Speechless

Here I am, sitting on a green wooden railing – very low and surprisingly very comfortable. It borders the parking area of the Muskoka Bay Park in Gravenhurst, Ontario. There is a big, old-fashioned bell in a little grey shed surrounded by flower beds on all sides. The white and red maple leaf flag towers over it resplendently making Canada proud. Right from where I sit, I see six houses on the other side of the road. The road is quite busy actually. In the last two minutes or so, there was only spell of ten seconds with no vehicle on the road. The houses are in the midst of canopies of luxurious trees and remind me of ‘Shimla’ – the popular summer vacation ‘hill station’ destination of Northern India. It is shocking to find this spot of glorious beauty in the middle of everything. True, everything about this town is very picturesque as it is, but this! This is like a pristine gem, untouched, uncontaminated, serene and simply gorgeous.

 

As I turn my back towards the road, I am faced with the amazing quietness of the lake, softly wrinkled in the breeze and beckoning onlookers to stay, to behold, to be calm. The sun is shining brightly on my notepad, making me see the shadow of my writing hand on the white paper. The green stretch of grassy area that separates my present perch on the railing from the lake is spangled here and there with some trees, swings, a slide, a covered sitting area and a couple of black iron benches. It is bordered by tall, lush trees on either side. The white cloudy tufts floating on the blue sky make the scene as if it were out of a painting.

 

My dad, visiting me these days from thousands of miles, is resting on a beach mat a few feet away from me, enjoying the sound of the rustling leaves and rippling waves. My husband is talking to some friends on a bench overlooking the water. I have tried sitting, lying, standing, walking in different parts of this small area, but am unable to get myself to speak. I am speechless. It seems as if I by speaking, I will break a rule – an unspoken, unmentioned rule – the rule of sanctity.