Short Fiction
Michelle D’Costa
The Midnight Act Aakash found company among tombstones. He had no friends. His parents didn’t know why not to believe him when he said he was going for a night walk after dinner. After all he had digestion problems. Aakash walked his way to the neighbourhood graveyard. He made himself comfortable on his favourite spot surrounded by The Pinto’s family tombstones. They had passed away in an arson incident. But none of them had reduced to ashes so they were buried instead. Their relatives were glad that they had at least had their last rituals as Christians. Like that was their most important concern. Aakash didn’t know them very well for he was only a kid when the incident occurred. The more he grew up the more he became interested in the mystery of their death. He realised that he found their company in the graveyard more interesting than their living relatives’ At least they were honest, their graves assured him of truth rooted in the ground unlike the fake sorrow of the living floating above them hoping to remind them that they still existed. He parked his bottom on a soft grassy spot and munched on his apple. Mary Pinto was eight years old when she died. He closed his eyes and listened to the midnight graveyard air and he realised he could only listen to his munching. So he flung his half-bitten apple at a bush for the benefit of rodents, closed his eyes again and tried hard to listen to what Mary was telling him. Mary said, ‘I always wanted an older brother like you who would just listen to what I have to say.’ Aakash replied, ‘I’m all ears dear.’ Just then her father, Jerry Pinto intervened, ‘Do you even realise I’m right here? Don’t you dare talk to this boy. He is not your brother. He is a Hindu.’ Aakash pretended he didn’t hear him. His alarm rang. It
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