The Little Girl..A Small story.

It was basically a very dull morning. The kind of morning, where there is not much of sun, neither much of rain. It was the kind of morning, when you you just cannot wake up early, nor be lazy and sleep a lot and wriggle on a bed. With some great will power, I managed to get up. I had some work, and had planned to get it done on that day.

After the monotonous brushing of the teeth and answering nature`s calls, I was stretching my limbs and trying to keep myself fresh for the day... But man is easily persuaded to procastinate, so I postponed my exercise regime, for a day and lay on my bed.. picked an old Reader`s Digest and was just breezing through, A Picture perfect typical lazy bachelor.

When suddenly I heard a knock on the door, which aroused me out of my dreamy existence. I had already paid my rent, so I was not expecting the landlord, neither was I sure of any friends who had planned to visit me. So with a slight irritation and curiosity, I inched myself towards the door. I then pulled it open....

It was a small girl, in a pretty little pink frock, around four or five years of age. It was not any beggar girl, many of whom painfully roam the streets. She was, if not from a very affluent family, atleast a little girl from a self sufficient family and I also did not recognize her to be any of my neighbour`s children. She looked at me smilingly, while I just stood there and foolishly stared at her, not knowing what to tell to this little early morning visitor.

She then kept both her hands on her head and spoke.." I`m Hungry" . I just then shook myself out of my stupid stance and looked outside to see whether her parents were nearby, or were searching for her. No! There seemed to be no one to take responsibility, nor anyone to help me out in my moment of surprise, but my eyes kept searching and ears kept straining.

"Give me my biscuits.!!! I`m Hungry", the girl thundered. I was immediately at a loss. I sprung to the kitchen. threw around the clothes. looked around my shaving kit.. behind the water can.. in the faint hope of getting something to satisfy her hunger. Finally, from the deepest trenches of my memory, I recollected that I had kept some bread and jam in one of the cupboards by the mirror. I lunged for it, and called out... " I`m coming, little girl"... I made a quick jam sandwich, turned and ran to the door.

She was not to be seen. I again searched out in the porch and outside the gate, all the while confirming that she had gone.. rather mysteriously disappeared. I munched the sandwich, and walked back to my house. I realized that I had, had enough for a day. Getting dressed and ready, I locked my house and walked towards the bus stop.

I heard a woman shouting.. and turned and looked. She was admonishing a little girl, with an ice-cream in her hand. They then walked in to the distance, when the small girl suddenly turned back and looked at me. It was the same girl, who had woken me up. She gave me a gentle smile and turned and hopped along with her mother. I slowly got over, my heart suddenly having missed a beat, and slowly waved my hand, not particularly at anyone, but at a friend, who I felt, would surely meet me again... and then proceeded to my office.

Sitting here, now when I write this, it all feels much like a dream. Perhaps it is...Perhaps not.