Gerald D'Cunha

T here are many people in my life – some of them live thousands of miles away – I genuinely wish them to be happy and joyful. Right now, that’s happening… some of these people come before my mind… and my heart simply wants them to be happy and joyful… I may not convey this feeling to these people… I may not meet them for years and years… But, I genuinely wish them to be happy and joyful… For, I know I do. If that’s true, it is also true that there are so many people out there who must be genuinely wishing me to be happy and joyful, always. Aren’t there such people? My college-days friend, Joe, who lives in Mangalore, sends me amazing Good-morning messages. Some of them, as the phrase goes, make my day… Some of them tickle me, some of them make me smile or laugh, some of them make me soar high and touch the stars… and some make me cry in joy. Whatever the effect, I see it this way: If my friend sends me a message every day, he must be thinking about me every morning...

    I need not know, why there is such a deafening roar Near the sea shore; I need not know, why, sometimes, meteors fall; I need not know, why my brother laughs when I brood, Why the sun burns and I cry; I need not know, why someone loves a sword When I love a pen… I need to know this: Everything is important, everyone counts! I had scribbled this Note – call ‘Poem’ if you wish - in my diary some fifteen years ago. Then, after five years or so, when I was putting together some of my Notes to publish, this Note, this poem, popped up like a Genie in the bottle… and stood before be! So, it became the title of the book: ‘Why The Sun Burns!” I began my Introduction with this poem…  It still haunts me! Why some things, in Life, happen the way they do?   Why some people come in our lives the way they do? Why sometimes dreams… and why sometimes nightmares? Why this uproar in my soul, wh...

 An hour ago, I was talking to a lady. It was afternoon time, so I asked, “Ma’am, lunch over?”.  “No lunch for me today; Friday is my fasting day,” she told me. “Every Friday?” I expressed my surprise. “Yes, every Wednesday And every Sunday, too,” she replied. “My, God! What for you fast so much?”  I enquired. “Wednesday for my husband, Friday for my daughter And Sunday for myself and a few dear ones,” This lady told me. “Please add me on your Sunday list, ma’am,” I said jokingly. “You are there in it, already!” I was told. “So kind of you, ma’am… So sweet!” I exclaimed. Was she serious? She must be. So many times I tell this to so many people, “I will pray for you.” But then, do I? And, so many times I tell it to some people, “Please pray for me,” and I am told, “Certainly, I will.” But then, do they? All this happens so mechanically… a...