The Monabandi Chronicles: “I Am Going To Jump”

A patient – a male of considerable age was sitting in his bed alone. He had not seen his children that day, and was efficiently rambling and making his opinion known loudly….very loudly.

“If my kids don’t come soon, I am going to jump out of that window!!”, he had said – his voice and emotions crystal clear and quite audible in the relative quietness of the hospital ward.

I looked down at my 13 year old son Akmal lying in bed. He was being warded as part of an ongoing diagnosis for the then yet unknown condition.

Our eyes met, and both of us glanced at the old man at the corner bed near the large window. You could also feel the tension in the air. We were all unwitting witnesses to the situation - saddened but fascinated at the same time.

Then a nurse spoke.

“Sir,” she had said, “I’m not sure your jumping out of that window will do any good….”

Again there was tension in the air, as we hung on to the nurse’s words. What would the nurse say or do next? Would the old man get angrier?

Then she delivered the punchline.

“Besides….we’re on the ground floor!”

Akmal broke into a grin and covered his face with a pillow. Around the ward – we could hear similar stifled laughters from the other patients…

Postscript : The gentleman was quiet after that and then gradually calmed down. The nurses took closer watch on him nevertheless. The children, I assumed, were informed of his remarks when they later came in to visit that evening. The window remained shut thankfully, and last I checked …. we were still on the ground floor.

And please be mindful of our parents.

In case you’re wondering, The Monabandi Chronicles is a collection of stories centered around our family, including myself (Subandi), my wife Monarita, and our children. Over the years, I have been gathering these stories, starting from when our kids were young. Within the pages, I have discovered a wealth of valuable insights and wisdom. I genuinely hope that you find enjoyment in reading them.