Keep lighting up the world

By RANI JHAl A

Ma, I’m scared!” a toddler’s voice cried out.

“I am here my little one, right beside you. Come, let us find some light,” Sheila replied, reaching out to touch the silhouette she could see against the doorframe.

“Why can’t we put the light on, mum?” questioned the four-yearold, closely following his mum.

“The wind must have knocked down the pole again, like it did last time. Let me get your sister and I will go and ring the power company,” she replied.

Even as she spoke the words, Sheila knew another call was useless. She had already made three calls, but the company was adamant, “Pay your bill, and we will reconnect your service,” was their response.

The winter had been severe. Had Sheila been on her own she could have coped with a chilly house, but with the kids constantly catching a cold, she had no option but to use both heaters to keep the house warm. But that cosy warmth came at a price, and one that she was unable to pay.

This same winter, the car needed major repairs. Again had she been alone, she would have managed with public transport, but with little kids and their little emergencies, she was forced to get the repairs done. The money she had put aside for utilities had been eaten up by that one job; the last of what she had was now all gone.

“I’m hungry, mum,” Jay announced.

Luckily she had a small picnic gas stove that still worked. Placing her toddler in the playpen, she went into the kitchen. The candlelight was dim, but it was enough to let her baby find her toys and remain engrossed playing with them. Five minutes later she returned with scrambled eggs for both the kids. Jay fed himself, letting her concentrate on the baby.

Half way through the meal, the doorbell rang. Taking both kids with her, she went over to the door and called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s Roshini,” a female voice responded.

Sheila opened the door to let in her wonderful friend. They had been neighbours for only ten months but their friendship had blossomed from the very first day.

Both their husbands were serving in the defence forces and had been sent on secret assignments. The difference between the two was that while Sheila had two children, Roshini, now fifty, had lost hope of ever having her own.

“When did you get back?” Sheila asked her friend, surprised to see Roshini, who was supposed to be away for another week.

“I have only just driven in. Your place looked so dark that I got worried. Is everything all right?” Roshini responded as she picked up Jay and gave him a hug.

“Aunty Roshini,” Jay began “that pole has fallen again, and we have no lights.”

Roshini looked over Jay’s head and raised her eyebrows in question.

Sheila took all Roshini’s advice, she had accepted her assistance in caring for the kids when she was unwell, and she had let Roshini buffer her against negative thoughts, but she never once told Roshini of her financial problems.

And her problems were not usually this bad. Her husband’s salary was banked every fortnight and she had full access to it. Things were tight some months but they got by, even though the mortgage took away a huge chunk. It was just the past few months that were proving to be a challenge. Things kept breaking down or needed replacing. The $2000 that she had used for the emergency car repairs was the last straw. She and her husband did not believe in credit cards, so back up did not exist either.

Through every struggle Sheila ensured that she only turned to Roshini for laughter and chats. And she was adamant that it should continue in the same way.

“I have spoken to ‘Powersource’ and they are sending someone out in a few hours,” she said.

“Oh, good. I had the same problem last month. They were pretty quick. I had the lights on by midnight,” Roshini replied.

“Midnight! Like, that soon?” Jay asked. “Can I, like, come to your place, Aunty Roshini?” Jay loved to use the word ‘like’ in every sentence.

Roshini asked if Sheila would like to spend the night at her place. “I hate being in the house alone,” she said.

Sheila agreed to go over until the kids were ready to sleep, so that Jay could watch his favourite TV programs. She packed a small bag and left with Roshini and the kids.

Roshini held onto Jay’s hand and slung Sheila’s open handbag over her arm, while her friend managed the baby. The open letter with the words ‘Final Notice’ worried Roshini, but not wanting to embarrass Sheila, she remained silent.

Once inside the brightly lit home, Jay remained glued to the TV. The toddler too, found the program interesting, giving the women a chance to catch up. But through their entire conversation, the letter kept appearing in Rita focus.

It was only when Sheila took Jay to the toilet, that Roshini let her curiosity get the better of her.

When the kids got sleepy, Sheila took them back. Again Roshini helped her, ensured that Sheila had plenty of candles and even left her a torch.

Half an hour later, Roshini was fast asleep. Sheila on the other hand, worried into the night.

At midnight the phone rang. Sheila bumped her way through the corridor to answer it. Her husband was on the line. He had been wounded during routine exercise and was being sent home for treatment and recovery. He was just minutes away.

Sheila did not have the heart to tell him of the problem that existed. He was coming to recover and she would have to welcome him into a dark home.

“Mum, who was that?” Jay called out from his bed.

“That was Dad, he will be here soon,” she said. Jay jumped out of bed, but realising it was still dark, he hopped back in. “Come and get me, mum!” he shouted.

Her little toddler cried out to be lifted as well. She dealt with Jay, and then went over to pick up the baby.

As that very moment, she heard the car. Before she could reach the door, she heard the key turn in the lock and as the door opened, Jay charged forward shouting, “Dad!”

Her husband hugged Jay and then reached for the light switch saying, “Why are all of you in the dark?”

A moment later, light illumined the room. Sheila stared at her husband. Surely he had not performed a miracle!

After they exchanged hugs, Nick turned to Sheila and said, “Give me a moment. I need to deliver this card to Roshini, her husband sent it. Apparently it is Deepavali, an important festival in their culture; they call it the Festival of Lights.”

Sheila looked at her husband and said, “This is very strange. We have not had power for 24 hours and suddenly it has returned when you arrived. Look, go and give that letter to Roshini and then we can talk.”

Jay went with his Dad, and he carried the envelope as Nick’s left arm was still supported in a sling.

Nick handed over the note to Roshini; Jay informed her that the lights had returned and then Roshini bid them goodbye, almost rushing them out.

It was Jay that stopped their progress. “Hey Dad, this letter has your name on it,” he said, handing it over to Nick. As Nick read the final notice and the post-it sticker that had a payment receipt number, he understood the miracle of which his wife had spoken.

Roshini looked embarrassed, then recovering quickly said, “Not tonight Nick. No home should be without lights tonight. Go enjoy your time with your wife and kids.”

Nick hugged her and then saluting her said, “Yes Mum!”

After he left, Roshini tore open the envelope. In it her husband had sketched a beautiful lamp and the message inside read, “Go, my Roshini, do what you do best, and keep lighting up the world!”

Floral is beautiful, claim fashion gurus as the Hawaiian bloom hits Australia

flattering, try a hot pink shade. Keep experimenting!

By TAlIA KAUR

Bright and bold tropical patterns are everywhere as summer approaches, from the red carpet to the runway, and now to the beach! The Hawaiian bloom theme is all about embracing the feeling of island life in a chic and modern way, with an explosion of fruity colours including yellow, aqua blue, spicy orange and fuchsia red, with black and white accents. It’s also about combining these bold prints and bright colours with cool fabrics and tropical punch jewellery and accessories to give us the feeling of an island escape or an exotic trip through the rainforest.

Since this commercial and print heavy trend is a classic look for summer, many affordable stores like Forever New and Topshop are taking full advantage of this tropical trend, and so should you!

Take inspiration from collections such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Missoni, Alberta Ferretti and Dior, and adjust it to your own personal style. It’s all about having fun with the fashion trend and not taking it too seriously. Try wearing shirts with colourful bird designs, palm trees or even feathers on jewellery. The neon trend also works really well with this theme – just pair tropical prints with solid neon colours and there you have it!

So, whether you’re planning a simple trip to the beach, lunch with friends or an evening do or dinner, it’s easy to add a little bit of a summer theme to your outfit with a few tropical-inspired fashion pieces.

Wearing the trend

The tropical trend is more versatile than you may think. It looks beautiful, exotic and fresh on dresses, skirts, tops, blazers, pants and jumpsuits, as well as accessories. These printed outfits are fast attention grabbers and can really make a statement, so be sure to select the right colours and prints that look best on you. For example, if tangerine isn’t

Find a tropical-themed item that suits your body type. If you’re not too curvy from the waist down, then try a fun pair of tropical print shorts or a flowy skirt with a bright coloured top. If you have a larger bust, maybe a simple tropical tank top with a darker background would work best, or even a pair of tropical printed jeans with a neutral coloured shirt to take the attention away from the bust. If petite, you can be a little more daring with a tropical print jumpsuit or romper. If you have more of an hourglass figure, a tropical shift dress would look great with a thin monochrome belt cinched in at the waist to highlight your curves and break up the large print. A more full-figured shape would be perfect for a onepiece tropical bathing suit with ruching or gathering along the sides to hide any uncomfortable areas.

When you’re ready to embrace this trend, make sure you avoid competing elements in your outfit.

When it comes to pairing tropical trends with other patterned trends, definitely keep it to a bare minimum as you want the main tropical theme to be the eye-catcher, especially since it’s such a bold print. Therefore, you may want to mix wild prints with a heavy dose of neutral or solid colours to soften the ‘Hawaii getaway’ look and make it more casual and chic.

Accessorise the tropical look

When wearing tropical prints, the choice of accessories should be kept as simple as possible, especially when going for the head-to-toe effect. But if you’re only wearing one item of clothing in a bold tropical print, definitely add a little something extra to your outfit. This could be colourful, bold necklaces, bracelets, earrings, tote bags, scarves, and don’t forget to colour your nails in juicy, delicious colours as well! However, if you want to tone down the look a bit, choose neutral accessories and jewellery with this bold trend. A tropical patterned maxi-dress will look great with a neutral toned necklace or set of bangles, especially if they’re made of earthy material such as wood. Gold, bronze or silver accessories work as well for this trend to keep your outfit chic, without being overpowering. As far as bags go, tote bags or one-shoulder bags are perfect, but be sure to keep them on the small to medium side to balance the look and maintain the best proportions. If you wear a tropical printed outfit, a simple neutral or earthy coloured bag would look great. If you wear a subtler outfit, a bright tropical printed bag would add a pop of colour and would be a great statement piece. When it comes to shoes, go with solid colours if your outfit already has prints – whether it’s a bold colour or a basic colour like black, nude or brown. A bold colour would be fun if it complements one of the colours in the tropical-patterned item being worn. If the shoe will be the highlight of the outfit, balance out the rest of the look. Gladiator sandals, strappy sandals, and even platforms and pumps look better on shorter hemmed tropical outfits such as printed jumpsuits, rompers, shorts, skirts and shorter dresses. Other fashion items such as bright sunglasses, printed scarves and hats will complete the look, but make sure you restrain yourself from adding too many accessories since the tropical fashion is in itself a statement look. And last but not least, keep the hair simple. A high bun or simple straight hair is always classy, or if you want to go for the surfer chic look, a messy bun or beach waves will compliment the outfit perfectly.

Gladiator sandals, strappy sandals, and even platforms and pumps look better on shorter hemmed tropical outfits

If you wear a subtler outfit, a bright tropical printed bag would add a pop of colour and would be a great statement piece.