Black Beauty

This is one of my favourite speeches. Part of the 6th project on mastering words and sentences. This is also special since I won the Best Speaker Award after beating the Big honchos in Toastmasters Club.

Its black as ebony. Its beautiful as a maiden in a black gown, as smooth as silk, as shining as diamond. Yet its silent as a grave, mischievous as a black kitten, mysterious as an owl, hideous as the witch, ominous as the blind bats. It’s the canopy that hides the sunlight – yes you are right, am talking about the Night. I fear it, yet I fantasize and am fascinated with it. This is my beauty – my Black Beauty.

I had gone on a long tour with my friends during one of our winter holidays. It was evening when it started raining heavily – the winds were howling, the thunder rumbling. We all got drenched and were shivering in cold but there was a lot of excitement within us because tonight was a special night. Finally, the rains stopped and we boarded the train. We switched off the lights and went to sleep. Outside it was just darkness near and far – the chilly night air, inky blue sky and shining stars – the only sound was the train chugging through the caves of night – my Black Beauty was flying. Then just as the clock made its way to midnight – we all woke up – guess what it was the New Year. Congratulations and jubilations. We lit candles and had a grand feast. One of my friends started playing the guitar – the sound of the wheels on the track were like the drumbeats. We all sang and danced, our shadows jumping even more wildly. Outside the trees were swaying from left to right in the wind. It was food, fun and frolic at its best. I knew my Black Beauty was also laughing and reveling with us. Just then, some passengers came to complain against the uproar, when the train came to a screeching halt and lo behold! In that pitchy darkness, we all fell on top of one another.

Next evening, we reached a small sea-side town. That night I was feeling lonely and just could not sleep. It was past midnight and the only sound was the roaring of the seas. I got up, dressed up and went out, just myself and my Black Beauty with me. The wind wildly caressing my face and a moon like a bindi on her dark face dazzled me. As I sat on the sand, looking out at the great sea, the silvery waves breaking up at their crest, sending a mist of foamy spray, I thought I knew the answer – the answer to the philosophy of life – “Don’t go to high, you’ll fall, but what’s this? Life still goes on – one wave giving way to the other, one wave climbing over the other.” I knew not the time but found myself bathing in the moonlight, being drenched in love, intoxicated by the beauty of “Night”.

She walks in beauty like the night
Of Cloudless climes and starry skies
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.

We were almost on the last leg of our tour, our departure was next morning. That night around 10:30 pm, I received a telegram. I knew it would happen someday but never believed that it would be so soon. No never did I believe that I would loose my grandfather so soon. My once shining, joyous Black Beauty looked pale and shabby. It was the longest night for me – memories of my grandfather – his smiling face when I topped the class, his blessing when I touched his feet, his love and affection – oh how can I live without him. The clock ticked on – one o’ clock, two o’ clock, three o’ clock – oh why did it not stop. I heard the dogs barking, several of them shouting at each other. A cry shot off, followed by sobs – there was a strange sad wailing sound in the air – oh so mournful, so melancholic.

Through the night of doubt and sorrow
Onward goes the pilgrim band,
Singing songs of expectation
Marching to the Promised Land.

Our life is something like this Black Beauty – dark and mysterious yet lively and joyful. We are never sure of our next step, never confident that this will take us to our destination. The dazzling brightness of the sun while revealing the tiniest objects, hides the galaxies and stars. Fellow Toastmasters, are you still dreaming of the stars

Awake! For Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.