letters of love

Old Memories

                 

It was the chilling winter morning. Jackie Coggan, the butler of Mr Black's house, was surprised to hear a women's voice from Mr Black's room. He had been working in Mr Black's mansion since he purchased it. Since then he never saw a girl in his house, forget about his room. For him it was a surprise as he never saw Mr Black interested in any of the women's he knew, and nobody ever dared to come to meet him in his room. "Ah Jackie! come in...." Mr Black opens the door for Jackie. " I am sorry sir. I was a bit surprised to hear the voice of a women from your room, and I was just checking my ears if  it was really voice of a women." Jackie grins.
"yes Jackie, your right. Meet Amanda my college friend." Mr Black clears his doubts.
Jackie, bows down and wish a very good day to Amanda and keeps the tray of cookies along with coffee on the tea table and excuses from the room.
"come on  Blacky its Christmas night, no one says no for fun on this night." pleads Stephen. Stephen also accompanied Amanda to Mr Black's house. It was Amanda's plan to meet blacky and cheer him up for Christmas. "Please blacky, for old times sake. Amanda requests in a very polite tone to which Mr Black couldn't resist anymore. Though Amanda was Stephen's friend but Mr Black always had a feeling of respect for her. As she was not like other college girls who would dress themselves to impress other boys.
"OK. Come on lets go." agrees Mr Black.
"where will we go???" quarries Mr Black to which Amanda replies quickly.
"we will go to every that place, where we use to go with our parents in a group." In their early childhood they lived in the same colony and there parents were good friends. On every Christmas eve they all planed their evening together. They use to go to different and reasonable places to have fun at the same time have mercy on their pockets. "Ah! no, not there." Mr Black resists to go to those places as now he was a rich man and going to those places was not up to his status. "Oh come on black! we have spend our whole life going there." insists Stephen. "one should never forget his grounds even when he is flying heigh up to the sky." Amanda whispers in Mr Blacks ears. "At times Amanda reminds me of my mother. She has the same believes and thoughts as my mother had." ponders Mr Black agreeing to their plan for the night. The first place they decide to go is the Rockefeller centre to see the Christmas tree. Mr Black plans to take out his limousine for the ride to which Amanda disagrees and asks him to travel by bus. " Lets go in bus"
"A bus??? but why??? it would be a very uncomfortable ride Amanda. Don't you remember how we had to stand in those crowded buses."
" oh It was such a fun. we always had a fight for the seat. and Mrs Thomson always corrected you and asked you to respect ladies and give them a seat first. and you use to always get angry by saying that she doesn't even look like a girl." laughs Amanda accompanied by Mr black and Stephen. The room was filled with old sweet memories and enjoyment. The staff of Mr Blacks house was amazed with this change and they  wished the mansion to soon be like a house.
       Mr Black dressed himself in his pair of denim along with a t shirt and comfy sneakers just like a normal New Yorker. As he reached the living room, where his friends were waiting for him, the staff was amazed with his cool avatar as they always saw him either in his night suit or in his executive clothing. "you look smart sir" remarks Jackie. "Thanx Jackie, I will be late for the night. please don't wait for me." replies Mr Black. The driver gets the car on the gate. But Mr black refuses to go by car and starts walking down the streets with his friends. They reached the station and took a train and soon they arrived at the Penn station. The Christmas tree was decorated in the mid of the station. Every place was Christmas ready.  They could see everyone dressed in black, smell of weed in the air, that fast paced walk, with zero eye contact it all reminds him of his early childhood years. when he use to come with his mother and his mother would tell them the story of Santa while walking down the streets and how poor people celebrate Christmas and how they should always help the needy. Passing through the Times square reminds him of the street performances.
"hey! look blacky, a street performance is going on. come on lets go. Remember it was one of your favourites. Mrs Thomson always carried you heigh in her arms and help you see the performance while we all waited for you to return, as we never had any interest in that." Laughs Amanda.
" mom always cared for my choices. How foolish I was not to notice that." Mr Black regrets in his thoughts.
       Walking through the streets, soon they reached the 75 feet tall Christmas tree. All decorated with led lights and red bows and a new crystal star of Swarovski crystal which tops the tree made the tree look amazing. Thousands of people standing in front of it taking snaps, proposing each other. And at the back of the tree was their favourite spot. Ice skating.   But as it was time for the saks avenue light show, which was carried every year and was Amanda's favourite, They rushed to fifth avenue for the light show. Looking at the light show reminds him of what his mother always told him.... "son look at these lights. Light has the power to ruin darkness. similarly son, wisdom has the power to fight stupidity. Whenever you find a stupid person in your life, fight him with wisdom." I quickly understood what mother said but it took almost half an hour for mother to explain it to Sam to which I thought mom is paying more attention to Sam. How stupid I was. But indeed mom fought my stupidity  with great wisdom." Mr Black was lost in his thoughts throughout the light show. "whats wrong with you blacky??? what happened to you???why are you so quiet." asks Stephen looking at Mr Blacks dull face.  " Nothing bro, was just lost in the beautiful memories of past."  replies Mr Black. Mr Black was by now overwhelmed with the thoughts of his mother and brother. He was upset, and was feeling guilty of his bad behaviour. He just wanted to hide himself from the crowd and close himself behind the doors of his room. He was ashamed for not being there for his mother. For not understanding her problems and her worries. Stephen taps his shoulder and assures him that everything will be fine.
                                  As soon as the light show was finished Amanda turned to Mr Black. "Blacky do you remember we had a fight at this place. We both wanted to sit on the front seat and had only one seat. Finally our parents convinced us to sit together on one seat." Amanda laughs and moved towards the ice skating area. Mr Black and Stephen  followed her. Amanda was very excited to be there with his childhood company to the place she loves the most. In her excitement she took big steps and moved far away. Mr Black was amazed to see that Amanda remembers every thing about their childhood days. Stephen understands Mr Blacks amazed looks and asks him "what happened blacky? why are you looking so amazed with Amanda." asks Stephen. " she remembers every moment we have spend together. I mean I don't remember as much she remembers. I never knew she..." Mr Black expresses his amazement to Stephen to which Stephen interrupts in between and says "That is because she loves you my dear friend." Stephen opens up about Amanda's feelings for him. " She loved you since college days but never expressed it to you as she knew you were crazy about Christine. She still loves you and she never dated any other man till now." explains Stephen. "What?? I..... she.... are you serious??? but i never had any such feelings for her. Though i respect her a lot but i don't love her." remarks Mr Black. "hey guys, why are you walking so slow? come on lets hurry up for the ice skating." Amanda gladly pulls them towards the ground. Soon they reach the ice skating ground. Every one was busy skating around. There were three types of people skating. Learners, Professionals, and normal skaters. some were performing stunts some were dripping while skating and some were just holding hands in hands and skating together for fun. Stephen and Amanda quickly tool their pair of skates and slide towards the ground where as Mr Black sits quietly in one corner remembering how he use to come here with his mother, and mother always helped Sam. " Mother always helped Sam to skate. That's true I was a master in skating and I could even perform stunts. But Sam was weak he was unable to skate all alone. Mother always said, we two were like her two arms. If one gets hurt she will feel the pain. And so she felt pain for Sam, who also wanted to skate like me and his friends but couldn't do it. So mother helped him. And I always made her guilty for helping him. I was such a big trouble for my mother. How i wish, i could turn the time back to those old days,and correct my mistake." Mr Black was guilty to trouble his mother and was ashamed for not being there for her in her old days.
"Come on blacky lets skate together." Amanda pulls Mr Black towards the skating ground.
"No Amanda, i am not feeling good" Mr Black was upset for the memories he had of his mother.
"Oh come on blacky, it will be great fun"
she gets a pair of skates for him too.
Mr Black gets down on the ground. He skates on the ice holding Amanda's hand just he did when he was young. He starts enjoying and laughing along with Amanda. For that moment he forgets all his troubles and worries and enjoys. Last few days, were very painful for him. He lost his mother and her letters have made him guilty for what he has done. He came to know the real face of her only love, Christine. He was shattered after knowing the fact that his mother always loved him and he never respected that. But at this moment,he was skating like an innocent child who enjoys the moment to the fullest. They had great fun. Amanda encourages him to show a stunt. "Come on Blacky, you can do it." Amanda and Stephen cheers Mr Black, and Mr Black slides through the snow and zoomed into the air and landed with a twist. The crowd clapped for Mr Black as his face shines with victory. "Ah! It was great fun. Its been too long since I enjoyed so much." Mr black's face shines with pleasure. They all laugh together. "Let's go and have some food. I am feeling very hungry" Stephen requests, to which everyone agrees and they leave for the same roadside restaurants where they always went with parents. While they sat on the table and wait for the waiter to come they could hear the manager yelling at a waiter.
"When you don't have enough money to repay back, why the hell do you take loan??? You have taken a big amount of loan few days back, for your mother and today again you want money in advance, to buy gifts for your kids for Christmas? I am not going to give you any extra money till you pay me back the last loan. Go and do your work. Take order from table number 18." The manager was not at all ready to give any loan to the waiter. The waiter hung his face down and walked to table no 18. While the waiter was walking towards the table Mr Black was checking his wallet to give some money to the poor waiter.
"What can I get for you, sir?" Questions the waiter.
"Sam! You....." As Mr Black turns to give money to the waiter he gets shock of his life. That waiter who was being insulted in front of so many people, was his own brother, Sam.
"Blacky, you?? How did you come to such a cheap restaurant?" Sam turns to the familiar sound and was shocked to see Mr Black in such a cheap hotel. A tear rolls down from Mr Blacks eyes, as he looks Sam dressed as a waiter and being insulted in public. "Come with me Sam" Mr Black was filled with anger and was annoyed with the misbehaviour of the manager with his brother. He firmly holds Sam's hand and drags him to the manager's cabin. "Excuse me sir, Can u please come out for a few minutes?" Mr Black requests the manager. " what happened sir? Did this man annoyed you? Just tell me, I'll give him strict punishment that he will never forget." The manager replies with anger and walks out of his cabin. As the manager walks out of the room he receives a slap on his face. "This slap is to insult my brother." Mr Black throws ten thousand dollars on face of the manager and says " The debit that my brother took from you is now paid and keep the change as tip."And walks out of the restaurant dragging Sam along with him. Mr Black left his friends behind and even they decided to give two brothers some personal time together.
"You had your own art gallery Sam? And as far as I know it was going all well. Why are you working here as a  waiter??r Black questions Sam
"I had to sell it off to meet up the medical expenses of mum's. Replies Sam.
" Medical expenses?"
" yes bro, mom was I'll since last six months. She had a little bit of her savings from her bonds which we sell off initially to meet up the expenses. But, soon that money was used. I had to sell off my paintings at very cheap prices, which lowered my market value. I couldn't make any new paintings as i was busy taking care pf mother. And now no one is interested to buy my paintings and even I can't effort to buy those expensive paints and canvas. Gradually I even had to sell of my art gallery."Sam narrates the whole scene, which makes Mr Black realised that his mother did not called him to meet her few months before her death.
"Oh Sam, why did you not inform me?" Mr Black cries out
"Mom stopped me. She did not wanted to ask you for money when she was not getting love and attention from you." Sam cried feeling his mothers pain. They both hugged each other and cried out. Mr Black left the place, crying out of shame and regret.

P.s. friends next chapter will be updated soon. Keep reading, but don't forget to vote for me. Waiting for your valuable comments.