Baba comes home and I shrivel,
The tired look on his face pushes me back.
He asks for a glass of water,
And I run to fetch one for him.
Handing it over, I secretly wish
It would wash down all his weariness.
Baba lies down, shuts his eyes
And orders for every noise to shut down.
Hence my task is to shush down my siblings
Till Baba awakens.
And yet when he is up and fresh,
Baba knows no means of communication.
I have wondered all my life,
How can one human keep it all inside,
Only to show the fine phases,
Hiding all the sorrows and worries.
So when we had to shift back to our Hometown,
Leaving Baba all alone,
We realised the depth of his silence,
And I missed it so much more.
For the silence had held
Such an aura of dignity,
Only breaking on instances,
To render wisdom and admonitions.
I compared Baba with others;
Those Dads that were ‘friendly’,
And I concluded that they lacked
The loftiness that my Baba possessed.
Yes, Baba is friendly,
For I find my confidante in him;
As he knows me the best,
And always seeks the best for me.
But just like two people-
When in person, they have no words to say;
Baba and I talk for hours, texting,
Can’t help it, it’s just that way!
Over the years, we have grown closer,
Understanding, supporting each other;
The hard times get easier and,
With his words of wisdom, I seldom falter.
Over the years, I have learnt,
Communication is a talent, only a few possess.
It helps in mending a lot that is broken,
And my Baba has excelled in it, in his own ways!
Written by: Saadia
Edited by: The Editorial Team
© The Islamic Reflections Blog
