NOVEL WEB Just a Normal Boy
Just a Normal Boy
“Again! Yes, strike again! Watch your stance. Your grip should be tighter. Yes, that’s right. Okay, it is enough for today.”
“Do you think I am improving?” I asked my father.
Several months have passed since I first started training with my wooden sword.
“Considering you are just 4 years old, yes,” my dad answered.
“But dear, he is so young. Do you really think he should be practicing at this age?” asked my mother who was watching us practice.
“Normally, you would be right. He is much younger to start practicing, even with a wooden sword. But since we are at war, anything could happen at any instant. So, he should at least know how to defend himself if time comes,” my father answered.
“Dear, don’t say like that! you are scaring me.”
“I don’t want to, but we live at the outskirts of city. The main bazaar— which is always crowded— is just few kilometres away from our home. If the other nation decides to plan a sneak attack on the main bazaar, our small town would most likely be on their target zone. And if something like that actually happens, then…"
He paused before continuing again, "That’s why we need to be ready for the worst-case scenario. I think it is for the best that Anant should know at least a thing-or-two to protect himself in such situations.”
As the mood became heavier, my mother changed the topic. “Let’s eat dinner,” she said before going inside.
What father said is true. If something like that happens, I have to be prepared for it… no, we all have to be prepared for it.
As I was going inside, my father called me from behind.
“Anant come here for a second.”
“Yes dad?”
Before speaking, my father knelt down so he could be at my eye’s level.
“Anant, you are doing everything way before than a child your age should do. You read books above your level, ask questions above your level and now you have even started to train with a sword. You are growing really fast, but… I’m afraid that you might grow a lot faster than you should.
“I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?”
“What I’m saying is… don’t force yourself. Enjoy your childhood, cherish it. It is something we experience only once in our lifetime. Once it’s gone, it will never comeback. So, don’t always spend your time on these things. You should also play with kids your age and should make new friends, understand?
“Yes, dad,” I replied. My father was right. I should also enjoy my childhood days. I don’t want to regret it later in my life.
“Anant, come fast,” called my mother.
“Coming,” I replied.
With a pat on my head, my father said, “Go.”
After eating dinner, I went to my father’s room. He was reading something, so I decided to check in.
“What are you reading, dad?” I asked him.
“It was just today’s newspaper,” he replied.
“Who reads newspaper at night?”
“I was busy this whole day, so I didn’t have time to read it.”
I took a glance at the newspaper and one line piqued my interest.
‘Second born son of the Wheatstone Family awakened at the age of seven.’ What is ‘awakened’? I have never heard of this word before.
“Dad, what do you mean by awakened?” I decided to ask him.
“Do you mean awakening?”
“I guess so…”
“Hmm… why don’t I just show you instead of telling?” my father said.
“Show me?”
He patted the bed and said, “Here, come on and take a seat.”
“Alright.” I sat on the bed with my legs crossed.
He then instructed me, “Now close your eyes and try to meditate. Imagine yourself that you are flowing like a water in the nature. Try to become one with your surroundings.”
“Meditate? But why?”
“Just do as I say.”
I followed his instructions and did what he said.
“Relax yourself. Concentrate your mind. Imagine yourself flowing like the particles of Pancha Bhuta.”
With my eyes closed, I imagined myself being one with the nature, flowing like a carefree soul. The more I concentrated, the more I felt as if I am attaining equilibrium with the nature. But with each second passed, there was a feeling of burning sensation on all my fingers. Suddenly, I felt as if my fingers were in fire. The pain made me lose control and I leaped back.
“Ouch!” I shouted so loud that my mother ran over to us from the kitchen.
“What happened?! I heard Anant’s shout. Is he alright?!” asked my mother impatiently, checking my body to see if I have been hurt.
“I’m fine. It’s just… I felt as if my fingers were burning, but now the sensation is gone,” I said to my worried mother.
I looked at my parents and one had a confused face while the other was in utter shock.
“What happened dad? Why are you so shocked,” I asked my father.
“Did you really feel burning sensation? You are not lying, are you?” my father asked a strange question which I didn’t understand.
“Why would I lie about it?”
“Can some explain what is going on here?” my mother asked, she didn’t have a clue about what we were talking— well neither do I.
“Dear, our son may be close to awakening,” he replied with a shocked face.
“Close to awakening?” my mother repeated.
“He asked me about awakening, so I thought I would explain him by showing how it works. But I never expected he would actually show early signs of awakening,” my father explained.
“You father and son. And here I was worrying unnecessarily,” she then looked at me and asked, “Anant you are okay, right?”
“Yes mom.”
“Good. I’m going to wash the dishes now,” she said before leaving the room.
I was confused. What did he mean by early signs of awakening? What even is awakening?
“Dad, you still didn’t tell me what is awakening, and now you are saying I may be close to awakening. I don’t understand anything.”
“Alright, let me explain everything,” he said before explaining, “When all the channels in our body fully develops, so that the energy associated with the appropriate element could flow through our body without any problems, we say that the said person has ‘awakened.’”
“Hmm… but how does the energy channel through our body?”
“The energy enters our body through our fingers. This energy that has entered, then flows throughout the body allowing us to influence the flow of elements. Almost all humans have natural affinity towards one or more elements. Each finger represents an element and allows their respective associated energy to enter our body.”
“So, which finger represents which element?” I asked, my all focus were on his words.
“Our index finger represents Vayu; our middle finger represents Agni; our ring finger represents Apas; our little finger represents Prithvi; and lastly, our thumb represents Aakash,” explained my father.
“Wait, so the burning sensation I felt in my fingers—”
“Yes. That means that the energy was being slowly channelized through your finger, developing your channels. And if I recall correctly you said ‘fingers’, right?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“That means you have affinity to more than one element. Which fingers they were?” he asked while grabbing my hand and studying my fingers.
“All of them.”
Dumbfounded by my answer he asked again, “W-wait, you are kidding right? All of them?!”
“Yes. I felt the sensation on all my fingers.”
“I-I don’t believe it. That means you have affinity to all five elements.”
After taking few seconds to comprehend, he jumped in excitement, lifting me up in the air.
“I can’t believe you have—” suddenly his face became serious, complete opposite to before and with a solemn voice he muttered to himself, “Affinity to all five elements…”
After putting me down, with a stern look on his face he said, “Anant, I’m asking again. Are you completely sure that you felt sensation on all of your fingers?”
“Yes, dad. I’m sure,” I replied.
His fixed gaze on my eyes made me scared a bit. I have never seen him this serious before.
Finally, after— what felt like ages— he spoke again, “Tomorrow we will meditate once again, just to confirm if you really have affinity towards all of them or not, okay?”
“Okay,” I said in response. Shortly after came my mother from washing the dishes.
“Anant, it’s time to sleep now,” said my mother.
“Yes mom.”
After saying goodnight to both of them, I went back to sleep.
“Dear, you have been reading that thing for the past two hours. You should sleep now.”
“I… I am regretting telling Anant about awakening.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s just… never mind. I’m overthinking. It’s late outside, we should sleep.”
“Huh? Sometimes, I don’t even know what is going on in your little brain.”