“Hope she’ll be waiting for me at bus stop”, Alex thought when he realized he was nearing his stop.
It rained all night and was drizzling from early morning. The birds which once seemed as a source of disturbance for him, now sounded like notes of an unnamed musical instrument. The choirs and ringing bells from churches he passed through calmed his mind. An ambulance passed the bus and he felt as if it is carrying something that belongs to him. He never felt so tensed before.
When Alex stepped out of his bus, he looked around but found no one, not even his rude classmates. He waited for Caroline for the next ten minutes but she didn’t come. So he walked to college all alone in hope that she would be late or may be waiting for him near entrance.
He was baffled when he realized that college was shut down due to the death of a student due to long time illness. When he was about to start for home the invigilator who tore the art, holding a large umbrella beckoned Alex.
“I am surprised to find you here?” he said with his wide eyes open.
“I don’t understand, sir”, Alex made a weird face.
“I know how it feels to lose a best friend, young boy”, he said placing her right hand on Alex’s shoulder.
“What do you mean?” Alex became furious. “Don’t you know?”
“What?”
“As expected from you, son. I am sorry to inform you that your friend passed away yesterday in campus due to long time illness. We found her lying dead near library this morning”, he said.
A faint clap of thunder jolted and quivered Panaji.
Alex couldn’t believe what the person standing right in front of him said.
“Yesterday, she forgot her bag inside campus. I thought I will return it to her home but then I saw you from distance”, he continued, “I hope you’ll stay strong in this situation”, he said and went away.
Alex stood there motionless may be for hours until another it started to rain heavily. He went inside the campus and reached the place where he met her a day before where she lied him about her deteriorating health.
He found a navy blue colored bad and a pink colored diary along with a fancy pen. He seated where she sat yesterday crying.
“Why she was crying?” he questioned himself.
He took the diary and started to read page by page, sentence by sentence, and word by word.
March 7, 2005
Today I met a magical boy. I used to admire him right from the first day I saw him sketching beyond what he saw. The colors he used to fill were like he lent them from rainbow. I wanted to be part of his painting so I stood under the hot sun in the playground for whole day and don’t know when fell on ground. When my dad picked me up from the school he said that boy with a sketch book in his hand carried me all the way to the third floor of school clinic.
He is the second strongest person right after my day! Can’t wait to thanks him personally!
April 24, 2005
His name is Alex Simons. Today he shared his sweet lunch box with me. It was really delicious. After school, we had butterscotch at Marmaley.
December 6, 2006
Surprised to know that he too likes West life and his favorite movie is lion kings. So much similar between us! P.S. joy
February 14, 2007
I gifted him his favorite candies and in return he gave a treat at Niko’s. This is the best friendship day in my whole life!
November 1, 2008
SO sad to write that dad is never goanna return to me! Mom was weeping and I can do is nothing. Sad!
January 6, 2010
Mom is sad! Don’t know why?
January 7, 2011
Mom jumped from 20th floor and didn’t even thought about me! Mean! I hate you mom.
January 25, 2011
Alex came and brought my favorite butterscotch ice-cream with him. Brain Freeze again!
May 14, 2011
Admitted in hospital and grandma is worried. Alex visited and gifted me a ‘get well soon’ card.
July 19, 2011
Shocked to know to be HIV+. Feeling extremely sad. Hope mom would be here but no worries I got Aley!
August 3, 2012
Doctor said I have less time! Don’t know what to do. Can’t speak to Aley about it otherwise he would become sad.
December 22, 2012
NO causalities happen as predicted by scientist yesterday.
FAKE Mayan calendar!
After December 22, 2012 they were no new entries. An envelope fell from the diary. Alex picked it up.
“Open only when you feel most successful”
It was written on its cover. Alex followed the words written on envelope and placed back in diary. It was cloudy and rainy outside. It was gloomy and dark; thunder claps brought tremors to building but Alex didn’t cried, not that day. He picked up the bag and exited the gate having board of ‘I can’t do that’.