Let Go

Puzzles have always enthralled me. Solving them gave me an acute sense of empowerment and confidence.  The harder they got, the higher my resolve spiraled to decode them. And here it was, the Rubic cube. It was a child’s play for me. But for Tina it was always a huge task! Oh, how she pouted at this small piece of puzzle! “This is a sweet little color toy with evil mind! And you Ma’am are a Genius! How easily you conquer these nefarious squares!”, she would say! I always felt good about myself when she said this.

“Goood morning!”.  It was Tina. She ringed her cycle bells, as she called my name. Every Sunday morning we went cycling and then for a swim.  I placed the cube aside, picked up my sports bag and paddled my bicycle out of the garage. Tina was circling outside my house. She looked like an angel. Laughing and carefree. She looked at me with the most enigmatic smile I had ever seen and then sped her bicycle- indicating that the race had began. We both raced along the quiet misty streets. And reached the pool. “I am so eager to swim! Come on hurry up”, she said with a childlike enthusiasm. She dropped her bicycle, took off her dress and dived straight inside. I followed her. We swam in the cool serene waters for a long time. I watched Tina as she swam like a fish.

Suddenly the quiet water started creating ripples. Gradually the waves started turning violent. It was confusing, but Tina was unperturbed.  She giggled and continued her acrobats. The waves kept getting furious and each time resolved to drown me. I called out to Tina. But she just looked at me and smiled. With one giant wave I was drowned completely. I tried getting up but the delirious water kept me down. Out of no where Tina came to me. She kept looking at me like she had never before. “Let Go…”, she said. I shook my head.  A tear rolled down her cheeks as she again said,”Please, my dearest friend, let go…” and she pushed me above the water. I dived inside again and tried to catch her by her hand and tried to pull her out with me. But slowly she started vanishing. She mouthed…“I am always there in your heart…” ..and faded into the clear blue waters. I screamed with all my energy and jolted up.

It was 7 A.M. Sunday morning. I was in my bed. I ran downstairs and looked at both our bicycles.  They were rusty. Two months had gone by without her. Distantly…I heard a laughter. Yes…she will always be in my heart.