( Safazil Aziz Anan )
As I was only six years old I couldn’t understand why I was forced to live with my mother. He was not there with us, the one I love the most, Papa. They got divorced at a very early period of my life. As far as I can remember, I was forced to live with my mom.
My mother tried her level best not to make me feel the pain and disappointment of not having Papa with us. The pumped emotions in me used to burst out loud in the form of tears when I saw other kids in my school playing with their daddy on their laps. As I grew up I started to hide my dejected feelings from Mammam, because I know one thing that could bring her world down into dust was my tears.
My mother always wanted to make me feel good and tried to to keep me happy all the time. All things she used to do was just to see a smile on my face. My birthdays were my mom’s personal carnival of joy. And that birthday of mine was one special one to remember.
The day just before my birthday she called me in her room. As I entered, the anxiousness and confusion on her face regarding what would satisfy my desires was not hard to notice. Before she could speak up I stopped her saying I need nothing but just her for the day. She smiled at me, kissing my forehead she said “ tomorrow will be a special day for you my dear, and I will try to make it magical for you too! “ with the fakest smile possible I left her room.
The day finally arrived. I finally turned fifteen. I was preparing the table for dinner with my grandma, mom couldn’t stay that evening at home as she had to go attended some very important business meeting. It was exactly eight fifteen when the door bell rang. “MOTHER”! I knew it was her I ran towards the door and as opened the door I could not believe my eyes. I felt a sudden rush through my veins. GOOSEBUMPS that’s what I felt for the moment. Was this real? Or was I hallucinating?
It has been 9 years I didn’t see him. I stood motionless at the door step, with my mouth completely open. Papa, was it really him? I hugged him as tight as I could. For a moment I forgot the world even the fact that my mother was suppose to be there too. My eyes caught her behind him. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she saw the sight.
