Last evening, I was sitting in a small cafe fighting valiantly against ‘writer’s block’ – fruitlessly. A little later, a mom and a son came and sat in a table nearby. The child was chatty (which one isn’t) and I loved the meaningless questions coming out from his innocent lips (too poetic?? O well). After about 10 minutes or so, a car parked in front and out rushed 3 slightly on the heavier side and don’t-mess-with-us looking ladies. Obviously, I looked away.
To my horror, they joined the mom and the son. It was amazing to realise how sweet the ladies turned out to be. The heftiest took the child away and was busy playing with him. It was unbelievable for me who’d done the mistake of judging a book by its cover. A closer look and I saw that the mom was in tears. The two ladies flanked the mom and didn’t leave her side.
The scene was so touching. Neither the ladies nor the mom exchanged many words but there were nods in between. It looked as if the sobs were being approved. It was as if they were having a telepathic conversation – obscure, maybe, to a cynic single girl like me. The only time I heard the “ladies” was when the child would join them and ask something.
It struck me then, I am living a single life by choice. And by single, I mean I’ve burnt all bridges when it comes to family and relatives. I have a handful of friends and that too only because they don’t know how to take “NO” for an answer. I don’t know what had befallen the “mom” but I wonder if anything were to happen to me, will I have 3 heftier-than-thou friends flanking me, supporting me more with gestures than words? OR will I be crying alone flanked by the four ever-understanding ever-quiet walls? [Questions]
[Answers—> time will tell]
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