AN ENCOUNTER WITH HISTORY!

As I was not in a mood to do the assignments from classes, after a hot sweating lunch at around 1, I went out to the park nearby to scald myself in the mild sunrays. It is a real treat when the sun is really shining in the northern part of Europe. People go berserk when the weather is really promising for the full day. So, me also being a part of this town for more than a year now, trying to catch up with some of their good virtues. Not disturbing your friends when they are free for the weekends and allow them some privacy, decided to go and read a book sitting in the green bench near a big statue of a zealous horse being saddled by 3 muscular men. One of them is slinging towards the enemy, the other aiming with a bow and the third one catching the mane of the horse, trying to get control of the horse. The two enemies were lying on their back nearly being trampled by the furious horse in haste.
Every time when I feel like going out for nothing, I just walk up to the park and sit for long hours savouring the silence along with the others who come to do the same. It just gives you a feeling of peace from within, a relief from the stressed mind for a moment.
Today, I read some pages from the novel, one last dance and suddenly when I saw the thick chunks of ice floating around the pond below the statue, I decided to flip the chunks just for fun. I was doing so, then suddenly an old man approached me and said something in his language which I couldn’t figure out. So, I told him that I’m an international student. He then said if I can speak English, and if so can we talk for a while. I said it is no problem to me as he was like my grandfather. He asked me my age when I told him that I’m a university student; maybe for him I looked like a high school student as I have a tiny frame.
We sat in a bench in front of that statue and he started to ask me about my nationality and the rest. I told him and to my surprise he said Nepal must be a beautiful country with all those beautiful mountains, most of all the Mt. Everest. I nodded; he proceeded by asking me what we call in our language.
Then he asked if I liked this town. I told him, I do and told him about the nice things that I encountered here, the civilized & very social citizens, clean and well-maintained historical monuments, and the zealous work force driving the economy towards the uplift of the nation.
Then he asked me if I know some history about the place I’m residing at present. I told him what I knew and he gave a smile and continued what about this proper place? I stared blankly at him. He read my expression, so he went on saying how the statue was being built, who built it and how the sculptor died. Followed by how the surrounding was being settled.
He told me that he paints to earn some extras. I asked him, if he is a realistic or an impressionist painter. He was surprised how I know about painting. I told him as I am in Europe I have to learn about them. About the paintings and the architectures. So, he told me that he is an impressionist.
He said that I am lucky as I can afford whatever I want but he was not that lucky. I blinked in disagreement but he gave me the explanation, when I was in my best years of life, I could not buy even chocolates because of the raging WWII. Our country was destroyed totally during the past, even though we didn’t want to participate, the neighbouring large countries didn’t give us a chance. Every time there was war, we had to suffer directly or indirectly. That is the reason why we are so engross in achieving success in the endeavours today to make up for the losses in the past. His words echoed in my ears, what about us?? This thought make my stomach churn with acid.
Suddenly, he looked at his watch and said he had to go, stood up shook my hand and left after saying, MY REGARDS TO NEPAL! I stayed there dumb folded for a while how myself being young and getting tired of my assignments even when I am carefree at this period and an old man of 75 paying much attention to his time being spent in a park.
What a difference we have about respecting the time and keeping track of ourselves within it.

 BY :-  Grisma.
 

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