Goodbye
!
Vishal is a software engineer from Bangalore, India, and was married to another IT professional. He had to move to USA on an onsite assignment from his company "Oracle". His wife, Sakshi, too was lucky enough to get an assignment to the very same place in USA from her company "Mindtree", and both were living in USA for the past 2 years.
After migrating to USA for the first time ever in their lives, they soon got accustomed to the modern and sophisticated American life and have settled down in the western world. They lead a very busy and fast life, and seldom have time to call up their families in India.
Being their only son, it was tough for Vishal's parents to let them move out of the country. But as his father was an army personnel, he was quite aware of one’s own duties and responsibilities in life. They had lived in various places in the country during his tenure in the army, and Vishal completed his studies from several schools across the country owing to his father's job transfer. Post retirement his parents are now leading a peaceful life in their small one storeyed house in Bangalore. Bangalore was the place where Vishal's parents began their life together, where Vishal was born and did his kindergarten and few years of primary education until his father moved to New Delhi on transfer. Hence his parents wanted to settle down in Bangalore after their retirement.
As soon as Vishal reached home, he parked his car and rushed into his house. The baby sitter Peggy was there and when he arrived she bid goodbye and left.
Though a toddler, his child could recognize him come in, and his face glowed with happiness. Vishal kept all the groceries and the bags he carried on the kitchen table and then sat down on the sofa in his living room, with his baby in his arms and caressed him with love. Soon his wife too arrived and she barged in, left her bag on the sofa and quickly took the child in her arms. They were very fond of their baby, and now their entire life revolved around their child. After they moved to USA their life was like the continuation of their honeymoon - a cool and relaxed American life without much hassles. However after their child was born, their daily routine solely depended on their baby.
Later that evening, Sakshi prepared dinner. They had their dinner only after feeding their baby and after the child had slept. After their dinner together, they spend some time chatting about their day at work, and plenty of happenings and then went to bed.
It was in the middle of the night that unexpectedly the phone rang. Vishal's smartphone kept on the table beside the bed instantly rung breaking the silence of the room, and it's screen was lit intermittently in rhythm to the ringtone and the ceiling of the room was also illuminated accordingly. They both awoke from their sleep and drowsily Vishal extended his hand to the table and clumsily took the phone.
He attended the call and murmured some faint words as he was still drowsy from his sleep, but suddenly he sat upright dumbstruck and sat on his bed shell shocked.
His voice became heavy and crisp and in abated breath he exclaimed "Oh my God!!!", and gasped in utter shock.
Sakshi who was already awake, was startled by this change in his tone and body language. She got up and anxiously asked him what the matter was. He got up from his bed, and switched on the table lamp, and said in a trembling voice he spoke out the shocking new which he just heard. With a heavy heart he said that his father passed away due to cardiac arrest. Sakshi gasped in shock !!!
Though his voice trembled a bit, as he was shocked, he was very much composed and there weren't much traces of any grief or sorrow on his face then.
He quickly sat on his chair and turned on his laptop to check for any air tickets to India, meanwhile Sakshi called up her family and friends back in India to share the sad news. Vishal decided that he shall travel alone as it was difficult for both of them to travel to India together with their baby. Hence Sakshi would stay back in USA taking care of their child.
He finally got the air ticket booked for him, and his flight was at 5:00AM next morning, so he went back to bed. He couldn't sleep much during the night as many memories from his childhood days, and the happy days gone by at home with his parents flashed through his mind - his Dad taking him to kindergarten for the first time, taking him to hospital whenever he fell sick, Dad buying him toys whichever he demanded when he was a kid, the time he spend together with his Dad and Mom at home, how they used to eat together, watch movies together at home, and lot many happy and joyful moments spent and shared together which will exist only in his memories. Ever since they had migrated to USA two years back, they had never been to India.
Next morning, Sakshi dropped him at the airport. He got out of the car, and quickly said "Goodbye!", and briskly walked inside.
After seeing him off she drove back home. He rushed to the checking and security area as he was a bit late for his flight, and was worried if the gates would be closed. Luckily, he was just in the nick of time to reach there, and after all formalities and clearance, and just before the gates closed, he boarded his flight.
After a long journey of many hours through the sky, Vishal finally reached the opposite side of the planet, and landed in India. When he came out, the looming grey clouds, and dark sky gave him an eerie feeling even as he got down from the aircraft. His mind was very disturbed and was still in grief and shock of his father's sudden demise.
He traveled home in a taxi, and as his cab neared the house, he saw people crowded around his house and many peering into his car and murmuring among themselves. He got out and walked into his house. Every time he comes home, and whenever he walked into his house, his father would be sitting in the easy chair in their verandah; however today that chair was empty. He shot a quick painful glance at the easy chair with lot of grief etched on his face.
As he walked into the house the sight ahead held him riveted, and he felt as if he was struck by a lightning bolt. It was a blood curdling sight to see his father's dead body lying in the center of the room, and everyone sitting around mourning, and his distraught mother sitting amidst them, lamenting.
He looked at his father's face and in an instant, tears started rolling down his cheeks. He wept bitterly. It was a moment when Vishal realized that our lives are infact very brief, and our moments are short. Finally, the day has come for his father to bid adieu to this world, and it seemed that day arrived so soon.
Many of his friends and relatives had come to pay homage to his father. They all spoke to him and consoled him.
That evening, the cremation took place. After that many of their friends and relations who had come from far off places, consoled them and left. Few close relatives stayed back. Vishal returned home with his mother.
He spend the evening at home with his mother. It had been indeed long since he was with her. One of his aunt who had come for the funeral was staying back with them, and she prepared supper which they all had together. Then, he spend time with his mother chatting a lot, as they sat together on chairs in their portico looking into the darkness outside. She was very sad and depressed by the sudden demise which had been at an unexpected time. He consoled her a lot, talked a lot cherishing lots of sweet memories with their dad, and also talked about his family life back in USA and their child whom his mother had never seen. Later in the night, he called up his wife Sakshi and spoke to her also before going to sleep.
Vishal spend few more days in India, and had to return after another few days as his wife and kid were all alone in USA. Also had to report to work after a week's bereavement leave.
Due to his father's job they had lived in various places in India and settled in Bangalore only post his dad's retirement. Hence they didn't have much friends around there. With not much relatives or friends around in Bangalore, it wasn't safe to leave his mother all alone at their house and return to USA. He couldn't take her to USA with him, as visa processing would take a while. So, finally after discussing with some close relatives and family friends he finally came up with a painful decision - to leave his mother at an old age home !!!
The old age home where he intended to take her was run by some nuns and was next to a convent. Earlier there was a kindergarten and a primary school run by the nuns in place of this Old age home. As better schools were started in Bangalore, the number of children coming to the convent school declined and hence the school was closed down and the building was converted to this old age home. Both Vishal and his mother were familiar with the institution and the premises as Vishal had spend his initial days of his schooling there - for his kindergarten and primary school. In those days the institution was run by a nun - sister Catherine.
One fine evening, Vishal came up to his mother and sat beside her on the sofa of their living room. He was short of words to propose this suggestion to her, and anxious and worried on how she would take this, but at the same time he couldn't leave his mother all alone in the house. He finally drew enough courage, and spoke up, "Mum, do you remember my kindergarten and primary school where you used to take me?"
"Oh, yes…", she replied with her eyes beaming. "I remember how you used to cry a lot, each day when I used to take you to school way back then", with a smile lightening up her face.
"Hmm", nodded Vishal, and "what about sister Catherine?"
"Yeah, how can I forget her", remarked his mother. "Well, is she still....?"
"No, she passed away many years back", came the abrupt reply. "Now, a nun named Sr.Theresa is in charge".
"Well, Mamma, they are no longer running the school due to lack of children and now they have converted that into an old age home", exclaimed Vishal, looking straight into his mother's eyes.
"Hmm", she exclaimed innocently. "Gone are the good old days" she remarked with a heavy sigh.
With much courage and in a trembling tone Vishal continued, "Well, mamma, when I return to US, you'd be left all alone here in this house, which is not so safe. We do not have much friends or relatives around for any help. So I was wondering if it is possible for you to shift to a more safer place with lot of people around and friends of your age?"
She looked inquisitively into his eyes but spoke nothing.
Vishal continued in a shivering voice, " I was thinking it would be good for you to shift to that old age home, and stay there. It is safer for you to live. We can always be in touch, and I shall call you over phone everyday. There would be lot of inmates of your own age there, and you won't feel any loneliness."
She had least expected to hear something of this sort, and was a bit shocked and taken aback, and she stared intently into his eyes, motionless. For an instant she felt as if the whole world around her had fallen apart. Whether with good intentions or not, the thought of having to move to an old age home, leaving their own home only after a week since her husband's demise was too hard to digest.
Well, it took some time for his mother to come in terms with her son's suggestion, and after considering the various pros and cons, her son's priorities in life, and his inability to stay back in India for her, and in brief time the difficulty to get her visa to USA, etc, she finally gave her consent.
Finally that day came.
That morning, Vishal drove his car with his mother right beside him, and was driving towards the old age home. His mother was in deep thoughts and with mixed emotions. She had to give in to his request, and thought it suited the best at that point of time. However, she was quite upset and still had plenty of worries and apprehensions on how it would be in new surroundings and new environment with new inmates there.
Her life had completely changed within a span of a week. A week back she was leading a peaceful relaxed life with her husband and in a matter of a week's time, she lost her husband, had to leave her own house, and now has to move to an old age home to pull on with the rest of her life in an unfamiliar environment, with new people.
Vishal drove the car, and went into the gate of the institution and again drove further. The premises and surroundings were quite familiar to both of them. Vishal remarked pointing to a new building that it was recently built and wasn't there when she used to take him to his kindergarten.
He parked his car, and got out, and went across towards his mother, and holding her hand firmly he assisted her out of the car. He said that her baggage and belongings would be fetched later by a lad there, and she could walk with him to the building.
As they walked, Vishal was consoling her by saying not to be worried at all, and that there would be lot of inmates in the old age home of her age, just like her, and they would be very friendly, and she wouldn't feel lonely. He knew that she was very much worried and upset, though she didn't pretend to be so.
A tree which stood at the corner and the small building with tiled roof ahead, hasn't changed much over the years and it was infact the very same building where Vishal's kindergarten was decades back. She walked ahead holding his hands firmly, with lot of apprehensions and anxiety.
Suddenly some faint memories of a gone by period of her life flashed through her mind. She remembered herself holding Vishal's tiny hands and taking him to the very same building which was his kindergarten. He was crying and worried and beckoning her to take him back home, and she used to console him not to be worried, that there would be lot of children there of his age, and they would be very friendly and he could play with them, and would be having a nice time there.
Today, after many years have passed by, she walked on the very same ground, towards the very same building, holding her son's hand the same way as she used to, and the scenario and their conversations were also some what similar, however, this time it was for a totally different purpose.
They went into the office building and met the nun - sister Theresa. Vishal introduced his mother to her. Sr.Theresa welcomed them whole heartedly, and spoke about the good environment and cordial inmates. A lad who worked there went over to fetch her belongings and bags from their car, and brought those into the building and sister Theresa gestured to him to take it inside.
After spending a brief time Vishal got up to leave. He thanked the nun and walked towards the door with his mother by his side, she too walked with him till the end of the corridor. When they reached the end of the corridor and was almost at the door, he slowly turned around and faced her to bid adieu to her. He hugged her tightly and kissed her, while tears rolled down her cheeks.
He looked at her and in a breaking voice said, "Goodbye", as she wept a bit, and then turned and he walked away. She stood at the door gazing out at him, as he walked towards his car.
She recollected him standing at the corridor of this very same building many years back, when she used to leave him here at his kindergarten every morning, and he used to gaze at her with teary eyes from this verandah, when she used to walk away each morning...!
She stood there until he reached his car and started his car, and still stood there staring at him until he drove off and was completely out of sight. Then she walked in, to her new abode, accepting the bitter and harsh reality of life.
Penned down by,
Suveen Jacob
Abraham.
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