Refresh, Recharge, Return

This is my fifth post.

I must admit that the response to my blog has been woeful, but I am not a person who gives up easily. My pride has been dented, for sure, because I value myself as a writer; writers who believe in the import of their words need patience, especially in this day and age where use-and-throw is the norm. We often give precedence to petty things because we don’t want to make the effort to read diligently. That is perhaps why writers sometimes fail to make a mark, for apathy is in the midst of all endeavour.

What’s done is done, I suppose. When I launched my blog, I received about thirty responses in the form of emojis and a few messages of congratulations and encouragement. In reply I asked my readers to comment on my stuff—not just laudatory, but judgmental observations too. I haven’t received any disparaging remarks so far; in fact, if the criticism is focussed on the writing and not on the writer, I have to say that such comments are welcome—they indicate that the piece of writing has been taken seriously and deserved studied response.

Now let me talk about the readers who did respond as I wanted them to. First was Jackie, who said she enjoyed the way my short-story “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” unfolded. Then there was Ayden Jo who was so thrilled with the outcome of the first blog that she informed me she was going to show it to all her friends, just to tell them about her grandfather’s abilities. Then there was Anita, who found some nuggets of embedded wisdom in the story about Uncle Tom. That made my day; when a reader is looking for treasure and finds some, the joy and satisfaction rubs off on the writer too. Also, Dennis, from Australia, who said he hoped to continue reading what I had to say, week after week. And finally, there was Abdul Wahab who commented that the piece took him back to his school days and the unforgettable teachers he had known and appreciated.

There was more in store for me, this time from an unexpected quarter—my cousin Terry. I know he was happy with the short story, not just because the original Uncle Tom was his father, drawn from my memory of times long gone, but also because it rolled back the years. On a holiday from America, he visited me and made it a point to visit our old school—Vestry. I didn’t tell him about the story then, but very recently I gave Terry a run-down on the school so that he could finally connect all the dots and have a comprehensive idea of how things have panned out.

The person who has read all my work is Helena, my wife. She’s been reading my books for decades now and what she once read incensed her. She got over it finally and now is a captive audience of one.

I am proud of what I have achieved—four published works, a host of essays and articles, and much, much more to come. They say: “No joy for the writer, no joy for the reader”. This is a serious truth. When I go back to my writing, I derive immense pleasure and that’s what keeps me going. One day, perhaps, the world will take notice.

By the way, all these books, including "In the Beginning" are available on Amazon.