The second nucleus

And we sat there in subdued lighting, the five of us, discussing our dreams.. Talking about the big changes coming up, the challenges we'd have to overcome, keeping our fears in check and taking comfort in the fact that things do work out for the best in the end...

The tree lined walk, traffic and the lunch hour rush. The off-hand admission, the happiness, the surprise and excitement. Smiles all around, with laughter in between and sadness just under the surface.

The airport, the kids screaming in the background, blending into the shrieking on the phone. The happy kind though. Warmth and bubbly joy transmitted over the line, in those few moments, amidst the raging chaos all around.

Back on the steps again, just after the rain. With the usual 7-eleven beer and juice in hand. Reliving the moments and highlights from the last few weeks, a slow revelation of hidden inner thoughts and trying to piece together a broken heart in the light of a reconstructed one..

Parallel worlds, on the other side of the window, across the miles but only a few seconds away. Reassurance, thrill and reluctant hope, coupled with the sense of loss and shock, and the temporariness and transiency of it all.

With the friends who matter, the ones who've always got your back, you know without a doubt that 5 years down the line, you can pick up exactly where you left off- regardless of time, distance, change and circumstance. They might not be there at the exact moment you need them, but they're with you for life.

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