Bedford Town, England
It was a Wednesday morning, Everyone in the town of Bedford went about their daily business.
Sarah, a 25-year-old good-looking woman from Amsterdam, is an accounting teacher in a private school in Bedford. She lives on the third floor of a beautiful apartment surrounded by maple trees near the school she works at.
It was 8 a.m that morning, She was taking a bath in her bathroom humming one of her favorite song. At that time her cell phone rings, despite the sound of water in the bathroom and Sarah's busy singing, she doesn't hear the cell phone ringing. After a while, Sarah comes out of the bathroom brushes her head, dressed up and gets ready to go to her work. She half ate the food in her hand and drank a glass of milk and picks up her bag, coat and other out 'fit in a hurry, Suddenly her cell phone rings. She reaches into her purse and takes out her cell phone. Realizing that it is her dearest friend on the phone, she accepts the call with a bright smile on her face and started to speak.
"Hello Madhu, how are you, I was thinking about you even yesterday, why didn't you call me for a week, did you forget me after you got married?" Sarah said in a brisk manner.
Madhu started to reply her, Sarah listens to her reply in silence for a minute. Her smiling face slowly fades after listening to Madhu.
"I can't believe what you're saying, I can't believe it, and I know you won't play around in this matter" Sarah says hesitantly putting her bag and coat on the table and sat on the nearby chair with her cell phone on her ear. Tears well up in Sarah's eyes and she wipes them away and speaks to Madhu
"I will leave for the city tonight." She says and disconnected the call. For the next two or three hours, her mind was filled with many thoughts, Due to mental stress, she sat on a chair for a long time. She regains her consciousness after some time and informs her highness about her situation and prepares for her journey. She made a call to a travel agency and asked to do the arrangements for her travel that night. It was snowing unusually that day. Hours were passed so quickly. She spends the whole day packing her luggage, And now it's 5 p.m. Someone knocks on her apartment door. Sarah went to see who is on the door.
"I'm coming" she answered and opened the door.
It was her travel agent, with some travel documents in his hand.
"Everything is ready ma'am; your flight will leave from London Luton (LTN) Airport at 2 a.m. You must be in the airport before 9 p.m tonight, Give us a call if there is any problem on boarding" the agent said and handed over the documents and leaved the spot gently. Sarah closes the door and walks back to her bedroom, sat on the couch, took her cell phone and made a call.
After 10 seconds of waiting the other end phone was picked and responded by a female voice "Hello".
"I am Coming" Sarah just said that and disconnected the call.
Weather is getting worse outside, city roads were filled with vehicles; many streets were closed due to tree fall. It's 7p.m and Sarah is getting ready to leave for the airport. She made a call to the taxi driver whom she used to call regularly and asked him to pick her up.
After a while the car arrived and she loaded her luggage in and started to the Airport. Sarah's face was not looking good and she kept on thinking about something the full car travel to the airport. There was a big traffic jam at the entrance of the airport and Sarah's car got stuck between them, but fortunately her car was just few meters away from the entrance gate, so she paid the taxi and took a walk with her baggage's and went inside the airport.
Sarah use to fly many places from the same airport before but because of her upset mind it looks very unusual that day. It looks very noisy and crowded everywhere. She was at a loss as to where to go and who to ask. Her act was like a blindfolded woman left in the forest. Due to bad weather, many flights were changed in departure times and many flights were cancelled.
Sarah thought herself, that day was going to be her worst day, She felt that, not only men but also God were testing her today. After completing all her boarding procedures, she was directed to the boarding passengers waiting hall. She bought a cup of coffee to compose herself calm and started to drink it slowly. She asks herself "why am I so upset? why it is so hurtful? why am I losing my control?" She remained silent for two minutes as if waiting for an answer and replies herself.
"Because it's my father"
Sarah's mind voice started to shout inside her head. "Yes, yes it is you Mr.Willam, you are the reason, you are the reason for everything happened in my life. I am coming only for you mother, not for anyone else, I am coming so that you don't suffer" She closed her eyes like fainted and her mind started to visualize her past life.
10 years ago, Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is known for its artistic heritage, extensive canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, a legacy of the city's 17th-century Golden Age.
Sarah was the second child to her parents and she has an elder brother Robert. At that time she was studying her 10th grade and her brother was about to complete his 12th grade. They both were studied at a private school which is located 10 miles away from where they lived, and her mother Aana was a homemaker and a strong believer in God who would sing devotional songs in churches. Unfortunately "William" the father of Sarah and Robert also worked as a teacher in the same school where his kids were studying.
William lives a respectable life, He is very popular among students to the point of envy of his fellow teachers. He is a bit different from the usual teachers, He believes that education is the foundation of any human being and parents spend on education is the most important investment in their child. His colleagues were friendly when he is with them and bad-mouthed him when he was not there. Even though he knew it and he doesn't bother about that.
The students he produced during his lifetime excelled in various fields across the world. He really enjoys teaching students. William treated all of his students without prejudice and did not give any special privilege to his own son or daughter.
William likes to smoke often, but he didn't do it in front of his kids. Apart from studying, Sara spends time playing with her neighbor and friend Madhu, Sarah and Madhu are friends from their childhood. Most of the days Madhu stays at Sara's house. Aana and William treats Madhu as their other daughter.
William, who feels like a good father at heart, never shows it, and behaves in a demanding manner with his children at home and at school. Because of this, William and his son Robert often had arguments. Robert, who did not like living with his father decided to stay and study his college studies at the college itself, So he went away from his house. But William did not regret this, hoping that Robert's decision would help him understand the outside world. This incident affected Sarah so much that she could not accept the separation of family members. From that day on, Sarah harbored a slight grudge against William.
Years passed and now Sara's college is about to begin, Sarah wants to study culinary arts, but William insists that culinary arts are natural for women and that she can reach great heights in life if she studies Accounting. Arguments over the matter continued in the house for two or three days, and Aana was confused about whose side she was on, eventually William changed Sarah's mind. William somehow got Sarah to agree to his decision and she did her accounting study at the college he recommended. Although Sarah completed her accounting at William's insistence, upon graduation Sarah found a well-paid job as an accounting teacher at a private school in Bedford.
Sarah, who does not agree with leaving home is shocked again and has to go abroad for work, but it is father William, Sarah knows very well about his stubborn. With no other option, Sarah accepted to go.
On the day she leave, goes to her friend Madhu and bids her farewell, asks her to take care of her parents and call her often, takes her parents' blessings and leaves her home in a taxi.
After Sarah goes abroad for work, she only hears about her parents from Madhu, Sarah doesn't want to come to her home even on her vacation holidays. Her anger at her father was at its peak.
"Passengers kind attention please"
An announcement voice interrupted sarah's visualization. Sarah regain her conscious back, kept her coffee cup aside and went to board on her flight. She boarded the plane and sat in her seat. Now she hears what Madhu said on the phone that day morning.
Madhu's reply "Today morning I saw your parents in nearby hospital, I am shocked to see your dad on bed. Your mom said not to tell this to you, but I will feel guilty if some things wrong happens, so I'm informing you this. please do action."
That was 1 hour and 15 minutes journey from London Luton to Schiphol regularly, because of the bad weather it took almost 3 hours from takeoff to landing in Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. After landing, Sarah made a call to Madhu and asks which hospital mom and dad are in and takes a taxi to that hospital. It was early morning, so the roads were calm with fewer vehicles. She reached the hospital in few minutes gets out of the car in a hurry and puts her belongings aside inside the hospital, goes to the help desk enquired about her parents location.There Sarah's mother Aana is sitting in a chair in corridor. After looking at Sarah coming, Aana stood up and went to her.
"Sarah! why did you disconnected my call? Is it Madhu who told you about us? There is nothing serious here." said Aana.
"What is the matter? what did the doctor say." Sarah asked Aana incessantly.
Aana started to tell everything "Usually, I and your father come to hospital every month for regular checkup, and this Monday we arrived at the hospital he was suddenly fainted. The doctors checked him and told him to take rest. We can't take rest at home since he will keep on thinking about something, so we admitted him to the hospital. Yesterday morning Madhu came to see your father, but when she returned, her face was very pale. I thought of she might inform the situation to you, so do she did. And you disconnected my call yesterday just saying "I am coming" before I could explain you everything, but it was a good thing you came. Anyhow it's good to see you all together again."
"What do you mean all? Who else is here?" Sarah asked in surprise
While Sarah is asking Aana, She noticed someone is coming close to her from few distance away.
"Is it Him" Asked Sarah
"Of course Yes" Aana replied
Sarah is surprised to see Robert after a long time, she rushes hugs Robert and said "You don't have any love for us, How come you have the heart to separate us and go away." Robert comforts Sarah by rubbing her.
Robert calms her and accommodates her a seat.
Sarah was not able to control her mouth and emotion "I have never accepted separation in my life, but I have been living so far away from my loved ones for so many years, and he is the reason for this."
"If you want to develop knowledge, you must go to places. Sacrifice is also one of a way to success. Just because I leave home, it doesn't mean that I don't have affection for those at home. It is the imperative of time" said Robert
"No, I don't agree, you're just saying this to appease me, our father William is responsible for everything that happened in our lives. First he allowed you to go out and then sent me abroad for work. Our father is a hard-hearted person, he has no family attachment" Sarah argued with Robert
Robert replies calmly to Sarah " Please control your emotions Sarah, it was only after I went out and lived, that I was able to understand the outside world better and that it is rare for anyone to have a father like our father."
Hearing this from Robert, Sarah got confused.
Robert sat near Sarah and started to tell her the whole story he knew about his father William.
"Even then, and even now, our Father has only done what is good for us, we don't understand a person's mind when we are with them, but only when they are away from us we do understand their beauty."
"Unbeknownst to you and me, our father was taking care of us, After I left home he kept a close eye on my activities and only allowed me to go out after confirming the presence of an old friend of his at the college I attended."
"Even the job you got abroad was not against your will, That's the job our father fought for you. Ever since you joined your college, he has worked hard for you and achieved this."
"A year after I left our home, I came to know about our father through his friend, and after that I only listened to what our father said. The job I am in now is also fought by our father."
"He has spent all the wealth he had on our education, and now he has nothing, but he is relieved that we are well."
"After you go abroad for work, I use to come to our house once in three months and take care of our parents. Because you will come back emotionally, we have made sure that you do not know any of these things."
Sarah can't believe what Robert is saying; she went to her mother Aana and asks if Robert is true, "Does Dad like us? Is it true that he was so sorely to us because he cared about our lives?"
Aana opens up her mouth "Both of you are our world, your father has been felt sorry for many times for treating you and your brother so hard, I am the only one who knows that your father did not eat and was sad in the room on the day your brother left our home. The day you left for work abroad, I saw your father's eyes tear up for the first time. He was very careful that there should not be any flaw in your studies and career development."
She points to the room where William is lying and said "He is full of desire to see you and your brother, but since he didn't allow me to call you. He thinks it is an unnecessary travel for you both. Just because recently Madhu saw this condition of your father, she could not bear it and informed you and your brother about this and summoned you."
Hearing these all, Sarah realizes her mistake and feels that she misunderstood her father. She is stunned by what her mother and Robert have said. She regrets thinking how big a mistake she has made.
"Dad has been sick for a week and last time I came he was talking about you. He must have been in bed because he was thinking about you too much; His mind is more affected than his health" Said Robert
The next minute, Sarah's mind is racing to see Father William, Aana also understands this and shakes her head as if to go see her father.
Sarah went inside the room and saw his father was lying on a bed calmly; she has never seen his father in this silence. William was shocked to see Sarah coming, and he made a fake shout "Why, why did you came here, no one needs you here, go back"
"Your acting is rubbish, I know you want to see us, and also I know this You Mr. William! You are a good father" saying this Sarah ran to William and gave a big hug crying.
William was so happy to see her daughter Sarah after a long time, and his face was full of laugh. At the same time Aana and Robert enter the room. William said to all three with a smile "Now I can even die happily."
"That's not possible Mr. William, you just had a minor health complaint and it can be rectified by a course of medication. I have already discussed with the doctors who treats you. You can be discharged at any time" Robert said this in happiness.
"Surely nothing will happen to Dad, There are many good things to see in his lifetime along with us, and we will never forget our debt of gratitude to him for the rest of our lives" Sarah said to her mother Aana.
"I'm going to take you two with me, Mom and Dad is to stay with me for a month and with Robert for the next month. We will not miss the days of living with you anymore" Sarah confessed.
William and Aana nod their heads as agree.
Sara then gets a phone call,
She attends the call and says "Sarah here" and stopped for a second and answers back again "Sarah William here".
- Happy Ending -