Empty Holidays...

It was the last day of her exams. The last exam was done. She was sad. Most of her classmates were excited about the holidays. One gal had started giggling and showing off her holiday plans. The two gals who were scared of failing in the exams were calculating again and again how much marks they can possibly score. Everyone else was discussing about movies they can watch in holidays or meet and hang out. She decided to just keep quiet and wait for her classmate (also her neighbour) to go home. She hoped no one would ask her what her plans are for the holidays. She did not want to cry in school.  All these days she had been trying not to cry in school, in spite of many people asking her why she is looking dull. Why on the last day before the holidays! She decided to interrupt the person and ask her instead about the exams. She is a topper. So she knows she will definitely pass even though she had not touched her books. She tried very hard not to think of the holidays. Anything she tries to think about will bring her back the memories of her previous holidays.

The bent coconut tree on which she and her cousins used to sit and look at the waves of Bay of Bengal, trying to shout louder than the sound of the waves and laugh, the bridges and tunnels her older cousins used to make out of wet sand, jumping high from the swing and then falling on the sand, deeply concentrating on how her artist cousin is building the sand castle, grandma giving them homemade sweets and ice candies when they come home tired after playing the whole day, grandma telling stories at night. She had always wished she could stay with them. Everyday would have been fun. Her father was the only one among his four brothers who had a transferable job because of which he had settled in South Karnataka. Every holiday her father would take her to Chennai and she would have the best time of her life there. But now...

She did not have any close friends. She was an only child to her parents. Her parents had stopped speaking to her out of shock.

‘Hey, what plans for holidays?’ the gal who usually sits next to her in class interrupted her thoughts.

She was so shocked she looked at her with wide eyes. Oh my god! Did she have to spot me today? ‘Eh? Nothing’ was all she said and looked away.

How rude! ‘Never mind.’

She hoped badly for her neighbour to come so that she can run home and save herself from more people. Home!  She thought. Was it a home anymore? It was more like three people are staying together but in their own world. Not even bothered to ask how the day went. How perfect was everything just two months back! Life was so good back then. Now there is no friend, no one to bother and understand what is really happening in her life. She had spoken rudely to her best friend so she has stopped speaking to her now. But today her best friend was staring at her. She felt uneasy. The stare was more like a concern. But she did not have the courage to face her as her friend was innocent. She looked away absentmindedly. She thought her friend would have gone by now. She slowly turned to look from the corner of her eye to check if her friend is still there. She suddenly took aback when she saw her friend standing right behind her. She did not know what to say.

‘Hi!’ she could not keep her voice from breaking.

‘Hi. I know now that you said all that unintentionally. I am not angry with you anymore. Can we be like before again?’ her dear friend said with a smile.

‘Er... I am really sorry about that day. But you might find me different now. I am not the same gal anymore.’ She said without meeting her eyes with her best friend. She was feeling better as she was speaking wholeheartedly to someone after so long.

‘Does that mean that we cannot be friends again?’

‘I didn’t say that. I just told you in case....’ She trailed off looking away.

‘Hey what is wrong with you? Tell me..’

‘Err... Nothing’ I don’t want to cry again. No I am not crying. I won’t.

Her friend was puzzled but did not want to force her more. After all she had got her dear friend back after so long. Why ruin the day they patched up? So she thought she will speak something casual. ‘So when are you leaving to Chennai?’

‘Chennai!’ her voice broke. It felt like she did not have tears anymore. She cleared her throat and said ‘No, I am not going this time.’

‘Then what will you do here alone? Your parents will be working the whole day. I am going to my native.’

‘Errr... Let me see... Can you try to come back soon?’

‘Ok. I will try. But... Hey what are you saying? You could not stay away from your grandma and cousins for even one holiday. What happened this time?’

She just looked away. ‘This time there will be no one in Chennai. No native, no cousins, no grandma. Tsunami washed away everything.’

P.S. This is based on a real life story of a 14 year old gal. This is my first work that is not based on my life. Let me know how you felt.