A Forgotten Memory

A FORGOTTEN MEMORY

Br Rohan D’Souza SDB

The electricity made its way into the tube lights, all of us were there. All of us were there; the third years. We saw saw the lights penetrating her delicate eyelids and forcing them to open.

I saw the pale, lifeless torso of Sushmita. We were friends for three years now, but it seemed to me as if we had been the best childhood friends.

While the others had come because the principal had urged them, I had come because Sushmita was not only my classmate, not only my companion, but a close friend and advisor and most of all, an ardent empathizer. Seeing her fading away, struggling under the icy hands of the state of coma was horrifying.

After a few moments, she got up and began to look around. Looking at all of she began to cry. Something within me instigated me to rise and catch hold of her arm. She began to weep; she knew what was happening. The very fact that the whole class had come to pay her a visit, meant that she had a few hours to live.

The nurse walked in and pulled my hand away from hers. “She needs a drug, lover boy” the nurse grinned.

With her grin, I saw all the faces of my classmates turning into a pricky, devilish smirk. As we went out, we saw I looked back to see get a last glance of her face. Rohan, Rohan, her lips seemed to be calling out to me.

My classmates were busy designing ways to taunt me. Right enough, as we came out, all the others began to taunt me. So much was I the stock of the latest news, that my presence became the reason for everyone’s mouth-filled, red cheek laughter.

“Even the nurse was against your love story, lover boieeeeee…” one fellows mockery made me cringe I began to feel embarrassed. The others’ immaturity had made me feel abashed. I decided to break away from the group.

The English has blessed with many things, but the best according to me, is the warm cup of tea beside the shimmering rays of the sun in the afternoon. As u sipped my tea, my father came and took a seat in front of me.

“You seem to look a little down today” he began.

Keeping things from my father was one of the few things, I had never managed to do. I narrated the story which had just happened and how I had become the embarrassing hero.

“Boy, each and every soul standing there wanted their own name to be taken. Since she took only your name, they were all jealous of you.”

“Jealous? Just because she took my name?”

“Not because she took your name. But because, you are so close to her heart and they couldn’t manage to penetrate hard and make it to the innermost sanctum of hers.”

“I am close to her? That’s impossible”

“I don’t think there’s any other reason why she, in a sedated state should take your name.”

I realized the words I had just heard; they seemed to be true.

“Where are you going?” I heard my father ask. I had no time to explain and I assumed my father would not my neglect as disrespect.

Boys made fun of me but I cared a damn. My father’s words had made a new way for me to thing. I marched bravely into the ICU block and opened the door. Her mother was beside her along with her brother and her father. My introduction to her family was least needed at that time, if not unnecessary.

I walked near her bed and caught her soft, hot palm and smiled. Her tear filled face smiled back at me. after so many years, I am still sure that even if I get the Alzheimer’s syndrome, I will never forget her angelic face, her trembling lips and her fading voice saying, “Rohan, I knew you’d come.”