Secrets, I will never reveal

Alison Ackley

Alison Ackley

11 April-12 April

A love story started at this very spot twenty two years ago, a geeky boy falls for miss perfect. The boy was doing a documentary and looking for a female voice. The girl was trying her luck on Broadway, everyday she faced rejection, her self-confidence hit the bottom. She lowered her expectation and started looking for low paying acting gigs. One day boy meet the girl. The boy falls for the girl at first sight, the girl found out that boy could be key to Hollywood dream and acted alone. One day boy found courage and decide to propose. Every night the girl jogs at joggers' lane in central park. The boy was waiting for hours; he was tensed, covered with sweat. When the girl showed up, the boy forgot his opening line. He said

I imagine a perfect life with you. You and I will travel around the world and will do the things we dream about. I want to do a documentary film on. My love, you will become a rising star in Broadway You will cheer for me when I will collect my Oscar. I will tell the world that you are my inspiration. I will feel proud when your name would be in list of times most influential person list. You and I always inspired each other. May be we should date.

That how a blind love story started.

My parents met during New York film festival in 1991, their fast official date was on Columbia University campus where my dad studied MFA. They had their first kiss on new year 's eve at Time square. After graduation, both of them moved to Los Angeles. Three years later my dad gave a diamond ring to my mom on Valentine day in front of statue of liberty. My dad used to say "Ali, New York was filled with memories of me and your mom, when you will grow up , all three of us will travel to New York, visit all these places we shared a happy memories and I will tell you our stories , history behind your birth". Sadly, my dad could not kept his promise. My parent's fairy tale marriage ended up when my dad died suddenly. My dad's journal was filled with hopes and dreams in life. But death destroyed them in an instant. Tonight I was at jogged lane at Central park , imagined what would be the scenario at that night when my dad proposed, my mom knew she hit a jackpot. After my dad graduated from university, he did couple of documentary films and then he started directing main stream movies. My mom wanted to be Broadway star was news to me. I took a picture. In past one week , I visited all the places that my parents had shared a memory, I spend some time at those places, imagines what would be like the time my parents were there, I took a picture of me at that very place , returned home and wrote about it in a scrap book address to my dad. I know it was foolish, if my dad was alive, he would be in all pictures with me. But I still finished the scrap book, it's the only way I can fulfilled his promise. On graduation ceremony, my uncle gave my dad's journals during his collage years. These journals are my treasures, the only things that can connect me to my old self.

My dad used to say that change is only constant factor in life, change in inevitable. Even love has its expiry date. In my dad's journal the two people that were madly in love in beginning, with times their relationship dynamic was changed. Most of the promises that they made to each other were remained unfulfilled. Both of my parents achieve success, my father never win an Oscar, but ended up a famous mystery writer. When, my mothers' name was announced in Oscar night for best actor female and she was absent, her director received the award on her behalf. That was life. My dad stayed home and looked after me, most of my childhood filled with my dad's memories; my mother was a distant star. She used to come back at homes late night, I was either asleep or just pretend to be sleeping, I felt her kiss in my temple and when I woke up, she was already gone. With times our distances widen. On those day's she was home, we never had much talked. She did not raised me, at times I he lack maternal feeling. But good thing was she learned so much from her mistake with me and never repeated them.