Cynthia's thanksgiving

Cynthia was cycling early in the morning along the long stretch of road as a part of her daily exercise. She chose this lonely road very rarely as it was free from heavy traffic and was lined by trees on both sides giving a shady and cool ambience. Only some stray trucks could be seen at long intervals. When she started this day, she hesitated for a few seconds to take this route as the sky was overcast and cloudy but decided as she felt she could make it before the rain came.

As ill luck would have it, the sky broke loose when she was midway and what started as a drizzle became a downpour. She looked around and could see no houses or a shelter to escape the rain except one house a little yonder. She cycled fast, left the cycle at the gate and ran on the pathway to the door of the house that was deep inside. She was completely drenched. As she rang the bell and waited for it to open, she looked around. The lawn was uncared for with litter and leaves scattered all over. The windows were all closed indicating that the house was uninhabited. The downpour was torrential. She pressed the bell again and kept the finger long on the switch.

After a long interval, the door creaked open slightly. She saw with surprise a handsome man in his early forties, strangely well-dressed at this inappropriate time in a three-piece suit, smiling at her.

 “Please come in. I am sorry I made you wait. Make yourself comfortable. I see you are drenched but can offer you nothing, except a towel “he said.

When she looked around for a place to sit, she found the sofa and chairs all covered with dust. Cobwebs were hanging everywhere from the ceilings, windows and walls. The floors looked dusty and had not been swept for a long period. He looked incongruous in his smart dress in a place so despicable.

As if reading her mind, he said “Yes, I am sorry the place is not presentable. That was the reason for my hesitation initially to let you in. But the rain is so heavy that I had not the heart to turn you away.”

Are you living alone? The place looks uninhabited and desolate” she asked.

“Yes, I am living alone. I am sorry I am not able to entertain you with tea and snacks. There is water in the tap. Better you don’t use it.” he said

“Sorry for asking this. Aren’t you scared to live in what looks like a haunted house? Can you not get someone to keep the place clean just like you? Please excuse me for my reckless question “she said

“I am accustomed to living here. True, the place is not looking good. I am unable to get it cleaned as much as I would wish. If you have no objection, I have some work upstairs. I will go. Please be at ease and you can leave the place when the rain stops without having to take leave of me. Just keep the door closed as you leave” he said, taking the stairs to the first floor. As he was climbing, she could see him smiling at her as she mumbled her thanks.

After he left, she peeped into the kitchen on the other side of the hall. There were some unwashed cups with brown stains, cockroaches running all over and a few plates and dirty saucepans around the place. Here again, the whole place was filled with cobwebs with soot hanging all over. There was a stale smell that made her feel like vomiting. She closed her mouth and nose with her kerchief and came out hurriedly near the front door. She never liked the place and wished to get away as quickly as possible. Luckily for her, the rain had subsided and there was only a slight drizzle.

Cynthia opened the creaking door softly and as she turned to look at the staircase to see if he was there, she saw on the mantlepiece a large framed photograph 4x2 feet in size of a person in a three-piece suit. She looked intently and it was the same smiling gentleman who was talking to her. Stifling a scream with her hand and with hair that rose to stand on its ends all over her body in fright, she ran out to the cycle at the gate as fast as her legs could take praying to the Lord all the time. It was only after reaching home that she could breathe calmly.

When Cynthia opened the newspaper the following morning, she saw at a corner a news item,

A YOUNG COUPLE WAS ASSAULTED AND ROBBED ON A DESOLATE ROAD. THE GOONS TRIED TO MOLEST THE WOMAN AFTER TYING THE INJURED MAN TO A TREE.

IT WAS ASCERTAINED FROM THE MAN, THAT THE WOMAN WAS SAVED AT THE NICK OF THE MOMENT WHEN A DARK SKELETON-LIKE APPARITION WITH HOLLOW EYES AND SUNKEN CHEEKS APPEARED FROM NOWHERE BEFORE THE GOONS IN A THREATENING MANNER, MAKING THEM RUN AWAY IN PANIC. THE POLICE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE CULPRITS.

She could not resist the thought that the suited man in the house could have been the ghost who helped the hapless woman and how gentle he was to her. As she read further, she found her surmise correct as the horrible incident had happened near the entrance of the haunted bungalow a short time after she had left. It was a narrow escape for her. She shuddered to think what could have happened to her on the road if she had delayed her departure. She crossed her chest with her hand grateful to the Lord for saving her. She knelt before the Lord’s picture with tears in her eyes and her heart suffused with gratitude and joy.

“God’s miracles are unbelievable.  He can make impossible things possible…Glory to God…”