The Interview

Promise (Part 2)

"Mistake? What happened?" Sam asked.

"Well," the old man continued, "initially we went fine, but soon we started fighting more often on various issues. She had promised to take care of the house and my son, but as time passed her promises faded away. There came a time when I was forced to make breakfast early in the morning for everyone before leaving for work because my wife would be asleep till 10 in the morning. I was taking care of literally everything while she was there just sitting inside my house and feeding off my hard earned money. She never gave any motherly attention to my son."

"The typical stepmom kind, huh?" Sam asked, but James did not listen to him. At this time James's face was blank and he had forgotten he was taking an interview. He was just listening to everything the old man was saying.

"You can say that." The old man continued, "She was evil, and was using me to take care of her lavish lifestyle and totally ignoring her responsibilities. Meanwhile my son too slowly drifted apart, from both of us, and as he entered puberty he started resenting both his parents, as most teenagers do. He started losing interest in studies, stayed out late and never cared what was going out in the house. I remember one day in the midst of work I was called to the police station because my son was arrested for beating a man almost to death. Later I discovered my son had become a gang member with much influence in the dark alleys of the town. I remember I cried myself to sleep that day after bailing him out."

After this David stopped speaking and looked away, as a plethora of memories and emotions were running in his weakened mind. Sam waited for James to request him to speak further, but when he looked at him he saw James just sitting and listening, when he was supposed to speak. So he took matters into his own hands, and asked David to continue.

David held a deep sigh, and said, "That period was the worst time in my life," then looked around and at himself, and sighed, "or so I thought. One night we were fighting over her spending habits, and that became so intense she yelled at me, called me a loser, and grabbed her stuff and promised she won't return. That night I cried and called my son saying I needed him, but that bloke in his usual disrespectful tone, refused and did not even bother to ask me how I was and why was I crying. The next day I had a divorce notice slapped on my face and despite my pleas, I was directed by the court to secede half of my wealth to that bitch."

By then the old man's voice had clearly become deeper, and was not in a position to speak without crying. Both the men understood it and inferred that they should not make him talk more about his miseries. Sam got up and requested him their leave, but David barked "Stay!" which got the attention of everyone in the room. The old men and women in the room too were listening to David speak, with one or some parts of his story resembling theirs. Many already had tears in their eyes.

David was feeling a strange alien sense of calm and relaxation after unburdening his inner feelings, "and even at that time I somewhere hoped that my son understood what I was going through and would step up to be the walking stick that every parent needs at the twilight of their lives. But he wasn't my son anymore; the child who loved me and whom I loved had died long ago. He became a young man who had nothing to do with me. I had become sure that he hated my guts."

"As he saw the world and realized the gang life would lead him to nowhere, he started coming out of it and started studying for a job. I remember that once he told me that he has got his direction in life and will soon get a job. I remember having felt proud, happy for my son, ready to give my everything for his life and his future, expecting just his love and support, and so I congratulated him and said he will have a great life. But he.....he gave me a nasty grin, and looking straight at me, said 'Don't worry dad, I am not a loser".

David wanted to, but could not speak further. Tears rolled down his eyes. James started getting emotional too. He had gone there for truly selfish and professional purposes, but now he did not care if he were to miss out on completion of the interview. He just wanted to hug him, and tell him it was alright.

"I was then sure he had nothing to do with me. I became depressed. I could not sleep. I could not eat. Instead of asking me about my loss of appetite, he started serving me lesser food on the plate, thinking his old man was wasting too much food. One day while going to work, I had a terrible road accident which left me blind and with severe injuries, marks of which are still on my body. My son always scoffed at the hospital bills for my treatment, and clearly told me on my face that he did not want to waste even a single penny on me. I just recovered from the injuries, as eye transplants are costly, and realizing that enough is enough, left my home and came her. I waited for him, thinking that cold-hearted bastard would have a change of heart someday, that he would come back to take me home. But he never came. He never came."

There was pin-drop silence in the room. A strange solemn stillness pierced their ears. The quietness was deafening. The other senior citizens got up and began to do their chores. They had stopped to listen to the story of the man who spoke so little and about whom not much was known. They wanted to listen more, but they couldn't. They had faced the same demons. They had raised the same children; only the children's names were different. They were not gifts from God in whom they believed earlier; for them their children were like the grains of sand, whom they had held either very tightly or very loose.

David said to the men, "Got a bit carried away, didn't we? Well, you had what you wanted. I just have one request. Please don't print my name or my son's name; it will destroy his life----"

"Why do you want to save his life? After all he's done to you?" Sam interrupted.

Good old David could not see, but somehow looked Sam straight into the eye and said, "I am a father, and fathers love selflessly. When I don't have his hand, I have his back."

Sam knew this would make a good story.

"Anyways, gentlemen, it was nice talking to you. I hope you succeed in life, and don't turn out a loser like I did." David spoke, with a chuckle at the end. "Now please excuse me, it is time for my breakfast."

Sam thanked the old man for whom he had developed profound respect, but James said nothing. He was deep in his thoughts, lost in his own world. Both men started walking away towards the door, but James stopped midway, turned back, and approached the old man once again. In a dead serious tone he asked him, "What if your son comes back?"

David was about to take a bite from the food from the nurse's hand when he stopped and faced the voice that had asked the strange question. He couldn't answer him.

"I mean what if I take your details, track your son and tell him your situation, so that he has a change of heart and he actually begins to want to take you back? What would you say about that?"

David replied, "Like I said, I will forgive him. But I don't think what you say is ever going to happen. Life doesn't bring happy endings."

Jamew knelt near the old man, held his hand, looked him straight into the eyes and said, "Sometimes it does. And it will. I promise."

(Scroll down to Part 3 and continue reading.)