Note 4 : People Apart

It was a sweltering day of summer.. The body drained of sweat whenever an attempt was made to walk into the sun..

The same was in office, you sometimes get tired of the games people play and you are impacted by it when all you want to do is sit back and do ur job..

I came home real messed up in the head - I never let the girls know about my mental state when it is like this..

So I tried to be the normal self..

"daddy's home" I announced and Agnes the sweetheart she is came running in and I lifted her in my arms..

She did seem tall - I always used to wonder if kids grew tall overnight.. Well it seems they do

We had our dinner - the maid cooked it each day - she didn't have the magic - but the girls ate it - so I never complained.

I put them to bed - the official goodnight kiss and I was back to my room..

Where I opened the laptop to catch up with work, but thought otherwise.. Closed it bac again and tried to sleep..

I felt a hand roll over my head..ruffling my hair..I thought it was you in a dream..my mind always raced to you when it was this volatile and indecisive..I did open my eyes and it was Agnes - she was sitting on the bed - "you worry too much daddy, my teacher tells me that good things happen to good people" she said.." how did u kno daddy was worried" she rolled her eyes over as if I had asked a really.obvious question ..

Just like u used to do when my most valiant effort to shield u from my worries felt flat on its face.

"Tell me what happened?", she asked

And my mind races back to d time when I found my heaven in ur arms.

"Nothing I say, just something at work. Don't worry, tell me bout your school today! I say trying hard to change the topic.

If it were you, I could hav told you every small detail, how Amar is suddenly such an ass, how Asmita has changed to b d newest bitch, how Arun is tryin hard to undermine me at every moment.

But you aren't here. A much younger part of you- of me is here.so d tact, I tell myself. Can't tel d little angel things she wudnt comprehend.

"Daddy you know, since the time I am made d house captain, Seema is not talking to me anymore, vijay and Karun don't share their tiffin anymore, I don't find my place in d bus with my friends anymore. Ppl hav started acting strange. I don wan2 b d house captain."

But u know daddy, teacher likes me very much. She told me that I am doing a good job and that there is no1 else she can make d house captain.

So I have stayed in daddy, I hope my friends wil understand. I hav found a new friend as well. He also is a house captain like me. He also does not have many friends now.

I smile, did she make this up?or did u put this in her mind?

I know ur still here. More beautiful, more innocent and more loving than before.

And through her, you live on for me- for us

Hdk