Love Is Sacrifice

It was a sunny day in April. My father and my sister were shouting to me, "Pam, where are you?"

I was sleeping. Anyway I was going to getup early in the morning. My sister shouted again. "Pam, where are you?"

I got up quite lazily. My father and my sister were ready to go swimming. They loved swimming. But I hated it. I truly hated the salt water getting inside my nose. Yuck! But my sister and my father loved it all the more. And they loved to take me with them. Just to see my face when they jumped into the water.

I soon got dressed and went down to the car. My father and my sister were there waiting for me. And they were grinning happily.

I guess they were happier troubling me than going to the sea.

It was a long journey. But I had a book with me. So I had no problem. But my father and sister were shouting and jumping. They were singing all kinds of stupid songs. But I did not care. I just loved to see them happy.

Anyway after a journey of two hours, my father and my sister were happy to see the sea. They changed quickly to swimming suits. I simply sat there and put the sunshade. My father and sister played in the sea.

My father cried, "Why don't you join us?" I cried back. "No, I am OK here." My father said it was OK and suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to bring the food packet.

I offered to bring it down from the car.

My father said, "The car is parked very far away and it is heavy. You won't it be able to manage it." He added, "Take care of your sister", and went away.

I was happy under the umbrella. How beautiful the sky is! Nature is so beautiful! The chirping of birds, the trees swaying in gentle breeze... It was all so beautiful, I thought.

Suddenly I heard a cry. "Pam please help me!"

It was my sister crying. I cried aloud, "What happened?"

She shouted "Shark, Shark!"

I sank back. I thought, shark! I can't believe it. Shark got my sister. No, it is not possible. It can't be possible. My sister interrupted me, "Pam, do something, or I will die". May be I could do something. I saw a stick. I picked it up and swam to her. Water gushed into my nose. I felt choked and suffocated. It can't happen. I want to save my sister. At last I reached her.

The shark had got my sister's feet. It was pulling my sister down into the water. I will do something. I beat the shark with all my strength. The shark did not leave my sister. Instead it grabbed her more tightly. My father came just then. He was shocked. He stood like a stone.

I did not lose hope. I remembered reading somewhere that the sensitive part of the shark was its nose. That did it. It let loose my sister's leg and bit my hand. I started hitting its nose again and again with all my might. At last it left me and swam back. I took my unconscious sister and came back to the store. My father was waiting, stunned. I gave my sister to him and fell unconscious.

When I woke up I was in the hospital. My father was there. I asked him, "How is she?"

"She is fine." I felt relieved.

"And mother?" I asked. He said that she was with my sister.

I tried to move my hand. It was painful.

My father said, "Pam, you don't know how brave and valiant you are. You almost sacrificed your life for your sister."

I said to him, "No, never tell thanks. Love is sacrifice and sacrifice is love." We both smiled.

Source: from Chithra Venugopal, XII
Kochi: Cardinal H S School, Thrikkakara