An Untitled Story

Old

Mr. Fernandes looked at Singh leaving, who still carried his usual conceited swagger, and called out to him "Just fill the visitor log on your way out." He could bet the pompous gait masked surprise over his insightfulness. Reva came in a few minutes later. Reva was here for the longest time in amongst the employees and the only resident employee at the time. Finally she had settled at one place. He knew that the continual shifting was not her fault, moreover it was fault of negligent thinking. Except her there were very few regular employees. Couple of domestic helpers came daily, a doctor sent his apprentices for weekly visits (the doctor said it was for society but it was more for free training of his apprentices) and there was Satya. Satya was a nimble man in his fifties, who managed the inventory, kitchen and almost everything except official work and finances. He was now old and he had needed to delegate the management anyways after establishing the home.

"Got your log filled", he asked Reva.

"Yeah he filled as quickly as he walked in and out, without a word."

He nodded.

Reva must have detected something in his face because she asked, "an old acquaintance."

"And", he prompted.

"A person like those without religion yet he boasts about having one." To Reva, having religion was like having a conscience although she had not grown up with one. He knew much about her history. That was why he had offered her the job although Reva did not have an inkling of an idea about it. Still religion had great power over a person, Mr. Fernandes had witnessed this all his life.

"Almost true", Mr. Fernandes replied, "I suppose that's some sort of task list for me in your hands."

"Not exactly a task list but requirements list for inventories and there's a repair needed in kitchen", Reva said.

Mr. Fernandes made a mental note to look at the kitchen before going to his room. The kitchen was situated at the corner with the assembly room at one side and dining-cum-living room at the other. It had a side door to outside and a door to small hall, for catering in public events, and to the dining area, for serving the residents, each. The dining area, merged with living room setup now known as living-cum-dining, was basically a long chamber with couple of entrances from courtyard, purposed for both dining and recreation, used only when it poured except for dining. It was the courtyard where all recreational activities took place most of the time.

His bedroom was the only one situated on the ground floor situated right next to his office. He had established this home when his children had moved out of town. He knew he would need a place to settle after retirement and h could not bear living alone or with show-offs at those profit machine retirement housings. He wanted to spend his time with likeminded down to earth people. Thus, this house worked on community living thing with economic sustenance through an auditorium and wide grounds around the property.