Uncle Tom

Let me try my hand at some fiction (yeah right!!!)

Once upon a time.....(Dude, this beginning sucks!!!). Okay, I will try again. There is this guy called "Tom Uncle". Not from "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and not even the Tom from the "Tom, Dick, Harry" trio. Ok, let me get serious as this is a serious story.

Tom Uncle was younger than most among his circle of friends and relatives and thus was always treated as a kid. He was especially popular among kids. I liked him a lot (I decided to cast myself in this story. After all, it is my story. Do you have a problem with that?) and considered him more a friend than an "uncle".

Uncle Tom used to always sport a smile on his face. He had a miserable personal life but nobody cared to go beyond the smile on his face. Tom Uncle always ensured that everyone had fun. Everyone was happy and satisfied with that.

Tom Uncle always wanted to keep people around him happy. He used to go out of his way to help others. From time to time, he supported everyone in his circle emotionally and more importantly, financially. He gave money for the education of the kids of his friends/relatives, he once organized a grand party on the 25th anniversary of one his friends as the friend was, financially, not doing too well. He helped my father financially on multiple occasions as well. (If you have not noticed, I have included my father in my story!!! That’s the fun of writing a story). These are some of the examples of his good deeds. Overall, Uncle Tom came across as a great guy. Nobody knew what he is really going through in his personal life. Probably no one cared as everyone was happy partying with Tom Uncle.

People tend to take such characters for granted. Similar thing happened with Tom Uncle as well. Due to some incidents, Tom Uncle has become distant from some of his friends/relatives. He has become not-so-popular among the kids as well. His relation with the friend, whom he had helped the most, has become particularly estranged. He does not get along with that friend’s kids as well. Uncle Tom had supported the education of some of these kids!!! He had helped this friend on so many occasions. His friend is doing well now and the kids are well-settled as well. But now when Uncle Tom needs them, everyone is only “upset” with Uncle Tom. Everyone must have their reasons. Uncle Tom could have done something extremely bad, who knows!!!

Even I am not as close to Uncle Tom as I used to be. I have my reasons as well. As I have mentioned that I used to consider Uncle Tom more a friend than anything else, I used to share my feelings/problems with him. Once, I discovered that my feelings were being relayed to others. May be Uncle Tom did that to help me out. But I did not like it as I am not the kind of person who likes to be discussed by others over evening tea. Moreover, as my feelings/problems became public knowledge, it created more trouble for me. So I have my reasons.

Few days back, Uncle Tom sent me a message. His message read “you may be having many grievances with me but I have just one grievance.....”. He mentioned a past incident in which he had asked for my support. Not financial support. He had just asked me to be there with him but I had left him. I was 13 or 14 year old back then. I am not trying to trivialize the incident or his grievance by trying to suggest that I was only a kid. I would like to tell Uncle Tom that I still feel bad about the incident. I would like to also admit that I had not felt bad back then as I had not understood the situation. In any case, I was not in a situation to make that decision myself.

I do have my set of grievances with Uncle Tom. But I owe a lot to Uncle Tom. I can never forget that he has helped my father on so many occasions. Though we no longer share the same friendship, I owe a lot to you, Uncle Tom. My father means the most to me and I can never fortget a person who has helped my father. I will never turn my back on you.

That brings us to the end of this work of fiction. Resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. I know that this story sucks.....but so does life!!!