Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Hancock's confession
Dear sir,
There is nothing official about this letter and is not through the usual "proper channels". Its just a personal letter conveying the sentiments of one John Hancock. You will know him if you have watched that movie by the same name.
Let me tell you a story...
Before I do that, let us meet the characters...
Hancock: He is essentially a drunkard, now reformed, with superhuman powers. He has the ability to stop speeding trains dead on its tracks or stop an avalanche. Yet, even with great powers, he is just a human, with human failings, ego, whims and fancies.
The child: Found by his foster parents, naughty and playful, always had to be under adult supervision lest he should fall into the hands of mortal danger.
Parents: Takes good care of the child, but ever so often, they keep wondering whose child it is. It could even be Hancock's if not their rich neighbour's. Parents, technically foster parents, have built a house by the foot of the mountain. This house has no compund wall and has only a few rooms. This week they had guests too.
The Boulder: A huge one, precariously placed at the foot of the mountain. When the earth quakes, it can roll down and crush the child.
The child's rich uncle: Could afford to build a beautiful house with strong compound walls that can slow the boulder down while the guards call for help. At house warming, he had promised his neighbours that he will take care of children when the earth quakes and boulders come tumbling down.
The story...
It was an unusually tumultuous weekend. The child kept playing by the foot of the mountain where death lurked. Parents were afraid of the danger of falling rocks. They called up to Hancock to fly out there and see if the boulder would fall. Hancock flew in there, and thought for a moment "Shall I flick this rock off?" ... Yet he thought... this child should be safe within closed doors or may be within the compound walls of his rich uncle's house. He flew off saying: "just call me if that boulder fall and Ill take care"
Parents took the child to their rich neighbour and asked for shelter. But the rich uncle told: " let that Hancock fly there and throw the rock away. I'm telling you, that rock is about to fall". Then he left for town. Hancock heard this and thought: "What does this man know about falling rocks? Has he ever stopped one?"
Next day, Hancock took the child with his parents for lunch at the uncle's house. The lady of the house felt pity and let the child stay for the weekend. He played there for two days safe and sound. Hancock thought he did fine and went back to stopping trains and avalanches saying:
"just call me if that boulder falls and Ill take care"
When the child's uncle came home, he was furious to see the child playing in his house. Swiftly, the child found himself in his parents' house with no compound walls and no guards. The guest rooms were all occupied. Hancock's house too was a crowded mess as usual and it was anyway not a place for kids to play.
In the dead of night, the child did go out and play at the foot of the mountain. Parents slept sound, his uncle was asleep, and Hancock did the same after a hard day at work. The boulder came crashing down ever so silently and swiflty, crushing the child. No one called for help. Hancock heard nothing. No one heard anything.
The next morning, at the funeral by the river, it was the custom of the community to cut the cake of responsibility and drink the wine of regret.
Hancock found himself gulping down wine by the bottle and his dry throat managed to swallow three pieces out of five, when he cut the cake. One piece was left for the parents and a slightly larger piece was left for the rich uncle.
From,
MS Gopalakrishnan.
There is nothing official about this letter and is not through the usual "proper channels". Its just a personal letter conveying the sentiments of one John Hancock. You will know him if you have watched that movie by the same name.
Let me tell you a story...
Before I do that, let us meet the characters...
Hancock: He is essentially a drunkard, now reformed, with superhuman powers. He has the ability to stop speeding trains dead on its tracks or stop an avalanche. Yet, even with great powers, he is just a human, with human failings, ego, whims and fancies.
The child: Found by his foster parents, naughty and playful, always had to be under adult supervision lest he should fall into the hands of mortal danger.
Parents: Takes good care of the child, but ever so often, they keep wondering whose child it is. It could even be Hancock's if not their rich neighbour's. Parents, technically foster parents, have built a house by the foot of the mountain. This house has no compund wall and has only a few rooms. This week they had guests too.
The Boulder: A huge one, precariously placed at the foot of the mountain. When the earth quakes, it can roll down and crush the child.
The child's rich uncle: Could afford to build a beautiful house with strong compound walls that can slow the boulder down while the guards call for help. At house warming, he had promised his neighbours that he will take care of children when the earth quakes and boulders come tumbling down.
The story...
It was an unusually tumultuous weekend. The child kept playing by the foot of the mountain where death lurked. Parents were afraid of the danger of falling rocks. They called up to Hancock to fly out there and see if the boulder would fall. Hancock flew in there, and thought for a moment "Shall I flick this rock off?" ... Yet he thought... this child should be safe within closed doors or may be within the compound walls of his rich uncle's house. He flew off saying: "just call me if that boulder fall and Ill take care"
Parents took the child to their rich neighbour and asked for shelter. But the rich uncle told: " let that Hancock fly there and throw the rock away. I'm telling you, that rock is about to fall". Then he left for town. Hancock heard this and thought: "What does this man know about falling rocks? Has he ever stopped one?"
Next day, Hancock took the child with his parents for lunch at the uncle's house. The lady of the house felt pity and let the child stay for the weekend. He played there for two days safe and sound. Hancock thought he did fine and went back to stopping trains and avalanches saying:
"just call me if that boulder falls and Ill take care"
When the child's uncle came home, he was furious to see the child playing in his house. Swiftly, the child found himself in his parents' house with no compound walls and no guards. The guest rooms were all occupied. Hancock's house too was a crowded mess as usual and it was anyway not a place for kids to play.
In the dead of night, the child did go out and play at the foot of the mountain. Parents slept sound, his uncle was asleep, and Hancock did the same after a hard day at work. The boulder came crashing down ever so silently and swiflty, crushing the child. No one called for help. Hancock heard nothing. No one heard anything.
The next morning, at the funeral by the river, it was the custom of the community to cut the cake of responsibility and drink the wine of regret.
Hancock found himself gulping down wine by the bottle and his dry throat managed to swallow three pieces out of five, when he cut the cake. One piece was left for the parents and a slightly larger piece was left for the rich uncle.
From,
MS Gopalakrishnan.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The cup is full
Not everyone panics when your room fills with beer...
Canon A 95, no flash. Reflection on a window by the sea. Le Soleil, Pondicherry
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