THAT WEEK: An Eternity

Picturing a house all to myself and imagining scene by scene the fun 
and frolic awaiting for me, I could not be more eager for the 22nd of 
June to arrive. Late night movies, sitting by the window sill and 
reading novels for hours, plus a car available 24*7 at my disposal.

I was sure this would feel heavenly, though it all turned 
a mess pretty soon, to be accurate it turned a mess as 22nd was about 
to get changed into 23rd of that month…midnight that is.
Confused?
Well should be.
Let me be more specific. My parents were due to leave for Kerela on 
June 22nd. It was their Silver Jubilee. Since they were to enjoy their 
anniversary together, I was to guard the house for a week in their 
absence. The idea seemed grand, I could hardly contain my excitement 
about the fun I was about to have. But when I stood on the station watching the train roll away from the platform, a strange feeling unnerved me, was I happy? Or was I terrified by the idea of sleeping alone that night?

I spent the evening outside my house, determined to loiter around until sunset. When I returned home, believe me the house seemed lifeless. There was no mummy asking me to have milk and no papa to fight with for watching Television. Today the T.V set was a discarded piece of technology for me.

By midnight, a giddy sensation oozed through my nerves. I regretted not calling my sister to sleep over with me. Worst of all, I had spotted a lizard on my terrace earlier, and now I was sure it would be a nightmare for me (I’m a little…no extremely scared of lizards).

The next day I sweated over the infinite house-hold work lined up for me, and by afternoon I was completely spent. This was something I had never anticipated… no books, no fun and worst…no parents! :(

Though over the next three days I had my siblings coming over for night-stays, it never ever filled the void, that space could only be filled by my parents. And even though I started having fun, and had no one to answer about my whereabouts, life seemed ‘aimless’ and ‘bleak’.

My days were consumed by cooking tasteless food and cleaning the house and the nights were unwanted dark times I was keen on sleeping through quickly. The only cheerful moments were visits from my siblings and friends and frequent phone-calls from my parents… And alas when the seven day deadline ended, and I went to pick them up, an involuntary natural smile lit up my face when I spotted a sign saying “Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport”.

Finally, I’ll not sleep alone, not today and not in the coming days!

In the seven long days I realized one irrevocable fact, life without parents has little charm in it. For me, I’m like a flower and they are my roots. If we are connected well, I can blossom, stay nourished and transform from a bud into a beautiful flower. And in the absence of those very roots, I might as well droop and lose my charm. I never fully realized their importance until now.

And so, for the ones who have their parents invisibly supporting them from behind, cherish their company and appreciate their care. Don’t wait too long to express a word of gratitude. Some who are unlucky enough have no parents and can not fully experience their warmth.