Life had given me this wonderful chance to go beyond my comfort zone while helping somebody who was in fear.
By Hema
“Hello! Hello!…Hema?”
That was a frantic call from granny at 8:30 am on the phone, which jolted me out of my slumber.
“Yes grandma, tell me!”
“My head is reeling, dear! I’m feeling dizzy! ..I can’t find the keys to the main door..I’ve been searching for them since six o’clock!” she said.
“Is there nobody else there to help you, granny?” I asked. I was trying to make granny remember that there was a maid living downstairs.
“No..I want you to come and help me,” said granny anxiously.
“Put some sugar into your mouth immediately. It will make you feel better, granny. I’ll start in ten minutes and hopefully will reach in an hour.” Saying this, I tidied up myself and my bag and rushed to the bus stop after explaining hurriedly the situation to my sister (in whose house I then was).
Reaching Granny’s Place
After an hour-and-a-half-long journey (it seemed more than that to me) to reach granny’s place I called the maid to find out if we could get any help from our neighbours or some young men on the street who could climb a ladder to reach the first floor, where granny was waiting for me.
The maid ran out to call the neighbours. But none were available. She went out into the street to see if there was anyone around. But no one was to be seen.
“Maybe there’s ladder in Mr. Rao’s house,” I suggested.
The maid ran to a nearby building and managed to get a ladder from there.
“Do you think you can you climb the ladder and get onto the balcony?” I asked her.
“Oh no, Amma, I am afraid I might fall!” the maid replied.
Fear of Climbing Up
This reply left me with no other choice except me to do the climbing myself. I was very hesitant to do this as I felt that at my age my muscles wouldn’t cooperate with me. For many others, it would have been a very easy thing, but for me, with my fear of climbing up and falling down and my age too, it was a challenge.
But granny’s anxious looks from the balcony prodded me to ascend the ladder, counting…one”¦two..three”¦
I reached the top rung of the ladder, took a deep breath and closed my eyes, imagining the rung to be breaking and the ladder falling, bringing me crashing down, rather than up! I opened my eyes to check that everything was safe. I shut my eyes again and said to myself, “Now is the moment you have to leave your fear and leap out into the balcony.”
I started counting again..one ..two..three”¦Then, I took a step and jumped over and into the balcony!
My heart was pounding with joy! I felt as if I had reached the sky, overcoming my phobia for heights and doing something I might have never imagined I could!
Maybe life had given me this wonderful chance to stretch my limits and go beyond my comfort zone while helping somebody who was in fear!
My granny was pleasantly surprised to see that I found the house-keys in no time”as surprised as I was to see something of a new me!
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