Specks of Life

Insignificant, inconspicuous memories which revive themselves during the quiet, contemplative moments...

#1. And tomorrow never came..
{Foreword: Aunty Williams was the Matron in the hostel where I spent the most special five years of my life. She was very dear to me- just that I never got a chance to show her how much I care..}

It was Annual Fete in school and I was looking forward to meeting old friends and also Aunty. When it was almost time for me to leave, I ran to the hostel, entered Aunty's room and cried, "Aunty, where are you?". My voice reverberated through the room as I realized it was uncannily quiet, empty and dark. I came out and bumped against a girl coming out from inside the dormitory. "Where's Aunty Williams? ", I asked her. She stopped and stared at me as if I was an alien. After a silence that seemed everlasting, she told me, "Don't you know? Aunty expired some four months back.."
I came out of the hostel to where my friends were waiting for me. I was numb. I didn't even cry. I joined in the merriment with my friends. Before leaving, I told myself that everything was fine. Here is my dear school- just as it always was. Here are my friends- MG, SG,MS..the same wonderful people. Here's the school ground- lightened up for the occasion, hundreds of cheerful faces all around. But deep inside I knew, something was missing...

#2. Jacques scored his maiden Test Century at Eden. Gardens.
{Foreword: If cricket is my religion, Jacques Kallis is my God. I was present at the ground when he made the ton.}

Inexplainable.


#3. My first day in CGHS.
{Foreword: I left my school STGS after class X and joined CGHS. The day I'm referring to is my first day in class XI}

It was just ten minutes before the school got over for the day when I got some time to be alone with myself. It was going better than I had expected. It was the very first day and I had had to tackle three surprise tests, which I did very well because the teachers were visibly impressed. Even the students were no more cold towards me as they were in the morning when I was being looked upon as "just another newcomer". I was happy. I relaxed in my seat and looked around myself in the new classroom, and suddenly; it all seemed unreal.
I felt as if I was dreaming. The school,the classroom,the people- were all untrue. I felt as if it would just end and I'd wake up in STGS amidst my friends- MG, MS and MB.. Maybe SS would laugh and call me Kumbhokorno for having fallen asleep in class. The school bell would ring and we'd be running to board our respective buses and occupying our favorite seats. The phuchkawala would smile and ask, "didi, jhaal kom na besi?". NB would sing with her cracked voice in the bus and we'd all be joining in. Maybe nothing had changed.
I opened my eyes and the unknown class and unacquainted faces stared me at my face.I was still in CGHS. Nothing had changed. Only the memories of my dear school were renewed by the hot fluid that burned in my eyes.