Children of light

Yesterday evening as I was returning home I stopped at a signal, it was a long wait and then all of a sudden I saw a soft fluffy hand tapping on the car window. The little hand has lost its colour due to heavy layers of dirt on it. 

This tiny hand belonged to an equally small girl who was smiling at me. She is hardly 8 or 9, has a round- slightly chubby face that is only adding beauty to her innocence.

We had a barrier of a closed window between us but as I looked at her, she responded with joy in her eyes and a big smile on her face. She thought that I would give her some money, oh..did I forget to tell you that she was one of our regular beggars.

I didn’t give her any money although I wanted to but something stopped me, rather we communicated by only our face expressions. Then as the signal went green she beaconed, that we will talk more tomorrow, same time – same place.

I thought to myself, what are these children doing on streets? They should be under the love and care of elders who could protect them. 

I mean our children, our nieces, our nephews are so important to us that just to see a little smile on their face we can move heaven and earth, if we really can. We can be fiercely protective for our children and God forbid we can even go to the extent of killing somebody whom we fear might harm them.  

So why not somebody put that loving tender hand on these children, why not somebody do something? Each one of us, a common man, government officials, influential people, opinion makers see these children on streets begging, exposed to horrific kind of physical and emotional abuse daily and yet we ignore and move on as if nothing has happened. As if these children are not human but they are some species of animals who don’t have any fate.

Having no answer I turned to my Friend, God and asked Him: ‘You are Almighty, all Powerful, Magnificent, Omnipresent, You manage this planet so perfectly, and You and only You have the Power to move heavens- You are God, right?

God: ‘I suppose so’.

Me: ‘So why aren’t You doing anything? All you need to do is say ‘kun’ and it will Be’.  

God: ‘Yes that’s what I do but you see my dearest, I cannot just use my powers like this. I follow certain rules and regulations, I do not interfere with people’s matters until and unless they precisely ask me to’.

Me: ‘Please I am asking you to interfere, after all this is a grave matter and should be solved on urgent basis. There are definitely NGOs and many people who are supporting shelter programs for these children, however, that is not enough and something drastic has to be done.’

God: ‘If you think what is being done is not enough, then why don’t you do something about it. After all you I have given you education and power.’

Me: ‘Power- what power? I am just an ordinary citizen of this country, who is minding her own business. I am contributing by making charity, working and educating; what else can I do? This is not a simple issue, there are so many factors involved here. Besides I have to first see my personal welfare and of those around me, this is not my job.’  

God: ‘You love children, don’t you?’

Me: ‘Of course I do.’

God: ‘Then why don’t you do something? Go home, have your dinner and think about it; because if you really want to then I can use my Powers to help and guide you.’

Me: ‘Me? All alone, being a female and against such a huge task. Really, can I? Can we? Any ideas?’

Sonya Syed (Day 464).