LOST…

Jim Reeves played on in the background. The winter breeze blew all along, reminding him of the time of the year. The time inexplicably made him blue. Christmas carols, fruit cakes and pies, turkey meals and candies…that inevitable bluesy feeling. This year, he felt a change was needed…

He put on his parka and beanie and stepped out. The wind slashed through his face like a cold knife, cutting him all the time with marked precision. He shut his eyes, his hands in his pockets as a little shiver ran across his body. He quickened his pace, all the time not knowing where he was headed. The streets were brightly lit up all around. Red and green lights dazzled all around. Santa and his reindeers and mistletoes and trees and other decorations gave such a happy look to the entire place.

He walked alongside the pier, his body now gradually getting used to the wind and cold. He was enjoying it now. He blew out smokes and loved watching those steam circles. He felt young again, almost like a child as he blew in rapid succession trying to get the perfect circle. The pier was empty with hardly a soul there. It was usually packed on weekends with people, families, couples and youngsters thronging the place, Vendors selling their merchandise and ice cream trucks and hotdog stalls. Today however the place had none of these. Everyone was home celebrating with families. He was perhaps the only soul hanging around there that evening. Somehow he felt a strange kind of peace within him, being there at that time. He wiped the snow off one of the seats by the river and sat down. He took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed them to generate some heat. His eyes were fixed on the glistening waters. The lights gave them a lovely sparkle. He broke into a smile almost instantaneously as he stared blankly into the waters.

She took her hand off her parka and placed it on his hands, resting her head on his shoulders. He put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. They both sighed almost simultaneously and then kissed.  

The six friends laughed loudly and cheered as he struggled with the champagne bottle, trying to open it with a pop. And when he finally managed to do it, the cheers got louder.

The little child played along with his toy reindeer as they sat on the bench, watching him with a mix of pride and joy in their eyes. He was just four and so incredibly adorable.

 He yanked his hands off hers. He was seething and didn’t care what she had to say. He didn’t know when he stopped listening to her and had gotten off and walked away.

Memories played inside his head almost like a movie, with each scene appearing in front of his eyes vividly. He sat there by the pier on the same bench as his subconscious played along, almost despite him. Even the trickle from his eye that found its way out seemed to have a mind of its own. He just sat there, gazing at the waters, as all that he had lost flashed across his senses

The moon was up and above, shining brightly, brighter than the city lights.

He didn’t know for long the lights dazzled and sparkled that night. The strains of laughter, cheers and carols floated cross the air for long in the night. When they stopped and when the moon went down he didn’t know. His lifeless body rested on that pier bench that dawn. Just as lost as he had felt earlier the previous evening.

Copyright (c) Pratik Majumdar