Caesar

Antony ant was standing in a queue, and each of them merrily singing and out for gathering food. Winter was just a month away and they would have to gather lot more before it became unbearably cold. As he walked ahead, a beautiful ant crossed him and he looked back. She had a basket full of bread crumbs and walked with a rhythm.

‘She is Cleopatra ant,’ Antony’s friend Caesar ant whispered. ‘She is very proud and talented. Look how she filled her basket with crumbs.’ Antony ant chuckled. He could do that too. They climbed the steep climb of the cupboard, all in a single file and then one by one got in the creek. There were biscuits, bread crumbs and a little piece of cake.

‘If you help me, I can gift this to Cleopatra,’ Antony ant said to Caesar. Caesar nodded and then broke a little piece from the cake and with little steps started to walk back home. On the way they met a cockroach and teased him about eating him up once he was dead. The cockroach was angry and chased them. Caesar and Antony laughed, and sang. There were cherry blossoms just outside their home, the kitchen window. Antony was glowing and Caesar knew it was for Cleopatra.

 ‘Looks like we will not get any cake’, Caesar said and sucked on a little drop of jelly his mother had carried for him from the dining table. As he looked at Antony conversing with Cleopatra, he also felt a little sad. There would be no more of wrestling in the sand with Antony. Antony would be busy with Cleopatra.

Cleopatra did not know what to do. She had accepted the gift of food, but did not know what to give in return. Just then a beautiful bird sang a melodious song and Cleopatra looked up and saw the cheery blossoms. She smiled and knew what she could do. Assembling in the line of foot gatherers she boldly walked into a creek and got a piece of cherry for her beloved.

Their new-found love was celebrated by all and the Queen decided to throw a party. Her team had also gathered a lot of food. It was cause of celebration. All of them came out of their homes and danced and sang and made merry. The autumn sun had washed the window sill with a soft glow. The birds sang from the Cherry tree. Somewhere even a cat mewed and a dog barked and joined their celebration. Caesar danced for too long and felt very hungry. Quietly he made his way down the wall and decided to take the steep climb of the cupboard.

He was feasting on a cherry when he heard the lady of the house Madonna whine in displeasure. ‘Oh good Lord, where did these ants come from?’ Caesar stopped munching and cowered in fear. She must have seen him. She walked to another cupboard and bought out a red container. Caesar looked on in horror as she walked up to the window sill and fired. A thick spray engulfed the window sill. Caesar screamed and ran down the cupboard. He would bite the lady and stop her. But she was gone. Caesar then ran up to the window sill and looked at the dead bodies of his friends and family. The Queen lay face down. Little kids were writhing in pain and then collapsing. And there in one corner were Antony and Cleopatra hand in hand breathing their last. When Caesar fetched water and reached for them, they were gone.

 Caesar looked away and wept. ‘Why do you do this, Oh man? You admire us for our discipline and then end our lives like we don’t matter. When did God say this earth was just for you and nobody else?’ The birds, cats and dogs cried in unison. Caesar knew they agreed with him. They were wronged too. For all these years they were exploited too.