http://binagupta.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/05/crossing-over-a-short-fiction-story.htm   (Part 1)

http://binagupta.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/05/crossing-over-a-short-fiction-story-part-2.htm

http://binagupta.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/05/crossing-over-part-3-to-be-contd.htm

Crossing Over – Part 4- conclusion
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Rosie gets tired of playing outside and decides to go to the nursery to checkup on Addy
and she sees him playing ball with a man dressed in an air force uniform. She is mystified
 but somehow feels she knows this man.  Marcus comes to Rosie and says Child I am your
 grandpa come to pay a visit and whenever you wish to see me or grandma, we will appear
 but both of you must promise that you will not tell anyone about us.  It will be our
little secret.  The children make a pact with grandpa and are very excited about this
secret.  Then the grandpa seems to vanish into the walk in closet in the nursery.
It so happens that Billy had placed the dirt collected from the graves in Goa in a
cigar box and he had placed this box on the topmost shelf in the children’s closet.
 
Now, throughout the day whenever the children are naughty and are banished into the
 nursery they do not complain like before but happily go and play in their room.  The maid 
and  Sonia and Billy are mystified at this change in their behavior.  Now the kids get regaled by
Grandma with fairytales and other nice anecdotes and Grandpa tells Addy that he has
left a present for him in his trunk in the store-room.  He wants Addy to have the
Replica of his fighter jet and also the sheets of music with original scores written
by him which he wants Addy to attempt.  Grandma wants Rosie to have her journal
and keepsake box that are also in this trunk.  The kids are very excited and cannot
wait to get their hands on these things.  But how do they go to the store-room without
grownups finding out about it, as this trunk is buried way down under a lot of other
old stuff.  Finally grandpa says they can confide in Billy so that he can help remove
these items from the trunk.  The kids get Billy in their room and then call out to their
grandparents.  They appear floating out of the closet.  Billy cannot see them but can
hear them and he pleads for them to appear to him as well.  Suddenly he too can see
them.  He is delighted at this but also worries that if they hang around here, their
spirits will always be trapped due to their love for him and the kids.   He promises
to bring the trunk to the kids room and give them their gifts. He goes to the store
room and without creating a ruckus gets his hand on the trunk and brings it to the
nursery.  Billy is as excited as the children.  He quickly opens the trunk and first
finds the model jet fighter which he gives to Addy and also the sheet music that was
 tucked in a circular Chinese canister used for scrolls.  Now, it is Rosie’s turn.
 He pulls out Maggie’s journal and  wants it himself and feels foolish wanting to
compete with a four year old.  But dammit, Maggie was his mom.  He talks himself
into handing over Maggie’s journal to Rosie and the promised trinket box.  Then he
 picks up the trunk to return to its allotted place when he is stopped by Maggie. 
 
Maggie tells him "son, I know why you brought that dirt from our graves and unknowingly
also carried our spirits back with you.  Now we know you are happily settled  and we have
 met our lovely grandchildren also, so, we would like to rest now and request you to
 release us.  We know you brought the dirt to mix it with the soil where you are planning
 to plant my favorite roses, so please do that quickly so that we can rest."  Billy pleads
 with them to be around the family for some more time but in his heart he knows he has to
 let go and release them.  He promises to do so next morning after
the birthday party.
 
The kids are dressed up in their birthday clothes and the party is in full swing.  As was
expected, all the gathered folks ask Billy to sing and Addy decides to help with the piano.
His little fingers fly on the keyboard and when the song is over, he quickly plays a
wonderful new score.  Everyone is awestruck by this wonderful music and both the
Grandparents who are hovering nearby are ecstatic with joy to finally hear Marcus’
Music played on the piano and by none other than their darling grandson. They are very
proud and now feel that all their unfulfilled dreams have been met.
 
Next morning, Billy get the cigar box out of the nursery closet and pours the dirt
around the rose bushes in the garden.  He mixes it with the soil very gently and
with great love, as though hugging his parents.  There are tears in his eyes but
 he knows this had to be done.
 
Maggie and Marcus never appeared to anyone after that day but the rose bushes took on a
 new shine and were extra fragrant.  Often passersby would stop and smell the roses and
enquire the secret behind such bloom.  Billy just  smiled quietly and looked at his
 roses with lots of love in his eyes.
 
Aditya Marcus D’Souza gained fame and fortune and was acknowledged as a child
Musical prodigy.  He was lesser known as a painter.
 
Rose Margaret D’Souza also became a school teacher in the family tradition
But also had a dual career and became a playback singer in the Bollywood movies.
She was able to eat her cake and have it too.

Whenever, Billy misses Maggie, he just visits his rose bushes and confides all his
problems to the roses.  People think he is nuts to talk to his roses, but Billy knows
better!!!!

The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and
 the wings of independence.
Denis Waitley
1933-, American Author, Speaker, Trainer, Peak Performance Expert

The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get
 along without them.
Frank A. Clark

Children see in their parents the past, their parents see in them the future;
 and if we find more love in the parents for their children than in children
 for their parents, this is sad but natural. Who does not entertain his
 hopes more than his recollections.
John Ruskin
1819-1900, British Critic, Social Theorist

 To nourish and raise children against odds is in any time, any place, more
 valuable  than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons.
Marilyn French
1929-, American Author, Critic

 If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you
 do well matters very much.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
1929-1994, American First Lady, Wife of John F. Kennedy & Aristotle Onassis

Children aren't happy without something to ignore, And that's what parents were created for.
Ogden Nash