Trapped

Written on 14th January 2009

4:03pm
SG National Park

It was a beautiful late summer afternoon. Picturesque and sublime. The park was crowded as usual. Families seated around their picnic baskets, kids chasing one another, health conscious individuals jogging with their iPods along the well laid paths through the grass and trees, pets being strolled by their owners.

They walked hand in hand across the grass towards their usual spot under his favorite Caucasian Maple which always turned a brilliant yellow around this time of the year.
She was wearing a simple yellow dress and a matching hairband which made her look a few years younger than she actually was. She wore her sports sneakers and carried a small bag over her shoulder. The sweet lilac smell of her perfume wafted through the air. It was the perfume he had gifted her on their last anniversary. He leaned over and kissed her neck. He felt like he had his face in a bowl of potpourri. He loved the smell.

They came to park very often. It was a good place to get away from the pressures of his office work. She needed the break from school too. Teaching a class of third grade students was very demanding. She took up the job about a year back when they shifted to the city soon after getting married. They had been high school sweethearts.

There were many familiar faces at the park today. Some neighbours, a few acquaintances and a few more from the sports club. Not wanting to spend any time on meaningless greetings and indulging in idle chit-chat, they swiftly made their way towards the maple.

She lay down in the shade under the tree and called him to sit next to her. Resting his back against the mossy trunk, he placed her head in his lap. They had chosen this particular spot for a reason. It wasn’t too far away from the park and it gave them the privacy they needed. The weather was just right; his mind was free from all cares and worries. He was in his favorite place with the love of his life and it seemed like things couldn’t get any better. At that very moment he didn’t think life could be any more perfect.

As usual she started telling him about her day at work, about the kids and their antics and about the personal lives of the rest of the faculty. He listened to her patiently as always without interrupting or questioning. With care as though every word she spoke were of utmost importance. He didn’t say a word.
He removed her hairband and began stroking her hair, letting it fall through his fingers, enjoying the feel of it. She continued to fill him in on what had happened in school seeming not to notice.

He looked at his watch and was surprised at how fast the time had flown by. The sun had started it's daily descent beyond the horizon painting the sky in a fiery red hue. They had been under their tree for nearly an hour. It was time to leave. She got up and dusted the stray blades of grass off her dress as he put the hairband back on her head. Picking up her bag, she kissed him and started to walk back home.

A wave of sadness came over him. He was starting to miss her already. As usual he could not go with her. He was forced to stay behind and wait for her. Wait in the blank darkness until she came again. As she walked away, the light of the setting sun quickly receded leaving his world cold and pale once again. He was alone.



5:17pm
Private ward 4A
Cooper Hospital

She sat at his bedside with his hand firmly grasped in hers. It had become part of her daily routine to visit the hospital after work to be with him. Speaking to him, telling him how her day had been, hoping and praying that he would respond.

He had been in a comatose state ever since his accident over a year ago. The doctors said it was unlikely he would ever recover. She couldn’t possibly bring herself to believe that. After quitting her job at the law firm she had taken up a teaching job at a nearby school. She even shifted from their two bedroom flat in the suburbs into a single bedroom apartment opposite the hospital. To be close to him. To be there when he woke up.

She had to get going now. Kissing him gently, she picked up her bag and left the ward bidding him a silent farewell.