MICHAEL JACKSON-My Dubai Journal-The Legend I fondly remember

REMEMBERING THE TIME

It was the best of the times; it was the time when I heard the golden voice of a man who made History through his music albums. It was 26th Feb.1988 the time when I could hear the music of the King of Musical fantasy, Michael Jackson, invariably in all the FM radios and TV channels in Dubai. It was the time when his musical album ‘BAD’ captured the hearts of millions. Now I fondly remember the time when I fell in love with the greatest musical work of Michael Jackson the Pop idol of the world.

The world smiled with him when he smiled. Such a charming smile, he was wearing, the smile of the century, which inspired millions to follow his step and offered unconditional love towards people. The talent he had towards music and dance was enormous which reinforced his success and made him an adorable personality among the people eternally.

Millions of people were inspired by his music, yet his dance movements were unique which attracted even those who never had the slightest idea or interest in dance. People were spell bound by his melodious voice when they heard his song ‘Heal the world’. All this was made by a slender and simple man who was wearing a look of charming smile. When I heard the song ‘Beat it’, I was enthralled and verily moved by its lyrics. It gave so much of power, the power to transform entire world.

The time has changed and so the fashion, the likings the culture the technology the adaptability and so on. Amidst the changing spree, nothing could influence and effect change to the likings of his music, the music of the ultimate King of Pop.

His music and songs displayed the power, courage, passion, love, romanticism, agony and ecstasy as it outperformed the contested simply because it reflected the true emotions of the artist. I often used to ponder the wordings of his song ‘your sweet memories, will always be dear to me’. Yes Michael, you are not only dear to me, but for millions who loved your greatest work towards music and dance.

Such a beautiful artist could not resist the controversies and criticism about his personal life. I would only say ‘Those who find ugly meaning in beautiful things are the corrupt without being charming. For them, there is no hope’ the very quote of Oscar Wilde.

Now I sadly remember the present time as Michael has gone. The Moon walker, the King of pop has walked away, not away from the hearts of millions, just away from this planet.

‘The Artist is the creator of beautiful things’ is the wordings given by the great author Oscar Wilde. The Greatest artist of our times Michael Jackson, who had created historical music albums is certainly the creator of beautiful things. Leaving his priceless treasure of music albums, the thirteen times Grammy award winner has walked away, as time has taken him, not his fame.              

Not knowing this truth, my seven years old son asks ‘Dad, can we go and see Michael once please’. ‘It must have been love, I lost it somehow’, the famous song lingers in my mind.

The Caller-A Short Story

THE CALLER

That was the day when I got the call. Such a pleasing voice, originally pleading and the idea was to dominate. The female voice from the other end stated that there is an offer from so called M club and has got so many benefits etc. etc. In response to that call, I politely replied that I am busy at the moment and I may talk to the concern person later. I really was busy and I only told the truth. Life has so many offers and often there may be few or only one choice at the end, I thought.

The next day I got the same call, the voice showed some sort of intimacy as if she is very close to me as well as very near to me. There is a point beyond which one cannot move, I remembered the dialogue from a famous movie. The main point is again about the club membership, but our conversation through her talk indicated some thing personal and it revealed that she didn’t talk to be like a prospect. She wanted to know my name and I said half of my name. When I asked about her name, she said a name which I really thought it may not be true. This way our game continued. She asked me what you ate and I said something. As a formality, I reciprocated the same for which she said something. Life has so many games but the perfect game is not about winning or losing. Its all about playing the game by all the rules for the same. In other words it is about playing the game perfectly.

That was a Saturday afternoon. The quality of the Saturday is to get the full day work done in half a day. This time Merlin, the tele caller didn’t speak about business. She was so enthusiastic and her voice was so jubilant. She spoke to me in such a way as if she knew me for ten years. How it could ever occur in any one’s mind, I thought. It was so funny, though I appreciated the same at the moment. In the mid our conversation she appealed for my friendship and insisted me to help her by getting her some leads. As I was not personally convinced about the concept, I never was willing to give her my leads as a matter of fact. Next time when she spoke to me, she was so personal and telling me how reluctant she was to do the telemarketing job. She also told me that she is in her early twenty’s and wish to settle down with a stable job soon. In spite of the fact that we both never met each other in person and our acquaintance is only over

Telephone,  she posed me the question whether she could come to my house etc, etc. It really sounded me the funniest of all and I didn’t reply for the same. It is highly dramatic and life is full of such dramas because no one ever knows when it will end.

Now the call started coming frequently, as frequent as three or four times in a day. Though there is no subject to talk, there was some talk no matter it is important or not.

When we like someone, we talk, that’s all. Now I started expecting her calls, the way we feel hungry periodically, until we get fed. The disease needs no reason; disease needs to be arrested at once. Medicine cause bitterness, yet we swallow to eradicate the disease or stay healthy, whatever the case it may be.

I am terribly busy by profession having no time or need for romance is in my late 40’s. Perhaps the caller must have mistaken me as youth through my voice. I seldom believe the words true love or true friendship especially with opposite sex. It is not that I am trying to be practical, just am being normal.   

It was 7 pm in the late evening and I was on my way home and amidst heavy traffic. I got the call from her. She was casual in her talk and talked as if I am very close to her. The fun was both of us never proposed to meet each other. Though I never took it so serious, I really wanted to avoid future complications that may pop out of this. After all we are strangers isn’t.  I just want to end the game.

‘I want to tell the truth.’ What truth? She asked, It is about my age, I replied. You must be twenty eight or thirty two, she giggled. Now I understood why she spoke to me. ‘Will you continue to be my friend if there is much age difference’, I asked. She didn’t conform; she must have got confused I thought. Often when confusion and confrontation occupies the position, life becomes dormant and ineffective. She never was annoyed but some sort of fear must have encircled her.

I am in my late 40’s, I confessed. She must have been astonished. ‘Are you married‘, she asked. ‘Yes, and I have two kids’, I replied. She was quiet for sometime. I could hear over phone she was yelling at someone near to her. Hiding her disappointment she told me that someone near shouting and that makes the conversation inaudible.

The next day I expected her call as usual but she didn’t. This is a very recent habit or practice that urged me wanting to speak to her. She only called first, and if the so called friendship prevails, she may call, I thought.

Now the confusion is over. Mind is as clear as rain water. There is a price for every thing, true friendship has no expectation. One cannot get windfall profit. Quiet often the profit it earned out of hard work and sweat. The one thing that propels me these days is the belief in truth, She never called me after that, I think the game is over for now.

The work of Humour-Ruskin Bond

Book review- A Handful of Nuts by Ruskin Bond

The idea of reading the work of  RUSKIN BOND, the well known author was pending for a long time.  As my daughter kept on advising me to read his works, I decided to buy one and found a book called ‘A HANDFUL OF NUTS’ by the said author. At first, I was not much interested, but  when I finished reading the book, I was moved verily by the humorous yet powerful narration about the author’s young age encounters and adventures in terms of his love, profession and acquaintance when he was just twenty one.

It reveals that the author often leads a very simple life as the earning of Mr. Bond was very meager those days to lead the standard lifestyle. Though his bank balance was just Rupees Two Hundred and Fifty  only those days, his aspiration to succeed was so big, that took him to success as a great author, during his later part of life.

As a matter of fact, it never occurred to me to write a review for the literary type of book, yet I took fancy to do so for this fabulous book of Ruskin Bond ‘A Handful of Nuts’. The struggle of this  writer who began his writing career those days and his aspiration towards success was the main theme of this autobiographical book of the author. His book shows his efforts to continue as a writer by living on its meager income with no ones support literally in 1955, the year when he was too young.

Mr. Bond’s writing is rather clear and understandable by all and very humorous even when he explained about his tough times, as he could have believed “tough time will never last”.  One effective point the reader could understand from the author's word is,  in spite of the struggle, he was always cool in handling situations, and often enjoyed his life in a simple but pleasant manner. He had manageable contacts, acquaintances, and friends, thereby making his life easy. The highest level of his sense of humor was the best plus point.

In his book, Mr. Bond takes the reader with him in order to visualize those days’ fashion, beliefs, culture, trend and lifestyle etc. He makes the reading pleasant through his simple yet expressive way of writing which makes the book not to put down by the reader at any point of time.

Each and every incident that originally occurred in his life was explained in his own style there by making the reader laugh aloud. Especially his love intended for ‘Indu’  (his one side love)  which turned to Maharani ( Indu's mother) and the series of unpleasant incident occurred thereafter was such a hilarious comedy for every reader.

He took few of his characters and gave life to it so that it looked more real than it could have been actually.  Sitaram,  his only assistant/support,  Indu,  his so called lover, Maharani,  Indu’s  mother , William Matheson, Suresh Mathur,  and  Jai Shankar were the characters  which were crafted and refined by the author and given to the reading public for their clear cut understanding.

The pleasantries and bitter moments of his early days, during 1955 was depicted in a finest way adding humor to life that makes any one to believe and remain self confident at all times.