The Interview

Prologue (Part 1)

James was both nervous and anxious, and fumes of uncertainty lingered in his mind. He worked as a journalist in a news channel agency who was going through some of his toughest times, and since his repeated mistakes and inconsistency were convincing enough for his boss to find his replacements, he really need a good story to keep himself afloat. He couldn't thank his boss enough when he agreed to give him a last chance to save his ass.

"We're doing this short documentary on old age homes," his boss said, "as a side project. There you have to interview some old men and women and hear their stories. I want you to find the most emotional and dramatic story of any one person so that we broadcast the footage for the project.

"Can't we just make something up?" James asked.

His boss replied, "No we can't. This needs to be broadcasted, and if it's good we'll have an article on it. Old age homes are increasing these days, and that is not a good sign. It's a nice topic for a side project."

James was pondering about dramatic sad life stories, trying to remember people whose life didn't go as well as they planned. Even if their lives made sad stories, it wasn't necessary that those stories were sad enough to be news material. Suddenly a name flashed in his mind like thunder, and for a moment he froze. He became lost deep in his thoughts.

"What happened?" His boss asked, who knew the art of knowing when his employees weren't paying attention.

"Uh...I think I know someone like that." James said.

"News material?"

"Yes"

"Does he live in an old age home?"

"Last I heard."

"Ok then. Go meet this guy you talked about tomorrow morning, and once you are done you get back to me. I'll send Sam along with you for the camera. I hope you take this seriously, James, because you know important this one is for you."

James nodded and left. The name person he talked about was David Wilson, a retired office clerk. James knew his life was dramatic, but to get the details it was necessary for him to personally go and take a recorded interview of him. Having overcome a shady past life, he loved his job enough to fight for it. He was more nervous not only because it was an interview which would determine his future, but because of some other reason which he tried hard not to bring up in his mind and identify it. He just prayed that this David Wilson would cooperate with his questions because it was his career which was at stake.

The next day, James along with Sam went to the old age home. There were all old men and women with wrinkled, plaintive and mostly expressionless faces. There were about twenty of those same-age people who would occasionally talk to each other, but deep within their hearts they were lonely, and yearned only to hear the voices of their children who had ruthlessly thrown them out of their own houses. James had no time to wipe others' tears, but instead his motive was pure selfishness, due to which his eyes were constantly searching for old David among the crowd.

David was lying on his bed in a room down the corridor. In front of him was an old skinny man, almost reduced to a skeleton, lying on the bed lifelessly against the hard pillow by the wall, with his head unsuccessfully trying to turn towards the left and his thin bony left hand trying to grab his small glass of water on a table by the side. His body had crimped, he appeared lifeless and the blank intense look on his eyes looking through the window clearly showed despair and misery. A nurse helped him with the glass and told him that some people had come to visit him, and such was the effect and surprise of those words on him that his tired red eyes filled up with tears.

Sam had already begun the work of setting the tripod and fixing his camera towards David, whereas James was trying hard to muster courage to step towards the man, his eyes fixed at his face. James somehow got himself and Sam seated near the bed of the old man, and after looking straight into his eyes he thought something, and greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Wilson!"

"Good morning," came the feeble and confused reply, after which the old man set his face towards the visitors. He paused for a long time, and said with a sigh, "I wish I could see your face, but God took both my eyes in an accident, and I believe not a good thing has happened with me since then. Later I lost the ability to walk by myself and doctors said it might be due to the accident, but I have learnt to live like this."

James knew he somehow had to dare to ask him about his life. Old men, as they had been advised, have no one to talk to, so they speak away a lot of sentences in one go, as he spoke just then. They would have to keep patience if anything substantial was to be gained.

"Who are you? And how did you remember me?" the old man said, curious.

James "We are reporters from a news channel, sir, and we..."

"Need a story to broadcast on your channel and earn your promotions?" interrupted David with a grin, who seemed to regain some of his old school wit.

James and Sam looked at each other and raised a few eyebrows. Indeed, body fades away, but brains last longer.

James affirmed, and David continued looking through the window. "And after hearing your voice I had thought that my son had come to meet me. Nowadays children don't visit their parents, strangers do, and that too for their own benefits. Huh --- tell me, young men, how can I help you?"

"Please tell us the story about your life." James spoke out immediately, and later repenting it, with prayers escaping his lips like birds, and him just wishing that the old man doesn't get offended.

There was a long silence after that, and it was clear to both of them that the old man didn't quite like the idea of divulging his personal life details. Disappointed and worried, James was getting ready to leave. Sam had already begun wrapping the camera setup. But no sooner did James touch the door knob than David muttered in a low tone, "Life, they say, is lovely and beautiful, but life was never for me a bed of roses."

A wave of relief and apprehension ran down in James's mind, and he quickly sprinted towards the chair. Sam took out the camera and adjusted it.

"I worked as a clerk, earning a below average amount but enough to make ends meet, I would think. I would provide them with their every basic demand, sacrifice my comforts to fulfill their every little desire. I always hoped that one day my son will hold an esteemed position in society and I would be there as a proud daddy cherishing his successes as my own."

"My son Jimmy was..... a cute mischievous kid back in his primary school days. His mother died when he was ten. Over the next few months I juggled between home and work and tried my best as a single parent, but I realized it was difficult for me to manage both home and work. Soon enough I met a woman at a bar. One thing led to another and we instantly hit off. We dated for a while and she promised to take care of my son if I accepted her as my wife. We married each other, and that was a big mistake."

(Scroll down to Part 2 and continue reading.)