The
Third Umpire
-Pushkar Gunjan
The ball swung and kissed the tablet which read – "In the
memory of Andrew Livemore. February 1936 – September 1998. Live each moment,
live forever." And indeed he lived more as per his name as he lived each
moment.
Behind the old St Dominique's Church he lay in an open field with hundreds of others, witnessing the cricket matches between the local teams as ardent cricket fans. One part of the field was a burial ground and the other part was a cricket ground.
Andrew was the most involved from amongst his peers, since his epitaph served as the wicket and the wicketkeeper kept it, by standing right above him. It tickled him when Chotu kept wickets and it almost crushed him when Laddoo did. Needless to say that Chotu was just 42 Kgs and Laddoo 142 kgs.
The boys referred to each other with the names of famous cricketers of the time –Sachin, Shoaib, Lee, Dravid, Pathan . He knew most of them and had seen most of them in flourish but who was this Pathan and few more names he hadn't heard of them.
"Must be the new boys- It goes on after all." – he mused and smiled at the thought.
Andrew heard them talk about the players of his time too. Frank Warrel , Conrad Hunt , Alvin Kalicharan, Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar , Ian Botham , Kapil Dev , Geofferey Boycott and so many more. He couldn't help but get impressed with the trivia they knew.
He felt like joining them at these times with his own stories and trivia like – "You know Conrad Hunt once in case of a stadium fire climbed up the flag staff to save the West Indian flag and the Indian flag!" But like good dead men he knew, dead people live in the graves and the living stay on the ground. He never breached this law.
Andrew shared their anger and disappointment whenIndia
"You'll be in trouble someday. Don't interfere with the God's way of things" – she cautioned him and mostly kept to her circle of friends in the ‘underworld’.
"Huh? It is just that I am still not over with the drunkenness of life and cricket. Ah! Those were the days. God would understand" – he remarked and dreamt of all the colours he could see, all the fragrances he could smell, all the Julie's delicacies he could taste, all the music he had heard and the touch that made him the living. He missed it.
"I shouldn't complain. After all, God has given me a good place to sleep from where I can be a part of it all. Moreover it is just a matter of time when there will be vacancies in the heaven for Julie and Me. Even in such bad times as these, there is a waiting period for the heavens. That is surprising. It must be a small place. Will they have cricket ground there? "- he thought out loud.
"Andy! You have lost it old man." – She chuckled.
"Old man who? You think you are still a pretty young thing?" – He took a jibe
"We are ageless Andy. I told you, you have lost it "-And broke into a laughter.
This infuriated Andrew and they didn't speak for two hours.
Two hours later…
"Julie!" – Andrew called.
No answer. "Julie!" – still no answer.
"Julie! Are you dead?" – Andrew asked thoroughly peeved.
"Yes! And I still say you have lost it" – She said with a winsome smile and they broke into a laughter.
"Hey! we still laugh like newlyweds, lovelorn, love struck." – Julie said.
"Yaa, Forty Two years look like Forty Two blinks. Did I tell you ever that you were wonderful in bed? " – He teased Julie.
"You are a brazen old pig, Andrew!" – She must have blushed pink and Andrew laughed hysterically at that. He rued the fact that he couldn't see that spectacle in the darkness of their world. It was as beautiful in his imagination though.
"You know what Julie?"
"No Andrew, I don't know".
"They have a cricket match today. Salaam's team needs to win this final match to retain its dignity. I am sure he will put everything in this match." – he informed.
"Be careful. That Gabdoo almost broke your ribs when he fell over you in the last match."
"That was fine. You know what, I feel so excited but I can't participate or even cheer. I feel worthless. They are the living." – Andrew added sadly.
"Don't worry you have always mattered on small but decisive moments" – Julie consoled.
In the evening the all important match started and there were enough spectators to make it an event. The air was no less charged than that of a high profile match. There were neutral umpires from different neighborhoods to ensure the fairness of it all. There was palpable excitement in the air and all the players set to give in everything in this tie. The coin was tossed and the winning captain elected to bat.
Through all the ups and downs climax and anti climax, steady innings and innings of flourish, superb catches to the dropped sitters, all of it made it a spectacle to watch. Andrew like an ardent cricketer followed every move, speculated about the next moves and watched every ball that was bowled. All along he wanted to shout ,cheer, express but it was not allowed for the dead to interfere in the affairs of the living. He missed life.
Salaam's team batted first and the the score was 183/6 in 20 overs.The match was a cliff hanger as it went to the last ball. One run one ball and last man of the opposition team on strike.
Heavens! the ball swung and kissed Andrew's epitaph and the batsmen took a run.
"Bowled him!" – Andrew shouted and cheered like in the days of living.
The umpires hadn't seen it, the batsman wasn,t sure. The voice of Andrew although not heard , communicated the decision. The wicketkeeper knew he heard something.
"You are still a spoilt boy ,Andy!" – Julie smiled bewitchingly.
Andrew was exhilarated to have lived a moment with the living. It was worth it.
Behind the old St Dominique's Church he lay in an open field with hundreds of others, witnessing the cricket matches between the local teams as ardent cricket fans. One part of the field was a burial ground and the other part was a cricket ground.
Andrew was the most involved from amongst his peers, since his epitaph served as the wicket and the wicketkeeper kept it, by standing right above him. It tickled him when Chotu kept wickets and it almost crushed him when Laddoo did. Needless to say that Chotu was just 42 Kgs and Laddoo 142 kgs.
The boys referred to each other with the names of famous cricketers of the time –Sachin, Shoaib, Lee, Dravid, Pathan . He knew most of them and had seen most of them in flourish but who was this Pathan and few more names he hadn't heard of them.
"Must be the new boys- It goes on after all." – he mused and smiled at the thought.
Andrew heard them talk about the players of his time too. Frank Warrel , Conrad Hunt , Alvin Kalicharan, Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar , Ian Botham , Kapil Dev , Geofferey Boycott and so many more. He couldn't help but get impressed with the trivia they knew.
He felt like joining them at these times with his own stories and trivia like – "You know Conrad Hunt once in case of a stadium fire climbed up the flag staff to save the West Indian flag and the Indian flag!" But like good dead men he knew, dead people live in the graves and the living stay on the ground. He never breached this law.
Andrew shared their anger and disappointment when
"You'll be in trouble someday. Don't interfere with the God's way of things" – she cautioned him and mostly kept to her circle of friends in the ‘underworld’.
"Huh? It is just that I am still not over with the drunkenness of life and cricket. Ah! Those were the days. God would understand" – he remarked and dreamt of all the colours he could see, all the fragrances he could smell, all the Julie's delicacies he could taste, all the music he had heard and the touch that made him the living. He missed it.
"I shouldn't complain. After all, God has given me a good place to sleep from where I can be a part of it all. Moreover it is just a matter of time when there will be vacancies in the heaven for Julie and Me. Even in such bad times as these, there is a waiting period for the heavens. That is surprising. It must be a small place. Will they have cricket ground there? "- he thought out loud.
"Andy! You have lost it old man." – She chuckled.
"Old man who? You think you are still a pretty young thing?" – He took a jibe
"We are ageless Andy. I told you, you have lost it "-And broke into a laughter.
This infuriated Andrew and they didn't speak for two hours.
Two hours later…
"Julie!" – Andrew called.
No answer. "Julie!" – still no answer.
"Julie! Are you dead?" – Andrew asked thoroughly peeved.
"Yes! And I still say you have lost it" – She said with a winsome smile and they broke into a laughter.
"Hey! we still laugh like newlyweds, lovelorn, love struck." – Julie said.
"Yaa, Forty Two years look like Forty Two blinks. Did I tell you ever that you were wonderful in bed? " – He teased Julie.
"You are a brazen old pig, Andrew!" – She must have blushed pink and Andrew laughed hysterically at that. He rued the fact that he couldn't see that spectacle in the darkness of their world. It was as beautiful in his imagination though.
"You know what Julie?"
"No Andrew, I don't know".
"They have a cricket match today. Salaam's team needs to win this final match to retain its dignity. I am sure he will put everything in this match." – he informed.
"Be careful. That Gabdoo almost broke your ribs when he fell over you in the last match."
"That was fine. You know what, I feel so excited but I can't participate or even cheer. I feel worthless. They are the living." – Andrew added sadly.
"Don't worry you have always mattered on small but decisive moments" – Julie consoled.
In the evening the all important match started and there were enough spectators to make it an event. The air was no less charged than that of a high profile match. There were neutral umpires from different neighborhoods to ensure the fairness of it all. There was palpable excitement in the air and all the players set to give in everything in this tie. The coin was tossed and the winning captain elected to bat.
Through all the ups and downs climax and anti climax, steady innings and innings of flourish, superb catches to the dropped sitters, all of it made it a spectacle to watch. Andrew like an ardent cricketer followed every move, speculated about the next moves and watched every ball that was bowled. All along he wanted to shout ,cheer, express but it was not allowed for the dead to interfere in the affairs of the living. He missed life.
Salaam's team batted first and the the score was 183/6 in 20 overs.The match was a cliff hanger as it went to the last ball. One run one ball and last man of the opposition team on strike.
Heavens! the ball swung and kissed Andrew's epitaph and the batsmen took a run.
"Bowled him!" – Andrew shouted and cheered like in the days of living.
The umpires hadn't seen it, the batsman wasn,t sure. The voice of Andrew although not heard , communicated the decision. The wicketkeeper knew he heard something.
"You are still a spoilt boy ,Andy!" – Julie smiled bewitchingly.
Andrew was exhilarated to have lived a moment with the living. It was worth it.
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