Several times he tried to pronounce the dead woman’s name; but in the middle of the word his peaceful and ordinary face became convulsively distorted, and a childlike fit of weeping cut me to the heart.
No: these were not the tears of which old people are generally so lavish, when representing to us their wretched condition and unhappiness. Neither were these the tears which they drop over a glass of punch. No: these were tears which flowed without asking a reason, distilled from the bitter pain of a heart already growing cold.
He did not live long after this. I heard of his death recently. It was strange, though, that the circumstances attending his death somewhat resembled those of Pulcheria Ivanovna’s. One day Afanasii Ivanovich decided to take a short stroll in the garden. As he went slowly down the path, with his usual carelessness, a strange thing happened to him. All at once he heard some one behind him say, in a distinct voice, “Afanasii Ivanovich.” He turned round, but there was no one there. He looked on all sides: he peered into the shrubbery—no one anywhere. The day was calm, and the sun shone clear. He pondered for a moment. His face lighted up; and at length he exclaimed, “It is Pulcheria Ivanovna calling me!”
- From 'Old Fashioned Farmers' by Gogol
This is a wonderful story about growing old with your love and then having to suffer their death. The story talks about an old farming couple who have been with each other since the beginning. The old lady (Pulcheria Ivanovna) dies and Gogol paints a painful picture of the old man (Afanasii Ivanovich) who is left behind with the memories.
In the end (five years after the death of the old lady) he gets a 'call' from his long departed companion. I can imagine the peace he felt when he heard her call.
It must have felt like breathing in after holding your breath for ages or drinking a glass of cool water after a lifetime of wandering in the desert.
But the title of the story is most amazing. The title is 'Old Fashioned Farmers'. I find it so accurate. I think spending your entire life with someone has become 'old fashioned' now. The lack of patience and increased expectations have made sure that divorce is seen as an easy way out.
The value of 'growing old together' has taken on a different meaning now. Age is counted not by how many years were spent with your loved ones but by how much money you make, how successful you are in the eyes of the society (both personaly and professionaly) and of course by how many diseases you have.With the average human life-span increasing growing old together should have a special meaning.
All this sometimes makes me wonder 'why'. Why work, why worry, why struggle? One day we all will be dead and what we gain in this life is sure as hell not going to be any good once we have 'crossed over' into the next.
All we will leave behind would be a string of broken relations marking out our empty lives just like broken milestones marking out a dark and lonely highway to nowhere.
:)
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