To Kill a Squirrel

I think I have killed a squirrel this Sunday.

When we were kids, they used to tell us the story of Squirrels helping (Lord) Rama in constructing the bridge to (Sri) Lanka to find his wife (Sita). The moral of the story was to convey us that every little things matter. One doesn’t have to think about how big/huge (quantity) is the help, but the idea of helping someone, doing those small little things also count.

Rama was so impressed with the aLilu Seve of these Squirrels that he took them all in his hand, one by one and with his three fingers he marked three lines on its back, which represents Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.

We were told that touching those lines on a Squirrel’s back means good fate for us and seeing a Squirrel before exam means good luck! During our school days we used to spend more time on looking out for a Squirrel than to study for the exams. We used to throw stones at all the birds and monkeys if they try to eat any fruits in our neighborhood, but we never used to do anything even if Squirrels finish off jack fruits or mangoes.

Last week, I drove to Missouri with two of my friends to visit few of the Springs in Shanon county. We were on our way back home through a hilly road which was going in all zigzag passion. I saw this Squirrel on road from certain distance away from it. I could manage to apply break and the Squirrel, which was on its way to cross the road stood for a while and it seemed to me as if it has made a decision to go back from where it started. So, I turned the steering towards right, which is away from it so that it gets its way. But half way through, it changed its mind and turned back. So, I had to turn the car towards left now, to avoid me running over it. I don’t know what exactly went in its mind, but I was so damned afraid that I would kill it by then. I dint had much time to apply the break to get the car to a complete halt and this guy sitting in the back seat of the car had motion sickness and I was worried that he might end up vomiting as he was totally uncomfortable with that hilly road. But still I could manage to slow down the car a bit; I managed to avoid it coming under the front wheels, but then came this small jerk. And I end up running over it!!

I had to grow up from being a kid to what I am now, I had to relocate to USA two years back from Bangalore [Bengaluru], and this Friday, I had to drive all the way to Missouri from Dallas to kill a Squirrel.

Ah, its bothering me a lot, I think I have killed a Squirrel L