Thursday, April 15, 2010

Vampi...








      “Human”, so obsessed with his own existence, hi-
s own culture, his own social surrounding that he has
become so negligent about the fact that the other liv-
ing being on this earth may have their own social str-
ucture, community, mutual affection which are as firm 
as his. He hardly feels need to understand or to look 
into their lives… but then it exist and through some 
incidence them having a community becomes more promin-
ent.



I remember when I was in 7th standard I had an
inner attraction towards those who don’t claim to be 
human but are beautiful creature of this earth, who s-
hare the same right to live as we do. It was rainy se-
ason which would pour the drains nearby my house, wet 
the passage, the terrace and the staircase will be ov-
er flown by running water. Following a night with hea-
vy rain, I woke up that morning and rushed towards the
stairs to go up to the terrace. But then I saw someth-
ing appeared black in color, sized like a mouse was 
lying on a step of the staircase. I thought it’s a mo-
use, the thing was still showing some vital movements.
 I shouted “Mommy, look in here… I got something.” My
mother was uninterested in knowing what I had seen as 
I used to call her for every little  thing, “Honey I 
am busy right now, show me in the evening” she repli-
ed. But it didn’t make any difference to me. I went 
closer to the thing and as the figure became clear to 
me, I was surprisingly happy to see what I had got. 
With its small legs trembling, it was trying to climb
up the step with the help of its half folded wing li-
ke forelimb. Its fox like face could add to my surety
that it was a “Baby Bat”.Most probably it had dropped
from its mother’s back in the heavy rain. My little 
heart had already decided to keep it. I felt like he 
needed me and I  needed him. I wanted it to live… I c-
ouldn’t let him die in the heavy rain out there so I 
brought it inside. However I knew my mom will surely 
not be as happy as I to see it. So I hided it in a sh-
oe box with a hole made on its cover for the passage
of air. I placed the box over the tall shelf where my 
mom would hardly pay attention to. Then I left for sc-
hool as I would usually do.



But that day even in the school I kept on thi-
nking about the “Vampi” the name I had already given 
to it… but what was making me more worried about was 
my younger brother who didn’t had that much affection 
towards animals and if he manages to get it, he would 
surely either kill it or handover it to my mom. When I 
returned back to home the same happened what I was af-
raid of. It was not at the place where I left it. I 
filled with unrest and started looking here and there 
for it. My mom asked “What are you looking for dear?”
“I kept it there, but now its not there mom. I want it.
I want it now.” my eyes were poured with tears and my 
voice was trembling saying that. It didn’t take time 
for my mother to know what I was asking for; she said 
“Don’t cry… no buddy has done anything to your pet. I 
just  didn’t want that inside my house that’s why I 
have left it there in the terrace”. “What in the ter-
race? Mom it would die out of sun blaze.” Saying this 
I rushed towards the terrace. The box was lying open 
there and the Vampi wasn’t inside. My eyes again pou-
red with tears but all off a sudden I saw it, it was 
hung by the side of terrace wall. I took it in hands 
and brought it inside. Its little eyes gazing me str-
angely made me felt like it was hungry. “Oh… but what
would it eat?” was the next question in my mind. I 
slowly went to the kitchen where my mom was preparing 
lunch. “Mommy do you have something in the kitchen to 
feed my Vampi?” I asked putting a little more innocen-
ce to my voice so as to seek empathy from my mother. 
“No honey I didn’t cook anything for your black bat, 
why don’t you ask its mother? She might have prepared 
something for it…” my mother said along with adding 
sarcasm. “His name is ‘Vampi’… and I think some pieces 
of bread would do.” I replied her giving a close stare.
Now I had a few pieces of bread and my Vampi who was 
supposed to eat them. But despite my efforts to feed 
it, it didn’t eat even a single bite. I was disappoi-
nted seeing him not eating because I knew it would 
not survive without having anything. So I kept it ag-
ain inside the box. “Dear… come the lunch is ready! 
And I want you to first wash your hands with soap be-
cause you have touched that dirty thing.” My mom cal-
led me, “Yes mom” I replied.

           Now it was about to dusk. And still I was 
worrying because my Vampi had not eaten anything and 
he looked tiered. I was staring at him and he was st-
ill trying to climb up the side of the box. I was ju-
st thinking it’s just a little baby, a little ‘baby’.
Suddenly an idea strike my mind, I ran downstairs to 
my mother, “Mom what you used to feed me when I was 
a baby?” the question could surely surprise my mom 
but not for long. “Honey you may feed your little fr-
iend some milk…  but don’t take it yourself, let me 
give you.” She gave me some milk in a little bowl ac-
cording to the size of my little Vampi. I soaked some 
cotton with the milk and started squeezing it over Va-
mpi’s mouth. I didn’t know exactly but it appeared 
like he was licking the drops fell on its mouth and 
limbs. I was happy to see that finally my Vampi was e-
ating something. Then after I took it to terrace as I 
thought to get him some fresh air. By that time I had 
arranged another cage like round box which could be o-
pen by taking off its cap on the top. I placed it on a 
table and sat myself on a chair. But suddenly I felt 
something was wrong, something dreadful.Over the sky I
first saw a single mature Bat flying in a circle as if 
it had sensed the presence of my Vampi. Gradually they 
grew in numbers and now they were a few. All of them 
were revolving about my terrace high in the sky. I was
surprised as to how could they got to know my Vampi’s 
presence as he didn’t even make a single noise. But 
then it appeared no longer safe being there as they 
started lowering down. I got scared and I took the 
cage in hands and rushed towards my room downstairs.
I didn’t want to lose my Vampi. I kept it there in 
the room and waited there for a while. Then after, 
I again went to the terrace so as to see if the other
bats were still there. But by the time they had gone. 
That night I was at least  satisfied that my Vampi 
was safe with me. The next day the same incident took
place. In the evening whenever I would go to the ter-
race with my Vampi, his kin members would start accu-
mulating over the sky. To me it seemed fun to play h-
ide and seek with them. But day by day Vampi appeared
getting weaker despite of me feeding him milk, now he 
wouldn’t even try and climb the cage’s walls rather he 
would sit still at a corner. It added so much to my w-
orry. I asked my mom again, “Mommy can we take Vampi 
to a doctor? He appears to have fallen ill… he doesn’t
 play any more with me.” My mother knew that the baby 
might die in such conditions. She told me, “No honey, 
I think he needs his Mom. You may try but can’t take 
care of a baby as her mother would do.” Although the 
idea didn’t match my interest but I knew somewhere my 
mother was right. That evening I took the cage to the 
terrace with its cover open… I sat by the side of it 
and waited for them to come. I knew that I will not 
have to wait longer, as I began seeing them roaming 
in the sky. They started revolving about my terrace 
high in the sky. And eventually they grew in numbers 
from a few to many. They were flying in a definite 
pattern as they were inspecting the place for any 
danger so that they could proceed to their mission. 
I was astonished seeing a huge battalion of bats 
surrounding my terrace. They flew around for about 
half an hour over the sky. Now they had felt it’s 
safe to attack. And they did the same. They began 
lowering down and down, now they were not flying too 
high from my terrace. Suddenly a bat with its wings 
wide spread flew just touching my head. It was an
intentional attack to drive me away from the place. 
The bat repeated it again. I was terrified and I 
felt no longer safe their so I rushed to store room 
made on the terrace. I closed the door and peeped 
through the window to see what was  happening. Now 
they had made circles of security around the Vampi’s 
cage. In the  first circle three bats were flying ar-
ound the cage. The second circle was above them in 
which around 5-7 bats were flying anticlockwise. And 
the sequence continued up till high in the sky with 
increasing numbers of bats in each circle. Their 
segregation was so well co-coordinated that it was 
hard to believe how they had planned for such profou-
nd attack.To me it was all wonder,as if I had entered 
in some fairy tail where animals would probably talk 
too. They kept roaming like that and suddenly someth-
ing unexpected happened. One of the bats speedily came
down flying over the cage, grabbed Vampi in his claws 
and flew high. As he reached a significant altitude 
he dropped Vampi down. I was shocked to see the hap-
pening as I felt Vampi will die after falling down. 
But then what happened was beyond my  imagination. 
Before Vampi could drop to death another bat flew be-
low him so as to catch him on her back. Most probably 
she was his mother. I was too happy to see my Vampi 
safe and now I could at least be sure for his better 
future. Gradually all of them flew away vacating the 
sky. I came outside and saw them flying far away with 
a hope that someday my Vampi will come back to meet me.
My Vampi had gone but the incidence left its mark on 
my heart and a fact in my mind that, it may be they 
don’t have a language to convey their feelings to us 
but certainly they have a rich bond and longing ness 
between each other and a sense of a social community 
as a whole.



Written by

Hemant Hembrom.