THE ONE THAT FLEW AWAY
By Neel Anil Panicker
She was always flying off, metaphorically speaking. Winging her way from one centre to the other, from one classroom to the other, teaching, interacting, counselling, solving, resolving the doubts of her wards, the innumerable army of students who flocked to her, hovered all around her, desperately clinging onto her every word.
Her words, the phrases and idioms that she chose to use, the rich repertoire of esoteric English that she employed to convey both___the simplest as well as the most profound of thoughts__were emblematic of not just her high pedigree but also revealed her love and passion for the Queen’s language.
It was this same passion that she sought for and demanded of her students. And reciprocated they did, with some of them passing out not just with flying colours but going on to establish trailblazing careers.
And so it was that on hearing of her death they all came, some even crossing the proverbial Seven Seas, all converging on her humble abode, the small one room rented house that she had called home and lived in all these years.
All except one: Shivani, her brightest student, and incidentally, also her only child, the who she had taught to fly.
#neelanilpanicker #fiction #sundayphotofiction #flash #shortstory #200words
https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/sunday-photo-fiction-april-8th-2018/
neelwritesblog 
Terrific tale, Neel, and then you leave us with that huge question!
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Thanks a lot, Ceayr.
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The flying and other bird symbolism is really well used here — love the ending, especially!
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Thanks a lot, Joy.
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Beautiful story. I did wonder about the line “And reciprocated they did, with some of them passing out not just with flying colours but going on to establish trailblazing careers.” Did you mean to say the students were passing out as in going unconscious?
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Passing out means here, ‘ graduating from college’.
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You captured the essence of the prompt well in your use of metaphors. Yes, a big question at the end as to why her brightest student did not come to say good bye. Maybe we will learn in another story. This story is especially fitting for me as our State (Oklahoma) school teachers are currently on strike for increases in educational funding. So many of our wonderful teachers are flying off to other States where conditions are better.
Well Done!
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Now Neel you can’t leave this story there. I need to know why the brightest student did not turn up. 🙂
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We want the ending, we want the ending!!!
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