The leather flower pot

 “Beep beep,” the municipal waste truck honked from the dusty road above my master’s cozy house. “Hey I am coming, wait for a minute” shouted my master harshly to the rather shy boy hanging from the metal rod on the truck.

“Here you are, I wish you could have come later,” my master yelled to the boy as he dumped me and my friends into the filthy stinking dark truck. “Sir, the brown hush puppy leather shoe looks new, why are you throwing it?” the boy inquired hesitantly. “You can take it if you want, my boy,” my master was prompt to respond.

 “Bang, bang” the timid boy banged the truck. “Ala! What is this? I guess we are in hell.” my friend, the torn hat shouted. A large metal plate pressed us so hard that my friend, the green vinegar bottle died but i managed to breathe through the crushed cardboard on me.

I could not see anything as I was pressed hard with my friends but I knew we were taken on a bumpy ride as the stinking truck shook hard like a rolling stone.

After about half an hour, the rusted door of the truck opened and we are pushed out. “Phew!” I took a look around me. The ground was big for English Premier League football players to play a match here but the air was thick with pungent smell of rotting garbage. I stood there on a broken yellow toy truck waiting for some kind hands to pick me up softly and wipe me clean.

I could see few kids merrily playing at the far end of the ground. I called them out at them at top of my voice but they seemed to be engrossed in their play.

“Hi, nice to meet you, I am a hush puppy shoe. What is your name?” I greeted the black fat dog blissfully. The dog did not appear interested in talking with me. Instead it sniffed me with his dirty sweaty nose and moved on like a sloth.

“I know someone will rescue me from this hell of rubbish” I comforted myself. The sky frowned and growled so loud that the lazy black dog frantically ran across the filthy land fill. The children too seemed to be going home. “But wait!” They weren’t going home but running towards me. “Ah! That’s it, God had answered my prayers,” I congratulated myself.

“Wow how beautiful, look at it?” the kids praised me lavishly, “let’s take it home and play.”  I was proud to be a hush puppy shoe. A tall boy with his unhygienic hands ambushed me yet I was happy. The happiness did not last long. The boy did not take me; they kicked me and took the toy truck that I was on.

I never thought the children would do this to me. “That’s it” I glued my emotions, “I am finished here. I will rot in this whiff ground.” That was the saddest day and look like the end of my life.

Suddenly someone woke me from my cry. “You appear to be upset, what is wrong with you? I shall take you home.” A little cute girl with plummy red cheeks picked me up. She understood my language and emotions. “God has not forgotten me” I murmured myself.

The plumy girl showered me gently with warm water and soft brush. I felt rejuvenated and fresh and wished to thank her from my heart. She took me into her dimly lit house which was made with metal drum sheets. She took me near the warm fire made from card board burning and dried me. She then pulled her torn shirt sleeve and rubbed me. “There you are, you look much better now” the girl said, “I have something surprise for you.” She took out an old note book and flipped the pages neatly and ran her finger through them. 

“Can I see what you are looking at, please” I pleaded. As if she heard me, she turned the book to me. “See, these are the flowers that can be planted in you.” she pointed to the brightly coloured flowers in the book with their names under it, “This is what I learnt during my school days in Radhi Primary School.”

She left me on a broken chair and ran out contented. I was looking at the beautiful portraits of our king pasted on the metal sheets when she was back with a small plant. It was a small bell flower.

She took kept me down and placed the flower in me. I was uncomfortable yet loved it as I was of some help. She added soft loamy soil and smiled. She then watered the plant with a steel cup and placed me on her neatly arranged shoe rack.

Though I was a discarded shoe, I did not lose my heart. I kept on comforting myself and god answered my prayers. Now I am out of the stinking land fill and I am happy that I am home to a beautiful flower.

I don’t know for how long I will be with the girl caring the flower but as long as I am alive, I shall and I will always thank her.