E - 1

Ding dong

- Please come in. Oh my goodness! It is you, Miss Scott!

- Yeah it is me. How are you doing, Doctor Norman?

- I am not a doctor, I am a 'Therapist' . Nevermind, life always goes on like nothing ever happened.

- Life.... surely goes on.

The chill autumn breeze made me shiver a little. I sat down on the sofa. There was a old classical music playing somewhere, must be Mr. Norman. Margreta was brewing her special tea. I took a quick look at her book shelves. Filled with psychology and stuff, nothing new. She was hell of a student. Heard that she was the topper of her University.

- Should I add a little lemon juice to your tea, Miss Scott?

- Uh...Yes please. And do not call me miss Scott, just Lucy is better.

- Hmm, I can consider. But in exchange you have to call me Greta.

Margreta handed me the tea cup. I took a sip.

- Is not that a little bit unprofessional? Letting your client call you... informally?

- If calling you Lucy is not informal, nor calling me Greta is. You're like my own daughter , don't hesitate to me.

I looked outside. It was a foggy weather, still I spotted some people. Some of them were children playing, some old folks walking down the alley, and some....Couples. They looked very young, hardly twenty. They might not be the most beautiful man or woman, but they were looking beautiful together.

- Ahhh.... youngsters these days. Can't even wait till they get a job. Must be first love. By the way, it has been so long since I have seen such pleasant autumn.

Sure it has been.

I looked at the bookshelf again. This time I noticed something different.

- Is that ' Just A Heartbreak Away' I see in your shelf? That is unexpected.

- Sure it is. Was not really meant to be in my dry knowledge shelf. A colleague suggested it for a better look on teenage problems, depression, anxiety etc. And guess what? I am hooked! Too bad the writer used a pen name, 'Cici' is it? Or else I would personally interview her.

- There I s more to your surprise, Greta. Believe it or not, I am that 'Cici'.

Greta burst into laughter.

- What a good one! You almost had me in the first half!

- I am not joking, Greta.

Greta became serious. Her grey eyes were straight staring at mine.

- I still have the softcopy of the book in my mobile. Wait a minute.... look, here it is.

She was still looking at me. Then suddenly, she chuckled.

- I don't need to look at that softcopy, sweetie. All I need is to look at you and I will know if you are lying or not. And congratulations, 'Cici'. You have passed the test a long ago.

- .....A long ago?

- Yes dear. Remember about the ' realistic' dream you told me about? That day I went through the book again and I found the narrations awfully similar. So I guessed it.

- But what if I am just someone who also read it and came to you bluffing and for increasing my popularity?

- Then I have to take my 3rd year psychology exam again! -Greta smiled, - But for now, my brain is telling me to trust you.

There was a moment of silence. I looked at the window. The alley was showered with dry leaves. I'm sure everyone here in this town felt a nip in the air like me.

It was Greta who broke the silence.

-So, Miss 'Cici' , ready for the interview?

Out of the blue, Margreta comes up with notebook and pen. I immediately knew, this would not just be a therapy session, but a serious interview.

But is there anything else to say except the story of my book? My readers mixed the genres and they called it a mixture of school life, fantasy and Sci-fi. But the truth is they do not know is those writings are true. I visited that world and also was forced to return. But no one believes it! Nor would Greta!

- Hey! Hello! where are you lost, Lucy?

- In thoughts?

- Most probably. It's a good thing to visit your brain in a daily basis. Anyways, I wanna hear the a to z of that story again. But first, tell me, why did you feel it was necessary to add a pinchfull of science fiction in an emotional book?

I knew, this question would come up first.

- I did not just mix anything I liked Greta. I saw it in my own eyes.

- This time there is no way you are telling the truth . It can not be possible.

- When it started, my reaction was the same.

- But....but...

- Shall we move onto your next question?

- Yes, but..... Answer this Lucy. Have you ever been diagnosed with schizophrenia?

(* Schizophrenia is a mental illness commonly found in children, makes the brain hallucinate people or things that does not exist in real life. If you see someone with these symptoms, please consult a psychiatrist.)

I knew it. Now she thinks I am insane.

- Never within my consciousness.

- Ohh.... my.... God!

Greta facepalmed. She was shaking in surprise.

- I think we should end the interview here, Greta. You do not feel okay.

- No no, I am completely okay. So it is true.

- Sure it is.

There was pindrop silence again. Greta got herself a glass of water. I know, she found it hard to believe, but it is exactly what happened!

- "The past is infectiously fragile."

- .... Infectiously fragile?

- "Yup! The more fragile it is, the weaker your present gets, and the future becomes more vulnerable."

He was right. My fragile past infected me . It made me what I am today. I achieved everything I wanted, but... I am still sorry. I am pathetic.

Ugh.... I am breaking my vow...I promised myself not to become depressed again. I promised... I would not think of him again. But it can not be helped. He is still here in my heart. I can not forgive him yet....I can never forget him...