A twinkle in their eyes

Story is from a train 9-10 years ago - place called Yadgir - 2nd sleeper.

travelling unreserved (for a short journey) is this 30 something man and his 9 year old son. This little boy has this easy mannerism - beautiful smile and a keen mind. In no time he is a darling of the crowd and he seems to be enjoying it too - theres a twinkle in his eyes - wait something strange about them - what?

His father then tells us the story about how this only son of his was diagnosed with cancer of the brain and eye - that his one eye had to be surgically removed and replaced with an artificial one - that he spent months in a faraway hospital in Mumbai and spent days every month travelling to make it there. How he had to neglect his booming business to take the child from doctor to doctor and chemo to chemo. but both father and child had this serene air about them and not once did either of them complain. the few of us who were complaining about the heat and the dust just shut up and stared. i remember the evening in vivid detail so many years later - hope the family is doing fine... and hope that i can stop complaining and keep smiling like they could...