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.