^{@arjinarahman ©
#Bangladesh 🇧🇩}

Tom and His Lonely Friend

Tom and His Lonely Friend

A peaceful village close to Narayanganj. There huge paddy fields around and one can hear the sound of the Shitalakshya River from a distance. There's an mud house in one corner of the village. A small yard in front of it. This is enclosed by a weak bamboo fence.

Like every other day, an old woman named Rahima Khatun stands in the yard. Her body is weak with age. The Wrinkles around her eyes and the lines on her forehead tell us about many battles well-fought. Once, this yard echoed with the laughter of her husband and son. Now, it is just silence and waiting.

But she’s not entirely alone. She has a companion — a black-striped cat called Tom.

In the soft morning light, Rahima Khatun approaches the fence with a handful of dry rice. Tom runs across the field, tail in the air, from a distance. He weaves around her, rubbing against her legs.

— "Come, Tom. All I have for you is this,"she says and she scattering the rice on the ground.

Tom eats hungrily. When he is done, he rubs his soft little body against Rahima’s legs. The old woman smiles — a tired but devoted smile.

That cat is now her only friend. Her husband, Abdul Halim, died five years ago. Her only son Rashed left for Dhaka, and never came back. In the beginning, he would call her and send her money. Now, he does not even call. Rahima does not know how he is or whether he even thinks about her.

Rashed was once never more than a step from his mother. He couldn’t sleep without having eaten the food she cooked. Now she knows neither his address nor even how he’s living. All she remembers is what he said before he left—

— "One day, I will become successful and you will come with me to the city, Ma."

That one day never came.

These days, she feels weaker than usual. In her chest, there is a pain and in her head it is dizzy. Maybe her time is near...

Rahima Khatun sits slowly to the ground in the yard. Tom approaches, rubbing up against her. He appears to know that something is off. Rahima strokes his soft fur and whispers-

— "You are the only one I have, Tom. Will you miss me when I’m gone?"

Suddenly, she hears a voice behind her—

— Ma!

Rahima looks up in surprise. Her son, Rashed, is at the door. His wife stands next to him, carrying a bag of groceries. The eyes have regret and the face guilt.

Rashed runs to his mother and kneels at her feet.

— "Forgive me, Ma! I forgot about you. But I have come to you. "You’ll never be alone again."

Tears stream down Rahima’s cheeks, but a gentle smile breaks across her lips.

The waters of the Shitalakshya River shine in the distance under the the sunlight. Sitting in the yard, Rahima Khatun gently pats her son’s head. The cat Tom sits quietly beside them and wags its tail.

Today, someone has come back home. Love has come back.

I invite following users for the contest
@mboma
@wildnature1
@vonnaputra

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Here is: Contest Link .
Organized by @solperez Ma'am.