TV wall’ was famous within family circles. It was supposed to have a secret brick, which, when removed, would reveal the ‘Keys’. Keys to what? That nobody knew. Except Ma.
They crowded closer by her bedside, to get a better view. Or to hear better, as the case might have been!
‘Go on Ma, tell us..’ the eldest grandchild coaxed.
‘Wiiiiiii…’ Ma urged, motioning wildly towards the ‘TV Wall’ with both hands.
Murmurs arose within the closed room.
‘Wall? Is she pointing at the wall?’
‘Shush…quiet.. I think she means her Will. That’s what she’s been hiding behind the TV all these years!’
‘Tee hee, Granny wants to wee ;-)’ giggled the youngest of the brigade.
‘Wow.. a Will.. Wow!!’ the older ones whispered in sheer admiration. A real mystery, that too, in their otherwise mundane, insignificant little lives!
The macho men in the room took big strides towards the TV wall, and tried to pry the TV off from its stand.
Ma raised her eyebrows in alarm.
‘Don’t worry Ma, we will give you the Will in a minute..’
Ma shook her head, and lifted both hands towards the heavens above.
The daughters nodded wisely. ‘We know, you’ve waited all these years to share this moment with us…’
Ma clutched her head, and with all her energy, managed to pull out some perfectly silvery hair.
‘What’s wrong, Ma? Are you not happy? We won’t tamper with your Will, don’t you worry! Your wish will be our command! We swear!!’
Ma shook her head, rather vigorously.
‘My end … is imminent!!’ Ma cried.
‘Be brave, Ma, it is us who will be left alone.. Come, let’s atleast read your last wishes in the will now‘, the daughters sobbed. A small, empty bottle of glycerine lay in the dustbin under the bed.
The men were still working hard at removing the TV. ‘Fetch the screwdriver, you fool! We don’t have all day!!’ shouted the elder son to the younger.
There was chaos all around. Men hunting for a Will. Women waiting for the hunt to end! Children whispering animatedly, at what would be in the Will!
Until finally, ‘Crash!’ Ma grabbed the glass of water by her bedside, and threw it on the floor, with all her might.
‘Can you dumb fools stop breaking my new flatscreen TV?’ she managed to scream.
The daughters looked at each other, in disbelief. Sons and grandsons heard it loud and clear. They turned around, confused!
‘But.. but what about your Will?’ the daughters questioned, tears having disappeared rather magically.
‘My Wi…’ Ma whispered again.
‘Your will, dearest Ma?’ the youngest daughter cooed.
‘Shut up, you useless fools. No damn will. And no bloody money. I’ve donated everything before you vultures came to my deathbed. Now give me my damn Wii from the rack beside the TV. I want to play one last game!’
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… To read my other pieces of Fiction, please click here…Thanks!!
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