David watched Mummy's fingers flip away on the keyboard; her eyes flitting on the laptop screen.
'Poor Mummy! She is stretching too much. The Lockdown is draining her.'
Chores at home and working from home!
David was overwhelmed with sheer admiration.
'How many times she sang the Unicorn song for me this morning!'
'Long time ago when the earth was green,
There were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen...
But the loveliest of all was the unicorn!
........
God saw some sinners;
It gave him pains.
....
He said to Noah:
Build me a floating zoo.
And take some of the green allegators and long necked geese...
But don't you forget my Unicorn!'
Mummy highlighted why it was important to be obedient.
She sang:
'The unicorns were hiding, playing silly games;
Kicking and splashing while the rain was pouring,
And got left out of the Arc.'
It was Mummy's musical lesson on obedience!
Mummy showed David a Google visual of the unicorn.
David was fascinated by the beauty of the Unicorn,its golden mein and the single horn!
It remained vivid in his memory.
David was lying on the couch reading the book 'Shakespeare Retold'. Mummy had asked him to read it before dinner.
'Mummy is awesome!' David remembered how she engaged his attention, while she was making bread and cheese fritters for him. He happened to mention a news item in the New Indian Express about Cleopatra's tomb. Immediately she introduced Cleopatra, Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony in one shot!
Glimpse of Roman Empire!
'Mummy is fabulous!'
David resumed reading Shakespeare stories.
'Hope Mummy will give me time to play my favourite video games at least tomorrow.'
His mind wandered away to the video games, while Shakespeare rested on his chest, face down!
'David, David!' He heard a whisper. Someone was poking him gently on the forehead.
'David, come with me. We will ride to the Nile Delta. We can see Cleopatra's tomb.'
'Yes, some archaeologists have identified her tomb.It is reported in today's daily.' David mumbled sleepily.
'See, I am reading Shakespeare!'
' I know you are reading the story of the Queen.But I want you to be the first to see her tomb.It is decorated with gold leaf, it is said.'
The Unicorn started poking him again.
'Come on, David.Get on my back.' Unicorn urged him.
David was now clinging to the golden mein of the unicorn and riding.
'Woof! I'm riding to Egypt!' David was excited.
Deep down he knew that unicorns didn't exist.But with great fascination he rode among silvery clouds. The golden mein caressed his cheeks as he rode higher and higher.
Mummy's melodious singing played as a background.
' How sad Cleopatra's mind didn't match her physical charms!
Why did she commit suicide?
Why did she trifle with life?' David wondered.
'Hey, Unicorn! You also trifled with life, didn't you?
Why didn't you enter Noah's Arc with the other animals and birds?'
Oh! That's a mystery. I am not extinct. No one can see me. But I am there. That's why I am there with you now, riding to Egypt.'
Unicorn gave a wiered smile: ' Ain't it proof enough, David?'
There was a long silence.
David was confused.
'Unicorn, are you real? Are we riding to the Nile Delta? Or are you fooling me? Mummy said you perished in the flood in Noah's time. You say you are invisible, but real.' David was bewildered.
' Don't be so easily fooled, David. Remember, Buddy, I've taken you for a ride, you fool!' Unicorn teased David and shook him off his back.
'Oops!' Cried David and fell off the couch with a thud!
Mummy rushed to the couch.
David lay flat on the carpet.
'Shakespeare Retold' lay by his side, its pages fluttering!
