DATE: A RAINY DAY IN MY CHILDHOODMy baby,
It’s challenging for me to pen down these words, as reading them might be for you. When you arrive home today, you won’t find me. Your mom has decided to give me to the rag-picker boy, thinking I’ve become old and of little use to you. She sees my fading color and the small holes that you’ve always lovingly overlooked. However, our time together is ending. I fondly remember the day God placed me in your home, in the cupboard, surrounded by your blue and black T-shirts. I was the odd one out, and their chuckles echoed in my fabric ears, ridiculing that “Sunny will never wear a ‘girlie-pink- floral shirt’!” Hmmph!
That evening, you were to attend a wedding. The astonishment was evident on your face when your mom presented me for you to wear. Despite your reluctance, you donned me. Your flaring nostrils, twitching ears, eyes glaring at the floor, and that peculiar lip posture — you looked amusingly upset. But once we reached the venue, a soothing breeze wafted through, and I could feel your rigid stance relax. I sense you recalling that evening, the shared smiles with the girl in the pink skirt, her wavy hair adorned with a pink band. She seemed keen on a game of “catch-me-if-u-can”, while your thoughts danced around “I-will-hold-u-and-kiss-u-on-your-nose.” Surprised? I’ve always been intimately close to your heart.
Oh, lover boy! Remember how close we were? I’ve always felt the rhythm of your heartbeat. That’s why I worry; too many fleeting smiles with the wrong souls might shatter your tender heart. Despite the brief distraction of the girl in pink, our bond only strengthened. You wore me often, to the point where your mom had to forcibly separate us for a wash. My threads swelled with pride every time you’d narrate tales of our bond to family, friends, and neighbors, about my perfect fit and the comfort I provided.
I never favored the spills of food or tea on me (When will you stop being clumsy?), but my fabric ached to console you during your secret tears. Only I witnessed those. I sensed the void in your heart, the soul’s search for its counterpart. A dark journey awaits, and I fear for your delicate heart in this pursuit.
Your heart, so fragile, and your soul, so raw, stand at the precipice of unforeseen heartbreaks in love.
If only I could remain by your side forever, absorbing all your sorrows. But it’s time for me to depart. The boy will soon arrive to claim me. As I prepare to leave, promise me one thing: never feel isolated and refrain from shedding tears, not just for me, but for anyone. I will cherish our time together, until every thread and fiber of my being dissipates into the cosmos. Our bond during your childhood was a blessing. Farewell, Sunny. Keep our memories alive.
SHORT NOTE FROM ME TO MY PINK SHIRT:
Dear “Pinky”,
You advised me not to cry. I’ll heed your words.
My vision blurs, tears threaten to spill, but I’ll resist. If I surrender to my tears, I risk losing our memories to the void. Will our paths ever cross again? Why this goodbye? Is this destined separation a sign of things to come?
