7 chapter-7 (Good-Bye)

Erica

Since it's already 5;15 p.m., the only thing I was thinking was, pack-pack-pack. I appeared to have accumulated more things.

"How did this happen?" I scratched my head.

 I saw mom bustling to and fro with my sweatshirts, shawls, and packets of sandwiches while another side Lauren was getting our raft in order.

"Mom" I screamed, "What?" She replied negligently.

"I can't possibly take all this with me. It's too much." I whipped.

"Too much?....., before she continued a sharp voice interrupted us, "Erica, it's already getting late. Come down."

"Daniel" Mom called him but he left.

"Isn't he going to meet me properly before I leave?", I pouted.

"You know him well.  Come down." She patted my face and left.

At the time I was about to pack a few last things of mine. I looked around the room that I did not see a room but more as my escape and a very safe place.

I could not express the uneasiness caused in me by only the thought of leaving it, then be it for fays. I had last filled with myself at the point of paying no more attention to that room than to that window seat.

The anesthetizing influence of habit had ceased and at that particular moment, I would begin to have thoughts and feelings, and they were such sad things.

"Erica" I heard my name once again.

I took my luggage and went downstairs.

"Sorry, I took so long. I had a lot to pack.", I said.

"I'm sure you did. I hoped you packed it well." Dad smiled coyly.

"Have you taken your books too?" He asked while tapping my head.

"Yeah!" I replied.

We stood there, looking at each other, saying nothing. But it was the kind of nothing that meant everything. In his eyes, there was sadness and... And a little disappointment, I felt something inside me broken.

"Take care of yourself and miss us." Mom broke our trance.

I gave her a little smile and hugged her. Although, it was the very first time in my life that I needed to go away. Go away from them, from my dreams from which I was a step away.

Even the idea of going did not settle well with me and here the moment had arrived.

It was at that moment, I didn't know how to say good-bye. I didn't know the painless way to do it, I didn't know the words to capture, a heart so full and a longing so intense.

Mom and Dad, the two people, I could fight with. But going away from them was - Scary.

All of a sudden, my vision caught the sight of two more luggage there but whose were they?

"Mom...." I was about to ask, "Erica, it will be dark in an hour. Let's go now." Lauren said while dragging my mom and other things outside.

I took my suitcase and was about to cross the main door. I turned back and found dad standing at the very same spot with the slightest smile.

Everything from the last two days knocked my head in sync. "Was I acting selfishly?", "Had I hurt him?"

Two minutes I recalled everything, I stood there at that time. It was those two minutes of my life, to say goodbye to the person I love the most in this world. I don't know when we are going to see each other again, I become log jammed with the effort to say and do and settle everything at once.

"Dad, I am sorry, sorry for everything." I eventually said and left without waiting for his reply.

AFTER 30 MINUTES

The pale stars were sliding into their places. The whispering of leaves was almost hushed. All about them it was still and shadowy and sweet. It was that moment when, for lack of a visible horizon, the not yet darkened world seemed infinitely greater - a moment when anything can happen, anything can be believed in.

"Erica, guess what I got for you" Lauren called me from beside.

I suspiciously turned my face towards her already granny face. She instantly forwarded small rectangular cardboard towards me.

It seemed to be a visiting card but of whom? I took it from her and read-

"NAME- MARK WRIGHT 

and an immediate smile graced my lips.

TO BE CONTINUE

WITH LOVE 

YOUR WRITER 

PURVA NARANG