Slipped from my fingers

-3-

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I groan as I slap my palm on the phone next to me to stop the annoying alarm clock from ringing.

Why did I keep the alarm last night? Holiday time.... I'm still sleepy. I murmur in my sleep.

The alarm died after two minutes of continuous ringing and I fell back into my dreamy sleep.

So blissful.

Just when a deep sleep waved upon me, the annoying stupid alarm started ringing again and I groaned again. When the ringing did not stop for quite some time, I took the phone in my hand and looked at the screen. I had to blink several times to adjust to the screen light, but when my eyes opened completely, I was surprised to see 20 miss calls.

Who would call me so many times? I thought.

With my half sleepy mind, I lazily unlocked my cell and was surprised to see, Aunt Jacinth call me so many times.

I was confused as well as surprised so I straightened up a bit and scrolled down. Just then another incoming call came. It was her.

"Hello?" I spoke into the phone in a dull voice.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, dear Kezia my love, hap...." She kept singing on the phone and I realized that today was my birthday.

How could I have forgotten it? I thought.

A smile crept on my chapped lips.

"Thank you, aunty." I whispered to her and laughed.

Aunt Jacinth would always wish me on my birthday for years now. She stayed with her son in Mumbai and rarely got the chance to visit me due to her weak health. But she would always send me a gift or two to make me happy. She was the only close family I had currently.

"And don't forget to check your bank account dear." She said excitedly.

"Ohh, Aunty, it's okay. Why do you have to do this for me every time?" I said feeling a bit emotional.

So every year her gifts would come by post or parcel but this time her gift was money. That meant I could survive for yet more days. All of a sudden I felt excited and happy. Maybe it was because I received gifts only from aunt or it was just the anticipation of my 21st birthday.

"Buy something for yourself today and have a grand birthday dear. Sorry that I couldn't come. Uncle is out on his work trip and Solomon is not at home, you know about him, right?" her voice broke me from my thoughts and I pitied her very much.

Her son, Solomon stayed with his wife in Dubai and came to visit aunt once in a blue moon and sometimes never at all. Uncle was an ambitious man and always went on various zoological trips with his workmates. So basically, aunt was left all on her own most of the time and she would call me sometimes to talk.

"Yes I know aunty, but trust me, I will come visit you once I finish my engineering. And thank you so much for all the love." I said to her with a genuine smile on my face which she couldn't see but I knew I would do as I said.

"Oh, and I almost forgot, I have college from today, so got to go." I said, suddenly remembering that today was the first day of my final year.

"Well then, hurry up darling and take care." I could sense the disappointment in her voice that she couldn't continue talking to me.

"Love you," I said and cut the call. I felt bad for her but what could I do?

I have another freaking, lonely year to complete.