“The loser’s tale” ~ How drugs perfectly do their job of ruining lives!

Early 70’s and this 18 year old belonged to that rare breed of men with a well built up and a muscular body during those days. So quite understandably, he had to go through tough routines in the years before to show the results. Though he had a strong physique, he was quite weak in his studies and eventually the loss in interest led him to discontinue his studies after doing his 12th. As he stayed back home, he had no options other than to explore the streets with his friends only to escape from his family. This escapism soon became a habit and he was on the streets round the clock. His habits started to change and his muscular fit lost shape because of the bad routine he was following. This made him weaker not only physically but mentally too. He was becoming rubbish and his thoughts were becoming poor. More than the thoughts, the thought process became worse. His friends circle started getting bigger and he was meeting new people each day. As it is usually, Every people you meet won’t be the same and so this expansion brought some ugly things with that too. As his thinking had already taken a greater dig, he decided to explore them one day. That world was uglier enough to teach him with smoking and other kind of drugs. As it is meant that drugs are for addiction, he got addicted. He started smoking cigarettes like chocolates, he became an alcoholic and he loved drugs for the pleasure it gave him. This became a routine and he was into drugs all his day through. People tried to teach him but he had already made deep progress into that world. He was enjoying the style attached with that kind of life. Years passed, but his habits and routine remained the same. He decided the purpose of his life to be on drugs.

He crossed his quarter, 27 to be precise and it was the time when people force you to go through a changeover to tie up a knot to form a family for yourself. So, his parents decided to do a marriage for him and they believed that once a woman came into his life, everything would get a changeover. They began the search and found an innocent girl from a poor family who agreed to marry this guy. Everything was beautifully set up and he got married. Even after the marriage, his habits and routine remained the same for a month. It was difficult for the poor woman to understand the situation she was going through. However, one day she got the guts to speak with him about this but it yielded the same result as what his parents got years before when they tried to do the same. She sat down and cried but there was no one to wipe off her tears. Eventually without any other way, she and his parents decided to put him in a rehabilitation center. He was tough initially but as days passed, the treatments started to show their results and surprisingly he understood the change in himself. Day by day, inch by inch he got himself out from the dangerous disease. A year passed and he came out as a completely different man altogether. He felt the fresh air outside and presented a huge smile. He went back home to see his wife, his parents and they were overwhelmed to see him in this way after years. Though he was fresh mentally, he was physically weak though because of the habits he had those days. He started the first chapter of his fresh new life and he got a job in a private firm nearby as a security guard. This setup became even more beautiful with his wife getting pregnant and he was blessed with a baby boy. The entire family was filled with happiness as they baby started growing up and he turned one. This made him to witness the true purpose of his life. But, as it happens with life, Karma hit back one day. His coughing got intense as days passed and one day he started to vomit blood. He shivered and was shocked at what he was going through that moment and so did his family. He was taken to the hospital immediately and they were taken aback by the happenings there. He went through all the tests and the doctor called his family in to describe about the seriousness of the problem. He was affected with the most deadly disease named cancer and he has crossed the stage when medical treatments could have saved him. Tears started coming down their eyes and they cried heavily as their beautiful setup family was shackled into pieces in a moment. He got admitted in the hospital and finally, the doctor told them that he wouldn’t last long. He was bed ridden and all the treatments were carried out just to ensure that he doesn’t suffer anymore till his last breath. They tried to keep away these secrets from him but as days passed, he began to understand the situation and asked his wife,

“Dear, I know that my days are numbered. I tried to change myself leaving away those ugly habits. But, the man above had other thoughts. I’m a loser in my life but you should make sure that our boy gets high in life and please tell him that his father always wanted him to keep himself away from drugs”

She started crying loud and he started writing a letter and gave it to his wife not to open unless their son turns 18. He left them crying. His son was too young that he couldn’t understand what was happening in his family and where his father had gone. A week later, she wiped her tears, took her son and decided that she would work hard to bring her son up. She cleaned vessels, washed clothes, mobbed the floors throughout the day only to bring her son up. She forgot all her happiness and worked for her son’s happiness. Her son was studying well and he became 10. She always uttered him with things what his father wanted him to learn. But, he was always questioning his mother about the death of his father and one day he came to know about that too. This society always prefers to give importance to learn about other people’s life and gossiping about what they do in their lives. So, they gave him a piece of knowledge about his father and his poor life style hiding away all those things about his changeover. This made him develop a grudge on his father and this grudge prevented a drop of tear from coming down his eyes. Years passed and he turned 15 with his anger still remaining the same. His mother was ageing and she can’t put the same hard work she did five years before and she fell ill. So he decided to find a job for himself but the child labor laws of this society prevented him to help his mother. However, he came up with an idea to utilize his free time in the evening to sell eatables in the beach. He earned a little that helped his mother. However she was becoming weak day by day and one day she became unconscious. She was admitted and the doctor advised her not to work anymore. There was no other way. He could not pay his fees anymore. He also had to take care of his mother. So this brilliant boy decided to drop himself out from school. Started doing his job full time and carried the burden on his shoulders. He worked very hard to climb their way up and also took care of his mother. He turned 18 and found a job eventually in a supermarket. Though he had grown up, his anger towards his father remained the same as it was eight years back. He lost his control one day started questioning his mother about his father. She replied him by giving the letter that his father told to give him.

Dear Son,

I am your father. I had the responsibility to protect you all your life. But, I failed do that. It was all because of that deadly thing — Drugs. I was a smoker, an Alcoholic, and I lived with drugs. I married your mother and she is divine as she made me to change. Life was beautiful and God blessed us with you. You were the most precious thing I got in my life and I understood the true purpose of my life because of you. But, all was late and the man above had other ideas. So, I am here witnessing my last moments. And my thoughts in these last moments are only about you. Life will be bad at 18. You will get to experience a lot of things in life and everyone you meet won’t be the same. Whenever your mind takes you to touch drugs, always remember that you lost your father because of them. Just get away from drugs and never allow people around you to touch them. You should raise up great in life and make your mother proud. Always do good to people around you and the man above will bless you. I would love you to make my last wish come true. And again, I’m your father and I must have protected you. But, I am sorry son for my faults. Bless you and love you.

Lovingly,
Your father

Tears rolled down his eyes and shouted loud for his father. He felt bad for this great man’s loss and took an oath that he will never touch drugs in his life and will also do the same to protect people around him from the same remembering his father’s voice, “Whenever your mind takes you to touch drugs, always remember that you lost your father because of them.”

This is how drugs spoiled a beautiful man and his life. Fame and money won’t take us to heights in life but it has the power to take us in the wrong way. So, let’s live it clean with the life that God has blessed on us.

Nearly 10 lakh people die because of tobacco and one person dies every 96 minutes in our country because of alcohol consumption. So, Please Keep away from drugs and let’s save ourselves!!

~Mahalingam M