She was busy packing to travel. It was a night journey and she was making sure she has everything she needs... Almost forgot why she was travelling once again. Age has taken a toll on her and forgetting every simple, even crucial things and struggling to remember them back was the new norm for her. A memory from four years back strikes suddenly and her hands stops doing whatever the brain had signaled moments back. As if all the brain cells are working towards that one memory that was so insignificant when it happened but all of a suddenly getting polished to be shiny and freshen to be treasured for the rest of the period. Even the aged brain cells are not tired to do this as its becoming effortless to remember every minute detail of it suddenly.
She was packing the same way 4 years back to travel to the same place and it was night journey again and had to make sure everything needed is packed. Before they leave for the big foreign vacation she had to travel to the other home which is a night journey away and set everything up and tuck the home in for there wont be anyone living or visiting there for next few months. It was time to leave and he once again gave the keys that she has been promptly forgetting all these years. He hands it to her and says i have a plan, why don't I call you when you are about to leave the home there and tell you the list of things to be checked before you can lock and leave. She said... No way. I can handle it myself and its all simple household things and I can very well make sure everything is done right before I leave there... You don't need to call and check if I did it all right. You just take care of the pending work here so by the time I return we are all set to leave for the big vacation...
Her hands slowly starts moving as her brain cells are released one by one from recollecting the memory... She looks at the keys on the table lying there without his hands wrapped around it or giving to her... and the mobile next to it. She picks up the mobile and scrolls the call history to see his missed call 4 years back. The call he made inspite of her telling not to, The call she missed coz she was busy doing the final checks, The call that will never come again anymore. The missed call which she misses everyday every moment. The missed call, which if she had picked she would have had another argument and teasing conversation... They would all be todays treasured memories...
Amma misses you Pappa... more than she remembers, More than her ageing and forgetting brain cells can handle.
