SAMPLE CHAPTER OF FLUTTERING SPARROWS

Chapter I

Dr Oliver Middleton stood transfixed, staring at a faded picture of a boy and a girl in their school uniform, oblivious of the people around him and the circumstances that brought him there. The sight of the picture hit him like a thunderbolt. He had never expected to see that picture elsewhere after thirty-four years and in Anita’s home. He felt distraught and weak as his blood pressure rose, and that made him queasy. To avoid falling, he sat on the chair behind him.

He mechanically moved his right hand, that was resting on the sidearm of the chair and slowly lowered it into the side pocket of his trouser. The fingers disappeared into the trouser pocket and reappeared holding his wallet. He felt a heavy trembling in his hand.   Holding the wallet in his left hand, that was placed tightly on his left thigh for support, he slowly opened the wallet and extracted a photo from one of the folders. The same picture on the wall stared at him from his trembling hand.  He suffered an identical jolt and the rush of adrenaline into his blood when he saw the framed photo on the wall. It was still staring at him from the wall like the one in his hand.

Anita, sitting along with her grandparents on the couch across Dr Middleton, saw her boss in distressed condition and experienced a momentary oneness with him. She knew that he was fond of her and Mark, but she felt its depth in his current suffering. She had lost her husband of one day, somewhere in the outer space that morning.  

It was her idea to bond with Mark in marriage, hours before his spacecraft was due to leave the launch-pad. She did not know whether it was out of an intense feeling of love for Mark just before he was about to embark on a journey of millions of miles.  Or was it an act of defiance at the Regulator’s refusal to approve her travel as his co-passenger as the company had planned? Did she feel the immense burden of grief at her husband’s death? She did not know.

Anita did neither know if Mark had marriage on his mind. His only focus was on the travel that was the sole passion and the mission of his life.  Did she love him so much as to culminate their relationship in marriage? Until she was told that the Regulator had not approved her travel, a marriage was not on her mind too. It was a momentary decision, and Mark had agreed. Mark would have agreed to anything proposed by anyone during those days when he was preparing for the travel. He was too much excited to think through anything, let alone process the consequences. Both of them knew the risk elements in space travel, but there was no discussion on them. It was an awful subject, and it would only raise the level of fear and uncertainty. It was better to put it off until it occurred.

Anita’s colleagues led by Dr Middleton were at her home to offer their sympathies and support at the hour of her grief. In their busy life, it was not often that they met outside their workplace. A tragedy had brought them together. Her grandparents had travelled from San Francisco despite their failing health. Her upper lips moved sardonically at the thought of how her life had come full circle in one day. Her grandparents were her only family all her life of thirty-two years until she married Mark a day before. And Mark was gone.

Anita was not alone in noticing the twitching of Dr Middleton’s facial muscles. His colleagues who had accompanied him also had seen his uncharacteristic behaviour.  

"Dr Middleton, is there something wrong? May I help you?", one of his colleagues asked.

Dr Middleton heard the question. He thought that it was coming from another planet. Or was he himself on another planet! He quickly gathered himself and returned the photo into the pouch which he deposited back into his trouser pocket.   With the support of the arm of the chair, Dr Middleton stood up. He felt that his legs were wobbling.

"Sorry, it is nothing", he said to no one in particular.

"Please excuse me for a few moments. I need some fresh air". There was no need for an explanation. The people gathered there knew the affection and regard Dr Middleton had for Mark and Anita. They knew how devastated he was on two counts – the death of Mark and the failure of the mission. Only Dr Middleton knew why he needed solitude and fresh air.

Dr Middleton slowly pushed the door open and stepped out of the house, and into the beautifully manicured courtyard in the front. He was not in a condition to notice the marvellous settings of the approaching dusk.  The setting sun shone the flowerbed on the left and the row of roses on the right.  The sky of the west splashed all over with bright red, gold and yellow and highlighted by a bit of blue and a bit of black, framed the sun that was hanging above the sea like a red-hot iron disk sliding rapidly downward.

Dr Middleton felt disoriented. His nerves were under heavy strain. He was not sure if what he was going through was real.  His heart, mind, and brain were converged on to one object – the picture on the wall. How did that photo come to Anita’s house?  He clearly remembered the day that picture was taken thirty-four years back.

One day he and Mia were sitting hand in hand on their favourite bench on the bank of the canal inside the garden. They had come from school and were in their uniform. A tourist, a young woman had passed in front of them. She paused, returned and had asked them?

"Would you mind if I take a snapshot of yours?" Oliver and Mia had exchanged glances to ascertain each other’s mind, and he told the tourist that she was welcome. The tourist had taken their photo. The tourist, then, had introduced herself as an amateur photographer and said to them that her name was Rachael. Oliver had told her their names. They had a silly laugh together after Rachael had left.

After a week, Oliver had received an envelope from the school post office. The name written on the envelope was ’Oliver’ without the last name. The address was just the school’s name and the place.  On the back of the packet was written, Rachael. Oliver had opened the envelope and extracted from it two copies a photo of himself and Mia in school uniform. He had handed over one copy to Mia keeping the other copy with him. His copy was still in his pouch.

Dr Middleton felt restless and agitated at his helplessness in finding out the answer. He knew that it was not the time to inquire about a picture when the family was at the worst moment of their grief. But there was no other alternative in front of him.  The pressure building inside him was unbearable. He felt that his heart would burst.  Gathering himself with great difficulty, he opened the door and entered the house with trepidation.

CHAPTER II

After the hot, humid and long summer months, the weather was turning pleasant, though still warm. The leaves on the trees had started changing from green to gold, crimson, amber, and jewel-toned purple. Large leaves had started falling through the crisp autumn air.

It was a beautiful morning in Orlando. Oliver Middleton reached the school, bubbling with energy and with anticipation. Oliver was beginning his junior year. He felt a rush of excitement to be back among his friends and for the great expectations ahead. He had a lot to catch up with his friends, whom he was about to meet after a gap of two months. Oliver entered his classroom with a huge smile on his face and, as usual, offered a spirited ’good morning’ towards his classmates in general.  He could hear several ’morning Ol’ and a couple of ’morning Mid’ as he made his way to a seat in the second row. His friendly nature, and at the same time, his high intellectual disposition, had made him popular among his classmates.

 Oliver had a wonderful summer that he had spent with his parents cruising the Caribbean coast. His father James Middleton had promised to take him on the cruise as a special gift for Oliver’s outstanding performance in his sophomore examination. Oliver was a bright student, of which James had no doubt. Whenever Oliver scored high marks, he showed his appreciation and encouragement by taking Oliver on long travels. These gifts did not affect the mandatory annual trips during every Christmas that the family undertook to far off lands. James enjoyed travel and would organize one under any pretext.

"Travels open you up, and knowledge enters you.", James would tell Oliver. "By meeting people and seeing new places, you allow the vista of your experience expand"., he would add.

James was making money from his well-established business in financial services. His reputation as an honest and upright businessman, always willing to help his clients, was impeccable. He was hugely proud of his son, who was brilliant, well-mannered, and ambitious.  He knew of his son’s aspirations to become a space scientist. James was happy with the progress Oliver was making in his studies. Perhaps, it was too early to decide whether he would stick to his ambition to become a spaceman or change his mind for other options as he got exposed to more of them.  James would be happy if Oliver chose to study finance and eventually take over his business. If Oliver did not join him, he would have to sell his company or hand over the management to an outsider, which thought would give him a shudder.  

While taking his seat, Oliver was about to look around to make sure that all his classmates of the previous year were back in the class when a teacher entered the room.  

"Good morning everybody", a smart young man, exuding confidence and wearing a genuine smile, said as he walked towards the podium.

"I am Ronald, Ronald Fullerman. You can call me Ron. I am your class teacher," he said as he placed his books on the table on the podium. Ronald’s was a new face. The students took a few moments to register the name and the new teacher’s face as they were expecting the familiar face of one of the veterans. It was not usual for teachers to leave the school Oliver was attending except for sickness or superannuation. They were like a family. Students knew every teacher in the school, and everyone knew each other. Therefore, it was a surprise when Ronald Fullerman walked into their class and introduced himself as a teacher.  The students were highly disciplined, and they responded with ’Morning Ron’ while still in a state of stupor.  

"Thank you. Now that you know my name, I would like you to introduce yourselves", Ronald prompted.

One by one, the students introduced themselves, giving the full name and the short name by which each of them was usually addressed.

"Good morning Ron. I am Mia Highsmith. Mia is both my long and short names."

Suddenly, the students turned their heads to the back of the class to see from whom that voice came. They had not expected a new student in their class, and the school book had not mentioned a recent admission.  They realized that in their excitement of meeting their friends after the long vacation, at once engaging in hugging and back-slapping the ones near and across, they missed out on the lone figure sitting at the last table.   Mia was a new student in their class.

As an exclusive private school, Oliver’s school did not admit new students into higher classes, but there were exceptions. For the students in the class, it was the second surprise in a couple of minutes.

"My parents moved in here last week. We expect to be here for at least two years. I am excited to be with you." Mia said in a friendly tone, shifting her gaze from the teacher to her new classmates who were straining their necks to have a glimpse of the new student in their class.

Mia’s father, Mathew Highsmith, was a tactician at the Center for Diplomatic Relations in Washington. CDR was a highly regarded and influential body in the field of international relations. It was an experts’ group drawn from several countries. Various governments used their individual as well as combined experience, knowledge and expertise into raising diplomacy to higher levels. CDR had offices in several countries. Governments regularly used them for resolution of disputes that they did not want to be in the public eye. CDR achieved solutions acceptable to all parties speedily and without going through the bureaucratic or other inter-governmental hassles saving time and maintaining honour. The governments trusted the group’s ability to achieve results without attracting undue publicity.  In most cases, the press came to know of the deals after the results were achieved.  

Mathew was also an expert in swiftly identifying the underlying cause of a dispute that made negotiations and resolutions faster.  He was an indispensable member of the group. His ability to go straight to the core of the issue was recognized and used fully. As he decided to hone his skills further with advanced academic qualifications, he moved to Orlando on a two-year sabbatical to do research and study, that would lead him to a doctorate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the University of Central Florida. He enrolled himself at the School of Security, Politics and International Affairs.

He owned a house at Windermere in Orlando which was among the assets his father had left for him. He researched well to find a suitable school for his daughter Mia who was due to enter her junior year.  The school he found for Mia was an exclusive school for the children of the elite. Private schools like the ones Mathew found for his daughter were expensive and were usually out of reach for the children of civil society servants like him. However, affordability was not an issue for him. Mia was his only child. And his late father’s estate gave him more than he could spend. A few strings pulled, Mia was offered a seat at the school.

Oliver and his classmates noticed that the new student was friendly, open and smart. Mia had a pretty face and a winning smile. They instantly liked her and determined that she would fit into their group.

CHAPTER III

During the lunch break, most of the students from various classes gravitated to the restaurant where they could catch up with each other while having lunch. They stood in the queue to pick up salads and toasts or burgers. Oliver picked up his tray and filled it with a salad of fresh vegetables, a few pieces of boiled egg and two pieces of toast. He picked up a glass of fresh fruit juice and was looking for an empty chair when he saw Mia, who was also looking for a place to sit.

Naturally, Oliver knew the place better. "Hello, Mia. I am Oliver. We are in the same class. Care to join me?  I am sure I can find a table for both of us.", he told Mia.

Mia suddenly withdrew her attention from the rows of tables, and the students occupying them. She turned to Oliver, feeling jarred by his unexpected address directed at her. She recovered quickly and smiled at him as she remembered his name during the introductions to the new teacher.

"That is so nice of you. I was getting somewhat lost in the new place.", Mia responded and followed Oliver.  

Both made their way to the back of the dining hall, where Oliver found some empty seats.

During the lunch, Oliver learned that Mia and her parents had moved into Orlando only a couple of days back.

"We are still in the process of unpacking and setting up the house as a home," Mia said as she picked up some vegetables from her tray. She said that her father was working with a non-governmental organization and did not elaborate further.

She had done her elementary to high school in the same school in Washington.  She was excited about the new place. She was keen to be friends with other students in the school and looked forward to participating in sports and cultural activities.

Many of Oliver’s friends stopped by to say hello. Some of them introduced themselves.

"I hope to pursue my studies in contemporary literature. I intend to teach and write." Mia declared. She had already chosen her future path, which she was willing to share with anyone who cared to enquire.  She asked Oliver about his plans.

"My father wants me to study finance. He has a selfish motive behind that thought. He is in the financial services, and he wants me to join him after my studies. He wants me to take his company to the next level" Oliver said and continued.

"But I am determined to study space science. Space is going to be my market. The moon and Mars and all those planets and indeed, the entire solar system is beckoning to be explored.  It is happening now, and I want to be part of it."

Mia was fascinated by Oliver’s unbridled enthusiasm for space exploration. She wanted to hear and understand more about outer space. But she reserved it for another occasion.

CHAPTER IV

Oliver sat at his desk in his bedroom. He opened his exercise book to do his homework, but he could not concentrate. He felt awkward at an unusual feeling and tried to shake it off. The more he attempted to shake that strange feeling off, the rush of the sensation increased. He had never felt such a distraction before. He started enjoying that non-specific distraction which was creeping through his mind and body. He felt weak and lazy. He closed his book and lay down on his bed.

Slowly an image surfaced in front of him. He could see it now clearly, the innocent face of a young girl smiling at him. Suddenly he realized that it was the face of Mia.  Oliver was surprised by himself. He was not usually affected by anyone the way he was being disturbed by Mia’s image now. There were more beautiful girls in his class and indeed in his school, but he never felt for them the way he did for the new girl now. There were several occasions in the past when many girls behaved coquettishly with him, but he never had any interest in them. He never felt anything different to any girl from the usual friendship, not unlike the affection he had with his male friends.  

It was different with Mia. He felt a surge of blood in his veins every time he thought about her. She was attractive. She was beautiful. He could see her wavy, golden-brown hair falling brilliantly on her shoulders which covered her nape. Her eyes were emerald green. Long lashes framed those eyes. They were bright and cheerful and had a tinge of playfulness about them. Mia had a straight nose. Oliver wondered if that would hinder his progress if ever he attempted to kiss her on her full lips. He wondered how it would be like to brush his nose against her high cheekbones. Just kidding, he thought with a smirk.

Oliver wanted to shut his mind on Mia and concentrate on his studies. But his mind was not yet ready to change the subject of Mia. He saw her long neck craning to the front as she listened to him while at lunch. He had noticed her small breasts which were round and firm. Mia’s curvy hips and slender legs passed through his thought, and he determined that they added to her attractiveness. Mia’s voluptuousness enamoured him, and at once, he longed to be with her.

Oliver was a rational person. He knew, his teenage mind had digressed, and his thoughts on Mia whom he had known just for a few hours were mere infatuations. He had to reign in his reckless thoughts. Wilfully and deliberately, he picked up his book and turned his attention to his lessons. Mia’s image faded away from his mind like the dews in the early morning sun.

CHAPTER V

Mia sat across her study table in her small room in the new home. Mia was the only child of her parents. She arrived late in her parents’ lives and that too after her mother went through two miscarriages. There was no hope of another child. For Mathew Highsmith and Tessa, she was their life. Wherever the parents lived, Mia lived there. At the same time, they were not possessive. They deferred the choice to Mia. Mia’s preference was to live with them all the time. There was the option of Mia continuing in her old school staying at the hostel in Washington while her parents stayed at Orlando in order for Mathew to pursue his research. But Mia wanted to come with them to Orlando.

Mia made a mental overview of the happenings of the day. For the first time, she was in a different school in another place. In the morning, she was apprehensive about the new school, its teachers and students. She had heard that the students in some schools were not like the students in her old school who were gentle and helpful. Of course, some of them played innocent pranks without mischief. The boys and girls in that school respected the values of life. Most students were children of civil servants.  

 Mia reached the school early and selected the last table in the Junior class since she concluded that the ’veterans’ would like to have the front tables. She sat alone for a few minutes, and then the other students started coming in. They were so immersed in back-slapping and exchanging pleasantries that most of them hardly noticed her presence. The teacher, Ronald Fullerman, came in almost immediately, and therefore most students saw her only during the introduction.

Mia felt a relief when the teacher said that he was new to the school as her. He did not know the students in the class as the teachers of the previous year would. Therefore, all students had to introduce themselves. That saved Mia from being the only student to introduce herself. Not that Mia had any affectations of shyness or had any reservation in interacting with strangers.  Mia found her classmates open and friendly.  

Mia remembered her meeting with Oliver Middleton at lunch. He not only gave her company but also made it enjoyable. Mia found him kind and open. He inquired about her, spoke about him and made conversation easy. She felt completely at home with him when she met him in the cafeteria, even though their acquaintance was only a few minutes old.

Mia looked at Oliver in her mental mirror. There was nothing spectacular about him that she had identified. He appeared an ordinary boy with a reasonable height and an average body. He was not the type of a bodybuilder or the one trying to create ripples on his stomach. But he was masculine, and he exuded power. He had lively eyes below the thick and well-formed eyebrows. The eyes conveyed compassion and brilliance.  She found him attractive when he crinkled his nose. He had strong masculine features with long arms. His stomach was flat. Mia fleetingly imagined leaning on to his chest but quickly recovered herself from such profane thoughts. Mia had learned a few things of right and wrong from her god-fearing parents, and she herself had taken in some of the do’s and don’ts learned from the early scripture classes.

However, her thoughts returned to Oliver. He was different from other boys. Few young men would think about being a space scientist. He appeared passionate about it, and Mia did not doubt that he would become one. Her own inclination was towards modern literature, and her intellect instructed her to stick with it. But her mind momentarily wandered over to space science which she quickly realized was due to her attraction to Oliver and returned to the advice of her intellect.

CHAPTER VI

It was a beautiful day apart being a Sunday.

James Middleton was not particularly partial to Sundays. For him, every day was a new day. At the same time, he enjoyed visiting his church together with his wife Vera on most Sundays. The visit gave him the privilege to worship and at the same time, catch up with other parishioners. James also had several clients among the parishioners.

By the time, James and Vera returned home after the mass and meeting with friends outside the church, the sun had gained considerable altitude and was darting its rays with meridian splendour. The sky was clear with occasional wool of cloud drifting lazily.

Sundays gave James an avenue for recreation. He loved gardening. Back from the church, he would take out the farm implements from the garage and work in the garden for a couple of hours. He grew bright yellow sunflowers, fragrant phlox, perennial geranium, sun-loving coreopsis, and many other flowers. All of them made his precincts an expanse of charming beauty, highlighting his Prairie-style white and grey bungalow with brick-red roof in the backdrop.  

Ending his toils of the day, James headed to the swing chair in the patio under a pergola and filled a glass with a cold beer.  After a couple of sips, James felt at peace with himself. He enjoyed looking at the plants and flowers, the colours, the sky, the floating clouds and the grass and the earth.

 "I celebrate myself,    

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs

to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,

I lean and loafe at my ease, observing a spear of

summer grass."

He started reciting the famous lines of Walt Whitman, almost unconsciously in a low and resonant voice.

Vera peeped out of the kitchen door momentarily and declared,

"Your favourite salad with avocado, corn, and tomato is ready. The chicken breast is in the oven roasting. The lunch will be ready in a few minutes.’

James gallantly threw a flying kiss at his wife and returned to his reverie.

James was a good husband. He loved his wife, Vera. He was grateful to God for giving him such a loving wife. They have been together for nineteen years. James would often reminisce about their first meeting, particularly every Sunday while sitting in the patio with the glass of beer in his hand.  A wicked but well-meaning smile would erupt from his face whenever he thought of that incident which he always termed silly. And with Vera around, he would laugh aloud, readily provoking a coy annoyance from her.

James had started his career in a stockbroking firm after doing his postgraduate in finance. He had not thought about marriage even though his parents had begun hinting to him about it. They often talked to him, encouraging him to find a girl for himself, but he would laugh it off. He would tell them that his concentration was on building up his career and marriage was secondary.

One day he was on his way to his office. Suddenly he saw a few men wearing masks trying to kidnap a girl from her car. The girl was vehemently protesting and bravely fighting to save herself from the masked men, but she was failing in her attempts. It was a deserted patch of the road, and there was not much traffic. James pulled his car to the side. Jumping out of the car, he ran toward the girl and her attackers shouting "take your hands off that girl."

"And the three men removed their masks and called you April Fool.", Vera knew where James was in his reminiscing path at that particular point since the scene had been enacted several times over on many Sundays with his beer glass in hand.

"I was doing what any valiant man would do when he sees a girl attacked by three ruffians. Mind you, I was risking my life to save you.", he said with a mocking smile.

"And they would have beaten the life out of you if they were real villains.", laughed Vera.

"Your friends removed their masks at the nick of time and saved themselves from my fury.", James would retort, and they would laugh together.

"And thus I found my Fool on an April Fool’s Day.", Vera would retort.  

Vera had realized that the man had come to help her and felt sympathy for his sorry state. The boys who played the prank were her college-mates. She approached James and apologized to him on behalf of her friends for causing him inconvenience and making him feel silly. She introduced herself as a postgraduate student. James and Vera’s acquaintance that developed into love and, eventually, marriage started on an April Fool’s day. James would tell Vera that from that day, he had been sentenced to live like a fool and together they would laugh.

James was an honest and upright businessman. He was rich. He was a Rotarian, and he used Rotary charities for giving back to the community.   His standing in the community was impeccable. He had friends across society. His contributions to the local causes were highly appreciated.

He was hoping to groom Oliver to join him in his business which would eventually allow him to hand over the reins of the company to him. But Oliver had, so far, shown no inclination towards his scheme.

"Dad, I want to study space science. Exploration of outer space is the most exciting subject today. There will be human settlements in other planets soon. I want to be part of the development of the latest human adventure." Oliver would say with total conviction.

James knew about space and its possibilities as much as anyone like him knew. But he could not understand the passion his son had been nurturing for this vocation. For James, being a space scientist was a drab job at NASA.

Oliver had a ready answer for his concern about the job. He said "The new direction of space exploration is by private enterprises, dad. They want to create settlements on Mars. I want to join the team of scientists who will work on the first commercial travel to Mars."

James was not an old-fashioned father to force his will on his son and deny a life of his aspirations. He believed that Oliver had the full right to decide about his life.  He would give full support to his son’s choice of his vocation, whatever that was. He made a mental note to recruit a qualified young man to be trained as the CEO of his company. That way the ownership of his company would rest with his son while the CEO would run the show and earn money for his son because he knew that the salary from any job would not be sufficient to maintain the high standard of life he had established.

Oliver’s love for space began when he started reading books outside his curriculum. Science fiction was what attracted him most. He started reading the books written by Sir Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov. He read scores of sci-fi books written by many writers including Ray Bradbury and Philip K Dick. He loved imagination. Many gadgets of vision used by the characters in their fiction had been invented later and were in active use. Space travel was a reality. Investors with an appetite for adventure were already talking about creating human settlements in outer space. Several fictions had described humans making homes on Mars and described the life there.  A teacher who had travelled to India had told his students about an epic written some 6,000 years ago in which there were vivid descriptions of aeroplanes, missiles, and bombs that could destroy the whole world. The teacher did not know whether they actually existed or was the product of an insight into the future.  

Oliver loved the mother Earth. He had no quarrel with other planets. To him, colonizing some of the worlds out there was a noble idea. He believed that the universe belonged to humankind. He was not sure whether there was life on other planets. When the Portuguese or the Spanish or the Dutch explored different continents, they found people, kings, and communities in those far-off lands. It was the spirit of adventure and the toils of a few that exposed unknown parts of the world. Only when humans reached other planets, they would find whether there was life already existent there.  Oliver was determined to be part of that adventure.