Edifice

It was all ruins. Wires and bricks and steel rods were scattered around. Heaps of rubbles were loosening, for the earth was shaking beneath. I was scared. And motionless. The gust with all its might was blowing hard, carrying with it, particles of various sizes from the rubble around. The atmosphere was one of death. The grey sky didn't help my feeling. I hid my eyes behind my arm, as the wind started blowing savagely.

Knowing, rain could not be farther, I looked around. The rawness of human flesh scattered around started becoming visible. The savage sound of people screaming for help was audible. I looked around further to notice hands and heads popping out of the rubble waving for attention and help.

The grimness was aggravated by a flash in the sky. It was almost blinding. And what followed was the most ferocious and fearsome grumble of the thundering sky. And the sky poured all it had. In tonnes and tonnes. As I looked up, water splashed on my face. And I screamed.

And I woke up from the trance. There were no ruins around me. No flesh. No gust. No darkness. I was screaming though. My shirt and body were wet.

The tap at the wash basin had just loosened and water was spraying on my face. I realized the trouble I was in. I realized my inability and helplesness. I realized that people are going to lose because of me. My action. Rather my inactions earlier. I came out of the rest room into the hall where all the affected and to be affected were standing. Looking at me. He was also there. Peacefully, almost sagelike, looking at me. Into my eyes. Into my mind. Into my life. His eyes imploring 'Why? Why didn't you try?'

"I didn't try, because I didn't know." I blurted without thinking. Laying bare of my helplessness and inability.

"Son", he spoke, with the same calmness, the words which'll resonate for the rest of our life, "You didn't know, because you didn't try."