Little Ishi

It was a quiet lazy afternoon, the kind where cats are sleeping, stretched out under the shade, away from the sun - not that it was a hot day. It's not hot but it is still day, with a few hours to spare. While all was relatively still, with hardly any souls stirring, there was a whisper of a breeze blowing, softly as if it was irreverent to wake up whoever was sound asleep in their own worlds of dreams.

But little Ishi was awake, dressed up in his Sunday's best, but not going anywhere in particular. Certainly, he wasn't going to their little country town, which is about 5 kilometres away, over the green forested hill, to the north.

Nope, Ishi was transfixed at that moment, by a little bubbling brook that runs past his grandfather's house, the house that has been handed down from one venerable generation to the next. In the slight glistening reflections off the clear waters, Ishi's eyes glinted with curiosity and life, fully absorbed gazing though the almost transparent hypnotic waters to the scenes of life beneath.

The best way to describe this is to imagine that Ishi was an invisible giant towering over a town and peering into the minutest details of life in that community. It felt like that for Ishi was fascinated that there could be so much of little creatures actively living their God-ordained existence beneath the waters of that brook.

Just at that moment, a beautiful dragonfly, flitted and fluttered, in an unpredictable pattern of flight, filled with zigs and zags, in all sorts of direction, well, it landed nearby on a long blade of grass that waved ever so slightly as if disturbed in a deep sound sleep.

Ishi was within arm's reach of this wondrous flying machine of nature. But he knew enough, being old enough, having experienced past encounters, not to move even one muscle. All he did ever so consciously was to turn his eyes towards the resting insect, and once again, trained his eyes to gaze at the beautiful intricate patterns, admiring as only a wide eyed child would.

Besides, Ishi, which in Japanese means stone or rock, having understood the meaning of his name, has at times played at being as still and as silent as a rock. He was good at that. Very good. He's never been known to be a boisterous one, not a crying type, not hyperactive. No, Ishi was by nature, reserved, reverent and reflective. He was an observant type, learning, drinking in sights and sounds, as if storing up all such experiences of life, as a treasure house. Stored for latter days, grown up days, old age days. It seemed that way. But that's for later on, still many summers and winters away.

But for now, Ishi was mesmerised in his immediate world. He was as much in his own little world wide awake as the two pet cats were deep in sleep and probably chasing birds or mice in their own dream world. Just as mesmerised and in their own worlds was Ishi's parents, and even his grandparents for they were all dozing, taking afternoon naps - perfect for the last day of the week, or if you choose, the first day of the week.

But already all these worlds are about to change.

A high pitched feminine voice, not unpleasant or shrill, called out. It came from somewhere inside that family home, a place of comfort, love and security. It's mom. She's calling out for Ishi, not in a frantic or panicky way, but in a motherly way, from a heart that knows love.

In a flash Ishi stood up, turned around, replying in his boy sized voice, just as eager as his mother's voice was loving. With that he ran up the slight slope towards the house, past the garden shrubs. Life around the house was stirring again. The dragonfly too was gone, airborne in a flash, startled by Ishi's sudden actions.

And the busy little creatures beneath the waters of the brook went on, life as usual, utterly oblivious to what transpired beyond their water world.