I stood at the doorway
of my house as I saw my mother holding hands with him, smiling gently, stepped
out of his car and walked towards me. He looked delighted and smirked at me.
They were giggling about something oblivious of my presence as they walked
inside.
“Hey Michael, how are
you? I thought you would be at the church for our wedding...” as he questioned
me, I gave a wimpy look at him and went inside my room not answering his
questions. My mother who noticed my irreverent behaviour intervened and told
that I was not keeping well and indeed was exalted about the whole wedding.
David knew that she was lying just trying to soothen him from the embarrassment
of contempt.
I was fuming from
within as I lay on my bed, contemplating about this whole mess of my mom
getting a stranger in place of my dad. I
loathed him and felt he could never be my dad. Four years ago this family lost
a wonderful human being, my dad, the coolest person on this earth. He died due
to a cardiac arrest. The unexpected and sudden loss plunged me and my mom into
an indefinite grief. We cursed the lord for betraying us and snatching away all
the happiness in our lives. They were the horrendous phase of my life still not
overcome completely.
David, a divorcee with no kids, is my mom’s
colleague at her law firm and one of her very close ally at the office. He used
to console her during those sullen days and played as a great force in driving
her back into the normal life. In the course of time my mom and David
discovered compassion and love for each other and decided to spend the rest of
their lives together. When mom disclosed her decision of marrying David, I
choked unable to digest the fact of accepting a new man in her life, I confined
myself in recluse.
David had visited our
place a couple of times before the marriage, probably to befriend me though in
vain, tried to surprise me with lots of gifts which I have never unpacked till
date. He might be a good guy but he is not my father. My mother’s new husband
decided to move us to a different place away from all the unnecessary gossips
in the neighborhood that might disturb my mom. Re-marriages are quite common
in the western countries but definitely it is still a taboo in India especially
for women with kids it’s certainly a big NO...
One morning, a week
before my summer vacation would draw to close, all three of us were seated for
breakfast when David spoke “So Michael your school re-opens from next week
right? Since we have moved closer to your school I could drop you and pick you every
day and my working hours are flexible. We can terminate the school bus
services... What do you say Betsy?” as he inquired my mother, I interrupted
scornfully “It’s OK David. I have my bicycle and I can travel to school
myself.” My mother glared at me. She never liked me addressing her new husband
by his name. She probably wanted me to call him “Dad” which I would never
approve of. She told “I think that’s a great idea David... I will speak to the school
bus coordinator and stop the service. Michael, daddy will drop and pick you
every day. Is that clear?” I
comprehended her tone and did not want to irk her and so accepted.
Every day to school
David would talk about so many things to me, right from asking about my likes
and dislikes, sharing about his passion, about my school, my friends and so
many other topics which I thought were irrelevant to him. He was trying to
break the ice between both of us and use this time to bond. I responded to few
of his questions though I felt very awkward and uncomfortable speaking to him.
I always made it a point to never let him drop me at the school gate as I did
not want any of my friends or others to notice this new fatherly figure. I
requested him to stop his car a few yards away from the gate and strode into my
school campus as fast as I could before anyone noticed.
Months passed when on
one day as usual David dropped me a few kilometers away from the school gate.
He always made sure not to leave until I went inside my campus. As I was
walking towards the gate, suddenly from far I saw a car speeding beyond the
permissible limit towards me and before I could realize anything I was thrown high
up in the air. The lunatic drunkard bumped his car against me and drove past me
without stopping. I fell down with immense and intolerable pain bleeding
profusely. I was lying there on the roads semi-consciously as I saw David and
bunch of others from the school running towards me.
David carried me in his
arms and laid me in his car. He drove to a nearby hospital. I heard him vividly
though my eyes were closed as he was shouting at the doctors for emergency
attention. “My son is deeply injured. Please someone help” as David was freaking
out, a bunch of attendants and nurse dropped me on the stretcher and took me
into the emergency accident ward. That night unable to sleep after a 3 long
hours of major surgery on my left leg with multiple fractures, I was tossing on
both my sides as I heard David talking to my mom outside my room. “My heart
skipped a beat as I witnessed the whole commotion. I am the reason for my son’s
accident. I should never have a listened to him and should have dropped him at
the gate every day. I was trying to give him some space but never anticipated
it would hit me this hard.” My mother was consoling him telling that it was not
his fault. He was in a deep sense of remorse. The doctor instructed only one
person to stay with me for the night. Quite obviously, David convinced my mom
to go home while he stayed with me. He was awake the entire night and kept
checking at regular intervals if I was OK. That night served as phase shift in my life. I
felt his plethora of love on me. He was just being the way my dad would have.
A week later I was
discharged from the hospital. Both my mom and David took turns in the hospital
to take care of me. The doctor had advised 3 months of complete rest at home
and not strain my leg too much which means someone has to be at home to give entire
attention towards me. My mom had a very busy schedule at the office and could
not stay home. She told David that they could arrange for some caretaker or a
nurse probably to take care of me at home. David disagreed and immediately said
he would work from home and assist me.
These were the golden
three months when I realized the compassion and warmth in David which my mom
had earlier discerned in him. I found it really hard to even do my daily
morning routines which David used to help me with. Sometimes I wondered if
David had even surpassed a mile beyond what my dad could have done if he was
alive. He met my teachers and informed about my injury, collected all the class
works from them and helped me in my academics at home so that I was in track
with what was being taught at school. During his spare time off work, he played
some video games along with me on the Xbox that he installed for me at home so
that I could overcome the monotony of staying indoors all day long. He surely
was an endearing guy.
Three months later when
I rejoined my school, David dropped me at my school gate. As I was about to get
down the car, I just turned back and told “My friends would like to meet my father.
Will you come?” He was stupefied in astonishment and quite blissfully he told
“Of course I would love to.”
Next summer on the
sports day of my school, I had participated in the 100 meters dash and won the
first place. As I went towards the championship podium to collect my trophy I
saw my mom and David sitting in the front rows of the stadium cheering me
vibrantly. I collected the trophy and triumphantly lifted it up and showed it
to them. I saw immense pride and joy in David’s eyes as I felt my dad becoming
immortal in his form. I accepted him as my father but have still not addressed
him “Dad” which I am sure he was longing to hear from me. An extra effort from
me will make this happen and I am quite confident about this in the days to
come.
