Everything Has Changed
Christmastime and lost love
Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh…
The children sang in unison and moved their heads to the music as the teacher played the piano.
Kora tried to keep her head down and scribbled in her notebook furiously to stop getting caught by Mrs.Chakroborty. The teacher had been keeping an eye on her ever since she came to know Kora couldn’t understand a single word of the lyrics to the songs she taught in class.
But luck wasn’t on Kora’s side that day.
“Kora! If you don’t like my class, get out.”
Tears welled up in Kora’s eyes. She could hear her classmates laughing at her.
“Why are you still standing there like a dumb statue? Just get out of my class. OUT!”
Kora flinched as Mrs Chakroborty’s voice boomed and seemed to come closer and closer. But before the voice reached her, she clutched the notebook to her chest and ran.
Putting her head between the knees, Kora rocked back and forth. When the new school year had started, she’d wanted everyone to like her, but now it felt like everyone hated her. Tears started falling from her eyes as she thought about her year in school.
“Hey!”
Something hit her at the side of her head. Kora looked up questioningly.
A girl of her age stood in front of her, smiling.
“Hey, you! Why are you crying?”
“None of your business,” Kora mumbled and looked down. “Why did you hit me with a paper ball? You want to make fun of me? Okay, go on, laugh at me like the others.”
“Uh, sorry, I didn’t realise it would annoy you. I couldn’t figure out a better way to call you.” The girl smiled innocently at her. She looked so beautiful, with the sunlight reflecting from her hair that Kora forgot about being annoyed.
“Mind if I sit?” Without waiting for Kora’s answer, the girl made herself comfortable on the floor beside her.
Kora bit back her words, not wanting to upset the new girl. Plus it was nice to have someone talk to her, even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself.
“What is your name?” she asked curiously.
“Christa. So Kora, what led you to sit here all alone?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh. Okay then. But if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here. So… what is your favourite place?”
“Beaches! I love oceans. They are turbulent and yet so calm. Watching the waves rise and fall — it’s kind of freeing, you know?”
“Okay.”
“What about you?”
Thus started a beautiful friendship between two girls.
“Remember that day?”
“Yeah. You were so sad I wanted to make you happy.” Christa smiles at Kora wistfully. “You know I wish I could just take you away from all this.”
“Yeah, I wish that too sometimes. Or just go back in time when everything was so simple —
“Except the part where your dad caught us kissing in the staircase.”
“Yeah that. I have a son now, Christa. He needs his dad even if I don’t like my husband. I need to take care of my parents.”
“Kora, seriously? Your parents? They married you off to some guy because they came to know you are gay. And you are taking care of them?”
“I can’t be brave like you, okay? I… I am supposed to look after my family, take care of my parents and in-laws. That’s my duty. I love you, but I cannot be anything more than a friend to you now. We can’t start over. Everything’s changed.”
“Okay. I understand. But promise me you’ll get out of that house if things start getting ugly. You don’t have to stay there just because you don’t have any place to live.” Christa’s voice chokes with unshed tears.
“Okay.”
“Okay. Merry Christmas. I had to see you today. It was like our day, you know? Ma still talks about your baking skills. And you know baking is not really my thing.”
“Yeah. I remember. You managed to burn a cake the last time she allowed you in the kitchen. And we made the batter and everything.” Kora laughs, shaking her head.
Sitting here with Christa in a small cosy cafe decorated with mistletoe and fairy lights feels like a dream to Kora. Like time has come to a stop.
The beautiful moment is broken by Christa’s apologetic voice, “Kora, I have to go now. My flight’s at 8. Take care of yourself.”
“Okay. We shall talk on the phone, then?”
“Uh… about that. I’d rather you don’t call me. You’ll always have a place in my heart and my house, but I need to move on. It will be harder if I keep in touch with you. I’m sorry.”
“Oh. Okay. I understand. Bye then.” Kora raises her hand, watching Christa walk and melt into the crowd.
Silent tears stream down her face as she still gazes at the crowd, one hand raised. The salty taste of the tears reminding her of the time when she had made plans with Christa to visit the beach, just the two together; when times were much more simple.
Kora smiles. She imagines what it would have been like if she had run away from home to be with Christa, against her parents’ wishes.
The alarm on her phone rings. It’s time for her to take her son out on a walk. She slides the phone in her pocket and hurries down the sidewalk.
Everything has changed.
This piece is part of the Prism & Pen fiction challenge, hosted on Crossin(G)enres. This week’s theme is “Dashing Through the Snow.’
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