Bridging The Gap

Epilogue

'It maybe unfair but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the whole course of a whole lifetime.'
~ The Kite Runner
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Calvin's P.O.V.

I lay on my back in my room,reading. That's all I do, basically. That's when my phone rang. I received it.

"Calvin! Calvin! Cal-Calvin!" A woman shrieked.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Ann's flight....."
"May I know who this is? What happened to Ann's flight?"
"It didn't make it."

I could hear the heart welching cries of Ann's mom.
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Time: four years later......
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College was difficult. It's only the first few days and I'm exhausted. You think school is tough? Bullies? College will haunt you.

Today was an exhaustive day. I came back home and just plopped down on my study desk. As I looked around at my room, I understood that it needed cleaning. Books and pen and papers were scattered all over the place. I got up and started picking up the things from the floor and my table. I hated my job!

I stacked away my books on my bookshelves. Not much of a hard work as all four walls of my room was bedecked with book shelves. The main adversity was in disposing off the papers. Single sheets of paper were strewed upon my bed. I took up each sheet, went through its contents and threw them, if necessary.

That's when I came upon that sheet. I pushed it inside my pocket to read later.
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That night, when I got into bed, I took that sheet out. I pressed it against my palm and flattened the creases. It's been such a long time. I had in fact forgotten the very existence of this piece of paper. But, what it spoke of, haunted me everyday. Every night.

'Dear Ann,' it said,' whatever is all this??? What happened? How did it feel? Painful? How did that wretched flight crash? What did you feel? Where are you now? Is there a God? Or were you right, no God. No hell. No heaven. Only darkness stretched over and over?
You don't know how everything is, here. Me, your family, we are in pieces. Ann, you don't know how it feels. It's miserable. I can't take it anymore. The loss of someone so dear.....it's intolerable.....'

It went on. Four years ago. That cursed evening. The day you died and killed all of us,Ann. Your mom. Dad. Gran......

I remember her funeral. I remember her mom's cries resounding in my ears. Her dad sitting in a corner, trying to suppress his everflowing tear drops. Her gran, staring out at her coffin with lustful eyes. As if, gran so badly wanted to take Ann's place. Those were difficult times. The shadow of death can snatch away the light of your life in a jiffy.

Four years have flown by. Ann's parents have shifted to some other corner of the world. Apparently, staying here made matters worse. I know what they meant by that. Every time I pass by my school, it feels she's somewhere very near. When I cross the streets we had roamed together and talked on end, my heart groans. My room reminds me of her energetic talks and laughs. Her resolute ideas. The very existence of myself wavered me. Everything reminded me of her even after four whole years.

I had so badly wanted to tell her back then, that maybe I considered her seriously. Now that a reflect, it was just a crush but, the repentance grows by the day. Maybe I could have just tried. As much as there were the chances of her ridiculing me, there were also the chances of some reciprocation in this matter. But, no knowing now.

I have seriously learnt a lot. She taught me the major lessons of life in a few days. At the cost of herself. I'm sure, when I'd get too old and I'd be sitting around my grandchildren, I'd tell them," Never hesitate to tell whatever you feel at the right time. You never know what the next moment holds for you." Because I learnt that lesson. By paying a huge price.

She was a delicate piece of glass. When she shattered and broke, small pieces of glass fell all over and did what broken glasses do. It pricked us, the ones who loved her. Blood oozed. Bandages were applied. But, some wounds never heal. They stay sensitive throughout and when poked by memories, they bleed again. And again. Only to hurt more with passing time. That's what I've grown to learn with experience.

Alongside that, there was also another thing that I was sure of.

Life was unpredictable. I might be here today, nowhere tomorrow. There was no certainty. Fate will work its way anyhow.

Yes, I believe in fate. She never did. But, we were poles apart. And what bridged the gap between us, I'd never know. We just bridged it ourselves. Call that fate.

Also we'll meet someday,Ann. Today or tomorrow. Because I am mortal. And, that doesn't feel so bad these days. Life is tough. It's all about cuts and bruises. Death, its nothing. Just, eternal sleep. Right?

I'll walk ahead, nothing waits for me, does it? And we humans, we are exceptional. We get hit with all calamities but we know how to trudge along. I'll walk ahead and see, what's ahead of me. When its time to rest, I'll come to you.

We'll meet, Ann.
Somewhere.
Soon.