Distant Friends

A story involving social lives among friends and family. Full of love and suspence.

 CHAPTER 1

 

INTRODUCTION

     

  It is said that in death, all things become clear. Mamush Ummi now knew it was true. As she watched her daughter (Anjali) clutch her chest and crawl to the ground in pain. Mamush knew the horror of her daughter’s suffering and now it was crystal clear that her daughter’s condition had elevated.

            People appeared, clustering over Anjali, trying to help her, but all in vain. It was that early morning when Daymian Mars woke up his eldest brother Jay Mars informing him of their sister’s condition.

           Moving out of his canopy bed, Jay Mars knew all was not well. Outside, it was pitch-dark. Something eerie penetrated the chill-cold air. Jay Mars stopped short, the sound resounding in his ears. In a wave of horror, he feared the worst; her sister’s condition turning from worst to critical. He briskly moved towards his sister outside the house and knelt down in front of her, trying to give the necessary possible help, but all his efforts proved fruitless. Ummi looked hopeless from her sitting posture, but she knew that it was not yet over until it was completely over. Imagine one of the worst feelings on earth, a mother watching her daughter suffer and knows that cannot help.

           “My sons be strong for your sister.” Ummi comforted her sons who stood stranded in front of their ailing sister. “Bring a vehicle to move your sister to the state hospital.” She instructed her sons. The state hospital was located in Arcadia, a town away from their current location. The sons respectfully obeyed the command, in love of their sister, and in help in that time of need.

           Only if Daymian Mars could have known that it would be the last time for him to see, touch and hear her only sister, he would not have allowed himself stay behind and let her sister go with her mother. Jay too was in preparation for the journey to school, to which it was situated in Arcadia, and there he would pay a visit to his sister.

 

 

 

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AT A RELATIVE’S HOUSE; ARCADIA; 11:00 A.M

             “Mu…m... I really feel pain deep down my chest. It is painful,” Anjali said in an unstable weak voice.

              “Do not worry Anjali, you will soon recover. Recovery is the journey.” Mamush comforted her. Honestly, Mamush loved her siblings and she could sacrifice her happiness just for their consideration and well-being. The only love that is really to be believed in is mother’s love for her children. A mother is someone whom you can count on, who loves you, no matter what. Who is there for you when you need her and never lets you down.

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                     Schools were opening and Jay Mars had to travel all the way from Anat, their home place, to his school which was located in Arcadia. There was a chance for him to see his sister once again. His dad was nowhere to be seen, and the children never bothered about him so much. They still had not experienced father’s love to the fullest, and they never knew its taste.

                    Arriving at Arcadia, Jay got a ride from his uncle’s office car, Rohit, who also offered a helping hand in that time of need. Sometimes Jay wondered whether his dad really loved his mum, because Jay always kept in his mind that; “loving is not just looking at each other, but it is looking in the same direction.” This was not yet confirmed in his parents. They oftenly differed in their decisions.

                 Jay arriving at his relative’s house, what he saw made him go pale, and for a moment, his blood stopped flowing in his veins. Anjali was wailing in full pain, beyond emotional control. Mamush and the other relatives who were present believed that it was something out of the ordinary that was happening to her. The doctors could just not figure her illness. Mamush claimed that maybe her daughter was under a spell, and no magician was able to cast the spell. What remained were just prayers and the doctors to do their best.

           Jay Mars hopelessly buried his head down, covered by his hands as he silently wiped his tears that were streaming down his cheeks. All his efforts to comfort his sister had failed once again.

            “You are a gentleman, stay strong,” his relative, whom he never knew of her name advised him.

             “I am trying to, no problem,” Jay tried to gather some courage to reply in the midst of sadness.

          Time was up and Jay had to report to school, while he watched his sister go to Arcadia State Hospital in the company of his mum, and relatives. His heart was heavy and wished he would live with his sister side-to-side in that tough period. He stared at Anjali, and searched her eyes for life, hope and future, but all he could see was weakness. She could not even make an effort of making a weak smile.

           “Stay well mum, I wish you the entire best dear sister, we shall meet. “It was Jay’s goodbye as he was making his way to school. Little did he know that, that was the last time he watched his sister alive, it was a final goodbye. Only if humans could see the future, many things could be controlled, but we never know what tomorrow brings.

 

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SCHOOL; CAMP ARCADIA

                     Camp Arcadia was slightly a wide school, surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Jay Mars made his way in, in his mind knowing he was back to hell.

                     “Excuse me boss, could you come over here please?” It was the school’s gate-man.

                      “No, thank you. I have no contraband if that is what you think of.” Jay Mars replied, a little bit annoyed.

                     The gate-man again pleaded emphatically, “It is important, a matter of the school’s security and regulations.” It was not Jay’s first time there, but today, he had intended to cause trouble if anyone would cross his line of patience.

                  In a moment, he found himself wanting to curse everyone for everything that was messing up, including the innocent gate-man who was only in the line of his duty. He had to be frisked for any outbound item, and nothing would stop him from getting frisked, but today, Jay wanted to prove a hard algorithm to bypass.

                The gate-man stood up and impatiently said, “the administration of this school needs to put their trust somewhere. There are a lot of good and bad students in here. We have to access all of them and filter the right from the wrong. That is our job. That is our duty. Whether it displeases you or not, it is our duty to do it. We are the guards of the school’s gate, we have to guard it.” He ended in a most convincing way.

             Jay nodded thoughtfully, slowly letting in. He found himself smiling when he thought of the mischief he was doing, unsure of how to respond. The gate-man smiled back, and did what he had to do, and gave Jay the authorization notice; “Welcome back to the Centre of Excellency.”

 

SCHOOL SECTION; DORMITORY

               A cold wind blew, Jay Mars shook as he walked in his pants and a towel on his shoulder to take a shower. The mood in the school was dull, which as well worsened his current situation. Everybody was on the mercy of the holiday hangovers. The emptiness that was taking full control of him was now at the peak.

                It was night and he felt tired, everybody was tired too. His joints ached feebly as he tried to take a nap.

                             Early in the next morning, he woke up to prepare for CAT exams that he would undertake the day after tomorrow. Indeed, education is sweet. It is the movement of darkness to the light. But the path to success is not always a smooth one. In Jay’s mind, he knew that every successful person has a painful story and every painful story has a successful ending. So he should accept the pain and get ready success.

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                 Examinations were over and Jay did them to his maximum IQ capacity. It was not an easy task to undertake them, but there was no excuse, nor a short cut to the exams. Exams are the only measurement of proving the quantity of the work you did in class that you can be able to reflect. It was night preps and Jay was on his locker, relaxing his mind. Some seconds later, he felt something odd in his body. His left eyebrow vibrated severally, and according to their traditional myths, he might shed some tears, or something bad would happen. He picked the novel “Blessed Hands” by Ben Carson to refresh his mind.

 

AT SILVILLE ACADEMY

                 Students had reported and learning was to start. Anjali’s chair was empty and news got the whole academy fraternity that their colleague was hospitalized. What is the work of friends? Assisting and supporting each other in times of need. Her classmates created a date to visit her and show comfort to her. That is what friendship is all about. When you mingle well with people, no matter the place, you can make good friends no matter the social barriers.

 

WARD: ARCADIA STATE HOSPITAL

                 Anjali’s condition was getting scary. Her legs had swollen and her vision was fading away, her memory too was weakening.

                  More than ten friends from Silville were on her bed, with all sorts of gifts to her. It was a sad scene and most of them could not hold their emotions. It is said that ladies are the most emotional, yet the strongest creatures on earth, how true. Anjali too with what she had in mind, she could not imagine that the curtains were closing on her. It felt like she was on a mission towards her destiny and all of a sudden, a huge wall appeared and blocked her way forward, no matter how she tried to climb the wall, it seemed to be getting longer and longer.

                “Anjali, you hear me? Worry out. No matter the situation you are in, know that in the middle of every difficulty, lies an opportunity. Nothing lasts forever. I wish you a quick recovery.” That was Nadia, her closest friend, comforting her. A confirmation with a weak nod from Anjali was received, but she knew the entire truth of her life’s fate. What is fate? It is believing that something is already planned and it is unchangeable, but can’t human actions change fate?

                    Mamush closed her eyes and laid her head to rest beside her daughter, just hopping that she would one day wake up and find this all a nightmare.

                    Her classmates were gone, making the place look gloomier with few occupants in it. Anjali could neither sleep, nor sit. She had to be assisted by her loving mum do her basic body activities. She was critic. Mamush dialed Anjali’s dad, who promised to come in the shortest time possible. Jay made a call to his mum, enquiring her sister’s condition, just to be informed that she was fairing on well, and that made him know that sooner, she would meet her cheerfully sister and rejoice together.

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                 “My dear daughter, how is your situation?” Mr. Ram spoke out as he came in hurriedly, looking confused. The statement was somehow irritating to Mamush. How do you expect a sick person explain her condition when she can barely speak?

                  “Do not worry, you will be fine,” he tried to comfort her.

              “No dad, I cannot be fine. The doctors diagnosed me with Sickle Cell anemia. I know how bad that trait is. Victims of that trait rarely survive, we were taught that at school.” Anjali managed to reply.

                 “Have faith, I am going to fly you to the National hospital, where you will get sophisticated medical attention tonight.” He replied.

                   Mamush pulled Anjali’s father, Ram and spoke to him, “there is no way you can fly her. You see her condition, she can hardly sit. How do you expect her to sit in a plane with all the vibrant movements in it? I can stay with my daughter here and see the way forward.” She spoke silently, but strongly.

                 Meanwhile, Ram went out of Arcadia State Hospital.

 

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WARD; ARCADIA STATE HOSPITAL- SOME MOMENTS LATER

               Mamush still with her ailing daughter, the Angel of death came from the top most authority’s command, the Almighty, to pick His creature and relieve it from the suffering.

             Anjali was getting ready to go, but how was she doing it? She was lying beside every weight and sin that did so easily beset her, and she was getting light for the flight. Being a religious woman, Mamush saw it and knew that the end of term of her daughter’s life clock had ticked. She made a final plea to Anjali, “Say, I believe in the Almighty God and prophet Muhammad as His messenger.”

             That statement was the declaration, the gate to Islam. Anjali repeatedly said it weakly as she marked a full stop to her life. With tears streaming her chest making it wet, Mamush placed her hands on her daughter’s face to close her eyes. It was a goodbye until eternity. She was sure that she would never see her daughter as she used to see her when the sun rises. She got that feeling that someone struck her with an arrow to her heart, the worst pain she had never experienced before, a mother losing her only daughter, just on her way winding up her high school education.

               Mr. Ram received the news as a shock. He felt guilty for not being too careful to the responsibility of her only daughter. That served him heavy blow, and surely Anjali was the love of his life, but he only expressed his love via words, and not through actions.

               They say in death, all things become clear. Mr. Ram now knew it was true. Standing beside her daughter’s bed in the ward, he felt a bitter clarity he had never known. His religion spoke of empty promises and he never had ample time with his children. The mortuary attendants gave him a form to fill in. They had already started picking Anjali’s lifeless body to the mortuary, but they were stopped short by Mamush.

              “She cannot go to the mortuary. She is a Muslim.” Mamush told the mortuary attendants.

             “We are sorry madam. Sorry for the dismay too,” one of them replied.

                The confusion that Mr. Ram had, it felt like a million bees had entered his head, and he felt like it was swinging. His mind reeled back to those previous moments, the days where he never visited her daughter when she was in Silville Academy with no genuine reasons. There was her daughter’s name, Anjali Ram, but he knew it made no sense. The word had no life, and now, the cruelest fate made him see her daughter. He wished he had paid better attention, he did not yet think life as fragile. Surely, we do not know the value of something until we lose it.

                             Anjali’s uncle, Rohit, received the sad news in sobs. He cried bitterly and felt sorry for her, though death is the only path that awaits everyone. Rohit boarded a plane from his city of work, Angels to Arcadia. Many relatives were informed and made the journey to Arcadia, in readiness for the funeral.

 

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CAMP ARCADIA, NIGHT PREPS

           Back in the novel Blessed Hands that Jay was reading, he was at a paragraph whereby a little lady died of brain tumor even after the world’s greatest neurosurgeon tried to heal her. Jay’s left eye continued blinking and his instincts told him that something had messed up.

                In front of the classroom door, appeared the night school’s watchman who enquired for Jay Mars. To Jay, it was very odd for him to be called by a watchman at such times and he tried to recall any act of mischief but he found none. He moved out of the class, following the watchman and find what was awaiting him.

                “So you are Jay Mars?” The watchman tried to confirm whether he got the right person.

                “Sure, it is me. What is the matter?”

                 “Mr. Boarding Master wants to see you immediately.”

                 “Fine,” Jay said, breathing slowly but strongly unsure why he had to be called at that time.

 

CAMP ARCADIA, STAFF QUARTERS

                  “How are you, are you the one that I am expecting to see?” The Boarding Master greeted while posing a question at the same time.

                    “I am fine sir. I am Jay Mars and I have been informed that you had requested for me.” Jay said uneasily.

                     “Your aunt made a phone call to me, informing that your sister is sick. I will give you a night out permission card so that you can go and see her.”

                       “Thank you so much sir.”

                         “You are most welcomed.” The Boarding Master said, as he looked at Jay pitifully, his eyes showing sympathy. “But why didn’t you inform us that you had a sick sister?” the Boarding Master asked loosely.

                     That was the statement that came out with no calculations in it, that it held a strong message and at the same time it created a lot of imaginary pictures. The words met with a bewildered silence in that calm night, except the barking of a dog from a nearby house and the screeching of an owl from a nearby tree. Mr. Boarding Master knew he had turned the dices in the wrong dimension and his literature student Jay was bound to find the secret meaning in the Master’s last statement.

                     The human mind is the fastest computer in existence. In the next fraction of a second, Jay’s mind loaded her sister’s situation, searched her life level, found a warning result, registered danger, and requested for a decision- to see her sister in the shortest time possible.

                    “Your cousins will be coming to pick you, wait for them at the school’s main gate.” Boarding Master said as he retired to bed.

                    After several hours of waiting, Jay’s cousins never showed up and he had to go back to his dormitory and sleep. Everybody was heavily asleep, Jay remained haunted.

 

12^TH JANUARY; JANUARY

           Early in the morning peps, Jay Mars knew all was not well and his mind could not load anything from the work he was doing. He opened the novel that he was earlier reading it and continued from where he had left. At about fifteen minutes of silence in the classroom, the school Deputy Manager entered in, and saw Jay’s head facing down the locker.

          “Here is another sleeping idiot, who forgot his purpose for coming to school.” The Deputy Manager hissed silently.

          Jay saw him, but he ignored him, knowing that he was he was not doing any wrong, and continued flipping the pages of the novel. Just in one snap, Jay heard the shutter sound of a digital camera. It was the Deputy Manager who had focused the camera lens to him, capturing him one snapshot.

         “Come with me,” the Manager summoned Jay and ordered him to kneel down in front of the class on that rough floor. Jay was not in the mood of arguing and he obeyed the order, but deep in him, feeling an inner humiliation.

                           

     Before classes began, just after sunrise, Jay was again summoned by the duty teacher to the school administration block. Arriving there, he met his half-brother and thy exchanged greetings.

       “Will you need to carry anything home, a bag maybe?” The duty teacher asked.

       “Mm, not really, I do not think if I will need any,” Jay replied quickly, not knowing the secret behind that question.

       “Your mum requested me to come and pick you up,” said Jay’s half-brother. Jay nodded, sensing something bad. They left at the administration block heading out of the school.

          On their way out of the gate, Jay heard the watchman tell them, “sorry for the dismay.”

Those words hitted his eardrums like a thunder bolt, the words resounding in his ears over and over. He felt sick.

        Jay was yet to confirm the entire reality. “Did that mean that someone is… no! No!” his mind escaped the entire reality.

   

  AT RELATIVES HOUSE; ARCADIA

             More than fifty people gathered, giving condolences. The bitter painful truth was now confirmed. Anjali was now a long time history. As Mamush cried uncontrollably, Jay Mars shaded tears of sorrow.

“Try to comfort your mum please,” some relatives tried to advise Jay.

Mamush could still stare at her daughters corpse, just hoping that a miracle will happen and she would wake her up. Surely, mothers are among the greatest creatures on earth.

    It still remained a mystery, a much unexpected death to the beloved ones. The death of someone is like reading a book, yet having it end where it was not supposed to.

  For a moment, Jay tried to be strong. He walked out of the scene to a bare abandoned ground. His head looked at the nimbus-clouded sky, as if asking the Almighty God to return his sister’s soul, but death is an obligatory journey to which no man kind can escape it. He remembered a poem, a message to which the persona is God, saying-

 

When the visions around you brings tears to your eyes,

And all that surrounds you are sorrows and cries,

I will be your strength, I will give you hope,

Keeping your faith when it is gone.

And I will consider you in your prayers until your life is through

 

This I am promising you.

I have cared for you before and I will in forever lifetimes,

I gave you my Holy word, follow it to the later,

Life is a battlefield, and this is a battle you will win,

Only if you put me first, and put focus in your life,

Just close your eyes, clear your heart and pray,

I know this sad feeling will go away,

Till the day your lifetime ends.

This I am promising you.

 

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 The whole extended Anjali family started their journey to their ancestral home, Akamai, where Anjali’s body would be peacefully laid down to rest.

     They had now arrived in that sunny, dusty and ancient looking village, where Anjali’s parents were born and raised. That was where her forefathers originated. That was her ancestral home.

  Jay and his brothers felt happy to be in their homeland. They had really missed it, and it was years ago since they were there. They had missed their childhood days there, when they used to play on the river banks, riding on crocodiles back, and grazing the hippopotamuses. See, when you finally go back to your old home, you find that it was not the old home that you missed, but your childhood. ‘But how can your house be your home when your loved one is gone?’ Jay thought silently.

    Jay and his family knew that despite of all those tides they were going through, it was nothing to remain sorrowing because it was the order of human life; whatever that contains life, it must die. The burial and the funeral were done, and now they had to open a new chapter without Anjali in their lives.

      A new day has come and a new beginning from the end has started. Nothing could be gained by living in yesterday. The past had gone and they had to live in the present and plan for the future. The weather was come, and the early morning sun shone elegantly with its smooth rays warming the earth. It was the new phase that began.

               

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Author's Note

ignore grammar problems for nouns