RAISING HOPE

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My heart ached as I lay in bed. Those cruel, heartbreaking words replayed in my head. I felt suffocated in a perfectly ventilated room. I knew he hadn't meant all of those words, but still, they came directly from his heart; and were aimed at mine. just the thought mad me cry.

I got up from my bed, as I picked up my soft blue jacket and reached for the kitchen. I left a post-it on the refrigerator leaving a message for my mom:

"Hey, can't get sleep, going for a walk. Will be back soon."

Though it was well past six, the sun wasn't up yet. As I got on the road, the air gushed past my face making the hair fly. Our watchman was wide awake and had even managed to clean more than half the cars in the parking lot. Just about the same time, milkman entered the building ringing his vintage bell. To my utter surprise the world around me was wide awake, unlike my room where everything felt dead and silenced. 

By the corner of the street the vegetable vendors had already set up their vegetables and were splashing water on them to make them look fresh. Old folks were out for their morning walks, some with their grandchildren while some alone. I decided to go to the beach. As I turned a corner, I could smell the tea leaves break into the water and pakodas being fried. The smell made my mouth water. There were many people huddled for their morning tea. I nodded at the vendor as he gave me a knowing smile. 

I turned the last corner, but this lane was deserted. Lonely.

That gloominess began to return. The pain, the anguish, all of it struck back. It made me realize how much it had hurt me. It was like something biting me from the inside, making me hollow.

As I sat on the sand watching the sea waves retreat, I went down memory lane. The days that we had spent playing football here, the days we had sat down discussing issues, and many other moments like that. But now, it all seem to retreat with the waves, all of it. 

Suddenly, a ball hit my head. 

I turned around to throw it back, in anger, but all that anger seemed to vanish as I looked at those familiar eyes. Jayson.

That look in his eyes; it told me enough. That he had had the same ache in his heart the entire night. I knew I couldn't hold onto the despair anymore. I had to let go. 

The rising sun that morning gave rise to a new day as it took away the darkness, along with guilt for the spoken words that we had carried with us that night.

***


A warm welcome to our new writer chasing_uncertainity (24/03)

We are sure she'll keep you readers entertained with many such stories.

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