Before We Leave

Chapter Four

"Good morning" I half-yawned and half-greeted mom as she woke me up while entering into my room.

"Slept well" she asked while placing a bag full of fresh clothes for me.

"Yeah I guess" I noticed the window was closed and Devi was gone. I brushed my teeth on a little bowl and got my bandages changed. A compounder delivered a wheelchair on my roof. Mom helped me get onto it, I had very little lower body strength and took me for my checkup on the other side of the hospital.

The sunshine felt good as it fell on my face as we were making our way Through the corridor. I wondered which Devi's room was. I saw some patients on the front lawn walking or exercising or doing yoga, some of them old, some young but each one full of hope. I wondered what suddenly changed that I started to look at the world in a new perspective.

The doctor's room was minimal with just some medical equipment and a bed on one corner. The checkup was done within 20minutes and the doctor advised to start the exercise for my legs from the next day. I couldn't walk or even move my lower body but the doctor said that with proper exercise and medicines it will be normal.

Mom had to go to work so after the checkup she quickly returned me to my room and helped me get into the bed. The bread, butter and banana for breakfast weren't even half finished when I heard a knock on the door. Before me answering, the door opened and Devi made her way into the room. She was wearing the same blue t-shirt, with a book in her hand.

She walked and sat into the chair, as if I was invisible or she just simply didn't care enough to acknowledge my existence.

"The fireflies aren't out in the day" I said.

"I am in a good mood today so I am going to ignore your rudeness. Plus the only other friend I have in the hospital is currently resting, so you are forgiven" She said, folding a page of her book.

I smiled. She gave me a unnerving stare.

"What is your favorite tree?' she asked suddenly.

I didn't know what to say. I was prepared for an introduction or maybe talking about the book she was reading or an explanation of why she is intruding in my room, but trees seemed the last thing an almost stranger would ask.

"Umm.. I haven't thought about trees much" I replied

"Think" she kept her book on the table and hunched forward to give her deadly stare once again.

"Umm... probably a mango tree" I said.

"Why?" she seemed genuinely curious.

"Cause they are big?" it sounded more like a question than an answer

"My favorite tree would be Bougainvillea. Cause when I was a kid there was a bougainvillea tree in front of our house and whenever the flowers blossomed it looked so beautiful, it used to make me so happy" she said, "and I just realized you are boring"

"Not true" I defended.

She squinted her eyes, "All right then, surprise me"

"I can recite poems. If you want I can recite one right now"

She nodded and I recited "Whoever You are Holding Me Now in Hand" by Whitman. By the end she clapped and cheered "Bravo"

Whenever Mitra was sad I used to recite a poem and she would clap by the end of it. She used to say that I suck out her sadness with my words. I wondered what will happen when she is sad now, will someone else recite poems for her, or will he do something else, something better.

"What?" Devi's voice brought me back from my thoughts.

"Nothing" I whispered.

"Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it." Devi quoted Sylvia Plath.

"So you like poems?" I asked

"Not really. Poetry seems complicated, a different meaning to each person. Poetry is sad and difficult to understand, much like my life and I can only handle one"

There was something different about Devi. Even though she surrounds herself with happiness and sunshine, it seemed like she was just using them as a shield from the world. But no matter how much she wants to pretend to be happy, I could see something broken within her.

"I like fantasy or sci-fi fiction. They are simple, they don't require contemplating about life choices and I could just get lost in a magical far away from this shitty one" she said.

"What's up with punching the world in the face? I asked.

She got up, came near the bed and picked up the banana from the plate. She took a bite and said, "Because I am interesting and you are boring"

She dodged the question and I was curious, but I stopped myself from prying.

"Oh and I forgot to tell you I slept here, I am sorry, but I couldn't just leave the view last night" she said.

"I know. I saw you"

"You pervert, you were secretly watching me?" she sounded pissed.

'No, no. I just woke up and I saw you there sleeping and I didn't wanted to disturb you so I ..." I tried to explain

"Chill dude I am messing with you" she threw the banana skin into the dustbin, "You are always so tensed up, and lost, and even when I asked the nurses about you no one answered me properly. Everyone seemed to be hiding something. Are you dying man?"

"NO" I couldn't help but smile about her poor social skills. She seemed so matured, somewhat broken and philosophical one moment and in the other she turns to an immature baby, lost in her own world who asks silly questions about trees and have poor social skills

"Then why?" She asked again, "What are you hiding and everyone is hiding about you?"

"Nothing really, I am fine, well not fine but I will be. Even my physio will begin from tomorrow so I will be walking in a few days and I will be normal again"

Normal? Nothing will change back to normal, I will just recover from the physical pain but nothing else will change, Mitra will be in someone else's arms, I will again go back to having exactly zero friends and life will start to suck again. Life will return to be the shitdump it has always been.

"There again" Devi exclaimed, "You were lost again in your thoughts"

She grabbed the last slice of bread from my plate and sat on the chair.

"Now Mr.Not-eating-breakfast, tell me your story. And I am not leaving this room until you tell me" she said sternly.

The air around turned heavier or maybe I was holding my breath as all the memories invaded me all at once. But I had to tell her, not just because of her annoyance but because I knew I had to let it out to someone and she seemed the only person interested enough to actually listen.

I took a deep breath.

"It all began three years, on a warm summer day. Summer holidays was about to begin and I met the love of my life"