30 Seconds with an Orphan!

"Get up every body and take your seat please", the supervisor of the Intercity-bus service was shouting at the top of his voice to the awaiting passengers at Chittagong Bus Terminal. I was on my way to Dhaka...to meet my family. It was afternoon 1630 hrs. Meanwhile we all sat down. Fortunately I got my seat beside the window from where I could see our people, our nature and everything. The bus started its journey in time. While it was crossing the oldest flyover over the Tiger-pass, I noticed a well dressed boy of nine years was crying holding the grill of veranda of a four-storied Orphan house. There were other boys too; who all were laughing and playing inside the veranda in bare body, paying no attention to new comer. I assumed, it might be that their part were over much ago and they became accustomed with the surroundings. I stared at the lonely boy, a deep-sigh was exhaled out scratching me inside....

"Roiffa, where are you ?"- Rafik's step-mother cried out from the broken kitchen.

"I'm playing here only, under the Bore tree"- Rafik replied with fear.

"Don't you have any jobs now? You, son of a bitch, got a chance to play a lot today? Let your father to come, I am going to complain against you. What should I say.... your father is an another duffer; hasn't your father come yet? I am dying and you are playing around. What do you think you are doing...; mere gobbling up all..." mother roared at him.

The little boy entered the house sweating...it was so vivid to him that his own mother never used such a slang to him. She used to cuddle him almost all the time and wetted him with shower of divine kisses. Even at that tender age, his small heart could smell the flavor of real love and affection of his mother. However by then he was quite tired and hungry. Rafik was searching something to eat; while he bent his body to get some food from beneath the chowki (bed), his step-mother almost jumped out from the kitchen and pulled his hair from the back. She took no time to drag him out from under the bed and started slapping mercilessly.

"You swine, why are stealing my food?" she started thundering on him.

Rafik was trembling with fear ,"I didn't steal food, I am very hungry Ma"

"You are arguing again with me?" she paused," You monster, you need whole world to swallow?" she threw him at the corner of the house. The tiny body could hardly digest the trust of blows...

" Oh, Ma go.."- Rafik cried out for help. He felt his blood started oozing from forehead and mixing with tears....

My bus went past the house very quickly leaving my thoughts behind......

"I can no longer tolerate your son! Either send him to the Orphan house else I go out from your house" Shahela finally declared in the dark moon night, " he started stealing things, quarrelling with me and what not...". Her husband did nothing but sighed. The poor Rafik was weeping on the floor. He used to do the same in every night, right from his father's second marriage. He recalled how his good days passed away so quickly after his mother's death! Rafik could anticipate his shorter stays in his house but what he could not realize how ruthlessly her step-mother was narrating the lies to father! His tears dribbled down at that emotional point....he started feeling his mother's face beckoning from the dark.."Ma go" he started weeping again. Suddenly he felt a very soft touch on his head:

"Rafi, my son, will we go with me ?"- Rafik's father asked sadly.

"Where Baba?" -he replied in return. Father embraced him deeply, "Orphan house"

"Baba, have I become orphan....." stumbled over his speech, Rafik continued, "right after the death of my beloved mother?" Rafik felt hearing a deep sigh rolled down from the up; but the rest was a blank...!