Long Gone

Long gone is he who picked me up every time I stumbled across the doorstep. His arms were strong enough for me, and the falls were never in the back of my mind when they happened anytime later. My fulcrum, I was never afraid of any stone that crossed my way. I was never wary of any stone either. It was like a smooth sail, as smooth as it can get. My sea was calm. My sea was blue. My air carried the smell of rain and my rain brought with it renewed freshness.

Long gone is he who was by me through all evenings. The dark evenings were not dark enough when he used to light me my candle. The evening tea never tasted better than when I had it with him. He was my partner in solitude. Solitude? I always knew loneliness. He made me understand solitude. To him, solitude was music. It became my favourite piece of music too. The breeze brought with it the notes and with it followed a knock at the door by somebody called "bliss".

Long gone is he who put me to sleep every time I toiled hard to close my eyes. His caress was my biggest stress buster and the world's most potent sedative. We used to chat away to sleep as he sat by me, looking into my eyes as they gradually went deep into the corners of slumber. His words were music, and it never mattered if the radio was blurting out some weird metal track. He could outdo any interference, could outwit any trick. He was my superhero, too strong for anybody to affect my sleep.

Long gone is he who woke me up to sunny mornings. Waking up to his call was never a pain, and days never went berserk as long as he had wished me luck. Tiredness was my antithesis and zeal was my best friend. Work worked wonders and I was happy. Looking forward to the evening was something I had developed into a habit. My days were not long as long as I got his calls. I knew he would be waiting at home, for me to come back.

It had been a wonderful day at work when I returned home that evening. I thought I would open the door and surprise him. But I stumbled as I tried opening the door. The evening tea was bitter and the air was calm. There was no music as I pushed the windows open, the notes absent. I tried sleeping early but I could not. I could not feel the caress as I desperately tried to sleep. I did not realise when I closed my eyes.

Now that the sun has a blanket of clouds on and the morning is not sunny, I try to wake up.

But I can't.