Crystal Clear

 

The crystal cabinet had been beckoning me for the last six months! it had become so dusty that I refrained from putting on the display light, lest its accusative eyes turned in my direction!

My grandmother boasted of a crockery cabinet which housed a dinner set , tea set and other cutlery which were I believe used during the British Raj. They were used only when the British boss of my grandfather came for dinner! (Snobs!). Well, I had never seen them being used during my time spent with Granny; but I did hear a lot of stories associated with them. How Mrs. Rogers loved to have tea with her pinkie up as she picked up the teacup, or how the cake display tiered plates were loaded with special cakes with icing and the children were not allowed to touch them till after the guests had left! The crystal wine glasses, and the tiny liqueur shot glasses sparkled and caught my eye whenever they were washed and lovingly put back. Sometimes I did wonder why this was done with religious regularity when they were never used!

As my grandmother and I both got older, the cabinet was forgotten and relegated in the backroom with old books and many curios. It was too difficult to keep them dust free outside! Anyway there were no visitors who appreciated them so why go to all that effort. I didn’t miss them much either, my only interest were books and there were plenty of them outside.

I grew up and began setting up my own house. Whenever I got the little bit of extra money, I would buy crystal show pieces to put around the house. While I lived in Alexandria for a couple of years, I was never able to resist a visit to the crystal factory and went on adding to my collection. When the travel bug bit me and I travelled to many countries, my only indulgence there were fridge magnets and crystal show pieces.

Soon the fridge did not have any space for the magnets, so I stuck them on any metal board (read the electricity board!) I found. My crystals of course got a new house and they sparkled and glinted under the spotlights. Each of them have a story associated with them as do the fridge magnets. Though my crystal glasses and crockery still lay in cabinets without being displayed, but unlike my granny, I use them whenever I have a chance.  

Never did I ever let the maids or anyone else touch my artifacts. Once in two months I would take each piece out carefully and clean and wipe them while I reminiscence on the place where I got them from. If anyone was around (read my children) I would insist on telling them about it; sometimes forgetting that I might have already told them before!

Here I was all alone- the children leading their respective lives and the lord and master on a work trip. The sun had set, and I reluctantly left the balcony and came in to watch something on TV. I swear my back was to the crystal cabinet.

“Hey! Hello Madam!”

I looked all around the room and muted the TV. Walked out and peeped into the neighbour’s balcony- it was pitch dark and not a sound was peeping through. Thinking I must have imagined it I unmuted  the TV and continued browsing through what I would like to see.

“Don’t you think you have run out of excuses?” the anger and irritation in the words were palpable.

A ghost in my new house? Or was it someone playing a prank?

There are four apartments on the floor and the only one occupied was ours. It could be someone from downstairs; but what excuses were they talking about?

I opened the front door and peeped outside the safety door. Nobody there! Shutting the door I turned back, and I saw the dust filled crystal cabinet lit up and looking at me with exasperation.

All the excuses- ill health, no time, travelling, more important things to do…. the list was endless, but I had actually run out of them!

I put on the apron and began the ritual. As I cleaned each piece to its glittering glory the memories tumbled over each other and filled me with happiness. True there was no one to share my recollections but I pottered about happily, filling my metal minds ( read the ‘Mist born’ series to understand!) with happiness, which I hope I can retrieve and use when the world is bleak.

Now the fridge looks at me accusatively as it remains unadorned in its new position in the new house….

I do wonder who put the spotlights on!