Yes, That Grumpy Old Man

2ND PART

1 Month Later

Sorry. Sorry for breaking the window of your car. I threw the ball, yes, that's true but it wasn't my ball, dude uncle uncle's dad old uncle old dude dude. Please don't call the police, please! I am Sorry and John is sorry too as it was his ball. He didn't say that but I know. And I think your car is very old. So it won't be a big deal, you know! Please sell it and buy a new one. It's an advise advice.

From Ryan, I am the boy in the yellow shirt at whom you shouted.

Huh! Advice! He must have known the spelling of it correctly before rendering me with one!

   
Mr.Gilbert closed Ryan's very first letter and got hold of the cup of soothing coffee. Days passed but neither did Mr.Gilbert receive another letter from the kid nor did he see him another day playing in the lawns in front of his house, with the other boys. 

Something must have happened to Ryan or may be he read my letter and kept it fixed there itself! May be he is scared of me now - uttered his venerable yet adamantine oubliette-like brain. Mr.Gilbert opened another letter from the box, which held 12 more little letters of the same kind after taking a sip of the warm coffee and placing the cup rightly on the table.

Hello dude! Just writing to you for something exciting today. Okay, guess it while I gulp down the milk mom gave me. You know, I hate milk! But you know my mom! I don't want to take any risks with her. So here I have to drink the whole milk now, before she comes back again from kitchen within 5 minutes, mom said. That's the deathline deadline, she told me. Okay, so keep guessing, what for I am writing to you today!

   Noooo.... Nooooo!! Nothing happened in school. Kate? No, she didn't come too. Wait, there's a surprise! Okay, More three months to go, for something very special. You must have already guessed by now. Yes, Its my birthday! Ting!!  Dad said he will buy me a bigger bicycle this birthday if I score A in numbers and I am sure I will. And mom said she will invite all my friends home for a party! We will have a whale of a time, dude! And there, mom doesn't know you, so I am inviting you to my birthday. You will get cake to eat. Isn't it wow?! And you can meet all my friends too, and yes, you have to bring a gift for me. All friends do when they come. 

                           What would I like?! Mom told I should not ask for any gifts from anyone. So you can bring anything you like, but I like story books and video games too. Well, I forgot to tell you the date. You can well understand how excited I am, isn't it?! Okay, okay, its on 12th of August. See you there, dude! We will have fun.

By the way, I have a question, why don't you write back to me? Can't you write on your own? Or are you still angry with me? Or you don't like the way I call you dude? 

From Ryan.

Mr.Gilbert realized that his coffee was staring at him with a cold eye. He got up and was going towards the kitchen as something caught his weary sight. The calender which hung from the wall, showed that it was Sunday, the 12th of August!

Oh no! Today is Ryan's birthday! The thought of Ryan's absence and hence made him itch with anxiousness. He went towards the window but there wasn't Ryan anywhere. Mr.Gilbert sat on his bed while Ryan's handwriting wandered through out his mind.

Why wasn't I writing to Ryan so many days even when he went on writing to me? Didn't I like his addressing me as dude?! No, not at all! I find it cool, oh I mean, I find it okay! Why didn't I like him? Just because he broke my car's window and then didn't even hesitate giving me advice about it? No, I don't think so! Do I really hate him? I don't really think so, I mean I quite like that kid! May be I am missing him and so his absence is so much worrying me! And may be he's just the only friend I have in my life,in my whole bloody life?! And today is his birthday, and shouldn't I write a letter to him? But well, he won't come and take it?So what do I do now?! 

Thoughts kept him busy through out the day. Yes, he missed that annoying kid! He has started loving that kid. He didn't annoy him anymore. He loved Ryan, just the way he once loved his own son who ditched him together, along with his wife. But he was scared, scared of getting ditched again. He promised never to care for anyone in his life, but his doddery heart gave up on his decision at last.

 Mr.Gilbert sat on his chair with a paper, a pen and the ink, again. He started writing -

Hello, kid  dude! Happy Birthday! By the way, how old are you with this birthday?! 

The Grumpy Old Man, Harry! (Did your mom say what Grumpy means?)

He closed the letter and put it inside an envelope. He put on his favorite shirt and his more favorite coat and stepped out of his house, his hand holding his favorite letter. He started walking towards the park and walked and walked until he saw a yellow house just behind the park.

To Be Continued....

To read the 1st part please click on the link - http://preetidesarkar10.blogspot.in/2014/02/the-grumpy-old-man.html