Memories

Though he had to walk an extra mile, he chose the longer route. That way, he could avoid the forlorn building.

It’d been an impressive construction once. The entire village witnessed the minister inaugurate the glass factory. Thousands of workers marched every morning into the building alight with energy and abuzz with activity. The villagers could afford additional meals and silk garments. For five months everything had been wonderful. Until one afternoon a machine collapsed and the boiling liquid ruined eighty families.

The factory had been abandoned since. And Prem had dropped out of school to replace his father elsewhere.