ARTICLE : UNCERTAINITY CALLED LIFE

UNCERTAINTY CALLED LIFE

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

17/X/2021

All of us are busy doing something. Some of us have jobs, some of us have retired, some of us are preparing to hop on to a new career, some of us retired long-long back and are trying to use the day in a fruitful manner. Whereas some of us are so small that we do not understand any of it.

Life begins, goes through its ups and downs and one day it ends. How it ends is the big question and no one knows about it.

The other day we had these small munia babies resting on the road, taking a short break to regain strength and then take off, when we encountered them. The very next day we found another pair of small babies taking their first flight with their parents in tow.

Next to where we were seated in the lawn are a few rose bushes. We could make out that one chick landed on it and the other one took a little longer flight to the ramp in front of the neighbour’s house. Pichkoo the male cat was sleeping curled up under the bush which we didn’t notice, as he had blended with the background. With a sudden jerk it pounced in the air to the branch where this little baby had perched and gripped it firmly in its jaws.

Our hearts popped out of our mouths but for the cat it was food. It must have been a rare chance that food landed in its lap rather than the cat toiling to make a kill. We and the bird’s parents could just watch as it was matter of four munches, two from its left jaw and then two from the right jaw. A quick flick of its tongue to wipe out any trace and off it went to sleep again.

Tom the kitten was walking from across the road towards the ramp. We knew the other chick was in danger. Though we saw it landing but was not visible. We thought Tom would miss it. Luck they say plays a part and Tom walked over it. This chick flew. Reflexes of Tom were so sharp that one swipe of his paw and the chick got stuck in its claw. The end of the second chick was seconds later.

Same must be the case of the soldiers who lost their lives in the valley. Though they were prepared to take on the enemy, some bullet from somewhere had their names written on them. This must have been the case of those mowed down in Lakhimpur Kheri also. Who would expect that out of the blue a Jeep would run over them and finish them? A fresh life begins for all those who were left behind.

Now we find Egrets & Mynahs foraging & preparing to nest. Munias who recently lost their babies are back to mending their abodes to raise new chicks.

A frog devours insects and Egret eats frogs. The Mynah ate the ant and in a fight for survival a Mynah died and the ant ate the Mynah. Equation got balanced. The crow kept feeding Koel’s chicks, raising them as his own. Once fully grown they fly away leaving the crow sad.

The squirrel is gathering nuts, betel nuts to be precise. Probably they know the intoxicating properties of these nuts when eaten raw. Their burrows would be now full of them and every night they would be nibbling them, like people drink their chota-chota pegs. I am just conjecturing.

The ‘kitting process’ for mending the nests is on. Munias are gathering hay while the sun shines. Siting the nest would be like siting a Light Machine Gun in the Army. All approaches would be covered. The nest is made on a branch which would not only hide it from prying eyes but be unapproachable to predators. The ‘Scaly breasted munia’ has used such leaves that even if she is hanging outside its nest, one cannot make out.

Thank God the season for the dogs and cats is over. Fight for their territory and brawls are few and far between now. Some of the ‘weak’ dogs are no more visible. They probably have gone to sleep permanently. However, new pups are now on the prowl.

Even plants have a life. Some get infested by bugs, some get uprooted in storms, some die due to lack  water, for some the soil is not suitable. Some still flower in the most difficult circumstances. All of them multiply to keep their progeny going.

No one knows the next moment in life nor can predict it. How and where would it end is also a mystery? So let us live life king size folks and count our blessings. Do you agree? I wonder!!!!!!!!!