An Offbeat Decision -Ifrith Islam

‘A car crushed against a truck…
A scream of a woman was heard…
Lying there a woman with one hand on her stomach and the other hand was holding the car handle seemed she tried to protect herself…
There was blood all around the road…’
All of a sudden, my eyes snapped open and I was up with a foggy vision. I tried to get adjusted with the view front of me. First, the greenery view came with the window on the south side; the alarm went off and the realization hit me. I flopped down on the pillow, tried hard not to think of the nightmare.
Outside was gradually getting brighter as the ticked. I got up but didn’t leave the bed. I was looking at the photo on the side table brought a sad smile on my face. The harsh reality came back to me vividly. When I blinked, a tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped the wet part of my face, got out of my room to get some breakfast. I had been living with my parents but right now they were visiting relatives and my sister was here on a sisterly vacation.
I limped outside with my tea mug in my firm grip and a new book on the hope of finishing it that day. There were several chairs on the porch and I occupied one of them with the view of brown and green and some flying birds.
The wafting fresh scent from the woods nearby made my nerves alive even more. I was never a fan of trees but after the dreadful incident quietness became best friend. At this early cold morning, there were birds chirping happily everywhere. The sip of hot tea left a warm sensation in my throat but a winter breeze brought a shiver as a gift abruptly and simultaneously a cry of a little human was brought along.
All my five senses became alive and waited to hear that cry again. It came for the second time and that was loud and clearer which sent a bloodcurdling sensation down through my spine. The whole vicinity became pin drop silent. I shop up from my chair and winced in pain instantly as I made my way down the stairs. The pain didn’t leave me as I crossed the uneven yard and the old memories came back— I was accidentally got shoved toward the glass door, the glass couldn’t help me to get my balance back instead it shattered and resulting me to fall on them. I blacked out. Later, I woke up in hospital and discovered my numb legs. The damage wasn’t severe so on the hope of getting better I got released with the conditions of doing physical exercises regularly. Now I could walk but not without pain in the left leg.
The rustling of dry leaves on the forest bed announced my invasion as it broke the complete silence. The forest was big with old trees but since I grew up near it, which gave an awesome opportunity to rediscover. After some more painful minutes I finally reached a small red colored blanket wrapped around a beautiful adorable baby lying on the forest bed. A deer was there smelling it but when I approached it went away.
I got on my knees, picked the baby up instinctively just when an old breeze decided to go by. The baby looked at me and gave me an adorable laugh. An overwhelming happiness swept through my mind.
The familiar delight reminded me the sorrowful road accident- I was so happy when I had heard about becoming a father but the joy didn’t last long as a fatal calamity snatched it away along with all the hope.
Suddenly a thought crossed my mind; I made decision because of the letter I found inside the blanket. The child was indeed from a poor relative whose parents were dead. And also the relatives were too poor to raise the girl.
She would be my baby girl and would grow to call me Daddy.
MY BABY GIRL…