Koru

Hope

I remember sitting on the last bench in front of me was a huge board with an empty chart pinned on it. I was holding a pencil worried. A person walked towards me who I barely spoke to, asked permission if he could sit in the empty seat next to me. After a minute or two of silence he starts off by telling me a story of a old man who likes to sing songs sitting on a thinnai in front of his house everyday.. literally everyday. No matter whatever disturbances the surroundings have to offer he always makes sure he sings and finishes his song loud and clear. And again there was a minute of silence i was wondering if the story was over. Didn't feel like the story actually ended so I asked him if that was it.He replied “yeah”.

There were so many questions I had in my head thinking why this story.. and why to me.. and why now.. .Then after a couple of minutes of silence again he started to share his experience of seeing the turtle hatching when he visited a turtle camp last Sunday with his friends . It was early morning and the sun hadn't come out yet. He and his friends reached the turtle camp to collect all the eggs that expected to hatch that day and an expert who takes care of the turtle eggs from other animals eating or killing them. Don't ask how they know which are hatching eggs and which or not .The people who study about turtles know it .They were all set to leave the eggs near the beach shore where they were found,by this time the sun came out a bit making the sky bright. They started the walk along with the guard dog from the turtle camp. There were three or four of them i guess along with the dog. They laid all the eggs to their positions and waited to see the eggs hatch.Turtle as a very sensitive birth experience once they come out to the world they don't have their parents around them but they know to find their parents in the ocean once they hatch they start flapping their hands and legs towards the ocean waves. There were nearly 20 to 30 eggs in the hatching pit. Around 10 to 15 eggs hatched after some time they made all the arrangement .Sound from the ocean waves and the magic of turtle hatching simultaneously all eyes were at the eggs even the guard dog looking at them so silently. After a couple of hours there were 5 eggs which hadn't hatched yet and the sun had come to their eye level . The turtle expert walks towards the eggs and says 4 of the eggs' colours have changed; I guess they are probably dead inside.

But he was very sure that 1 egg was perfectly fine but it just needed some more time .They all sat on the sand looking at the endless water and waiting for the egg to hatch. After a couple of minutes they all hear an egg cracking. They immediately stood up slowly keeping their eyes on the egg ,even the guard dog made sure it didn't make a single sound. This turtle hatch was very special to them; they waited for a very long time for it. They couldn't take their eyes of it.The turtle breaks the shell comes steps onto the sand.They say turtle shell is hard as stone in years but when its a newborn its so soft and brittle, the baby turtle starts flipping heading towards the ocean waves.After couple of steps they all notice a crab coming out from the shore sand and moving so fast to towards the turtle to catch it .

They noticed it and stayed calm because they knew this was a cycle of life . If the turtle is meant to be eaten by the crabs they can't do anything about it but they keep watching at the turtle wishing it could reach the shore before the carb grabs it.But the carb was so close and it was about to catch the turtle….. There is a sec of silence… a big ocean wave carries the turtle towards it. He ends the story by saying “hope”. The bell rang and there was silence. I didn't say or ask him anything . i just smiled .He takes his leave.

I still wonder how he knew … There were 45 to 50 of us in the room. No one noticed but he did.I needed hope.A small hope.I never knew a random story or experience could be a hope for someone else.

Koru - a small hope thrown to me for a new beginning .

Thank You !

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