The Story Of My Life

The turning point

It was during my summer holidays. After a normal evening, when we three, my parents and myself, went to the market and had our night supper, came the dreadful night.

A scream. My mother and I found father lying down, lost control over his body. She left me and went out for help. I stayed with him, tears rolled down his eyes. He seemed to feel thirsty, but could not speak up. I quite helplessly poured water from my school bottle into his mouth. It seemed to roll down. My mother came, with a doctor. She was crying, I could not understand anything. She was restless and trying to comfort my father. I was staring helplessly. Around 5 am, he was taken to a nursing home. We could not get a card for a good hospital. She did not get enough support. The doctor came but even his hands were trembling. This nursing home had no facility. I stared at my father. Watched my mother helplessly running. I could not understand what tragedy was about to come in my life. I was about to lose my father. Around 9 am, everything was finished. I and my mother were left guardianless. My mother was crying endlessly and I could not understand anything.

I lost my grandfather and grandmother when I was 1 and 2 years respectively. Both had cancer. My grandmother was quite young then.

My father caught sugar for only two weeks. He was active, energetic but lacked systematism. He was too foody and had an extra taste for junk food. He had a cerebral attack at a young age. Had he maintained a routine lifestyle, we would not have to suffer. He could have lived happily with us.

When I lost my father, I still did not understand. I waited for him to take me to school. My mother used to be sad and depressed, I asked her when he would come back. She did not reply. every time the door was knocked, I ran, crying my father had come. My uncle said that he was in Kolkata and if I go there I would meet him. I asked my mother and she explained to me crying that my father would never come back.

For a month after that, we stayed in our native place, Bongaon.
We used to stay in one of my grandmother's house for many days. My mother and I would travel there every evening and then from there, I went to my nursery school. I used to stay quiet and missed my father. Days had passed that I sat crying for him.

I was a kid of four years then. Hardly understood what a father is. I missed his friendship and company.

I used to wonder whether we will stay at our home or not. I used to ask my mother.

My mother was most helpless then. With a four-year-old kid, she saw the world around her dark.
Everyone around changed their behavior, even the closest relative. People used to disturb her at our house. Her office people started taking advantage of her tragedy. Everyone made fun of her loneliness and innocence. Office politics increased against her. On the other hand, she did not have a single minute to look after herself. Her only ambition was to bring me up. She knew no one would be with her. She had to fight the war all alone. She sacrificed her health, dreams, desires, and beauty for me. And it started then. She got many new friends and support. Our neighbors used to make fun of us and our situation. Some supported us. Maximum people avoided us and watched the fun from far. But few stood her struggle.

I was a changed kid then. My tantrums stopped. I never used to demand a single thing. Whether it was food or anything. She used to fulfill all my needs and what a kid may like. She used to surprise me with gifts whatever she could. She took me to my friend's house for my entertainment. She became both father and mother. She tried her level best to fulfill my void. She understood that a big vacancy was there in my life, and only she could fulfill it.

She was not getting a proper caretaker for me. I spent days at some aunt's home after school. She decided to quit her job and manage a small earning from savings. But that was not the right time. She had to wait.

I remember it was a new moon night. We were visiting one of my friend's place. It was around 7.30 pm. My mother and I got stuck in a bunch of thorny branches. It was a lonely lane. Both could not come out of it. We stood there helplessly for 15 minutes and prayed to God. A man passed by. He helped us to come out of it. Luckily he was a helpful man. He was sent by God to rescue us.

We spent nights counting hours when the sun would rise. I did not like the nights. I waited every morning. I fell in love with the sun. I knew that, when the sun would rise, my fears would subside.