Short Story

Love locked in

Maryeza was in deep thought, it is her sister's wedding tomorrow. If it was two years ago, she would have been there beside her sister every minute and it would have been her, who would do everything. but now, she sighed.

Maryeza's sister Andrea, was stubborn since childhood. She had some little disagreements with the family just like everyone else does. But something which no one could exactly remember what, made Andrea fall apart from the rest of the family. It was a bad & a busy era & unfortunately no one noticed that Andrea was severely heart broken. So no one tried to make Andrea fit into the family again.

So as it happened, for some reason, every one in the family began to feel away from Andrea's life. With Andrea's busy schedule, she always avoided participating in family parties, weddings, family gatherings and trips. As for her sister and her, they had so many complaints against each other.

They were busy with their own lives and behaved as strangers in the same house. They hardly saw each other. When Andrea comes home Maryeza would often not be at home. If both were at home, Andrea would always be on the computer or doing her campus studies and work at home.

Announcement

On one fateful day, Andrea announced that she was having an affair with a guy named Sajith, who studies in the same Law faculty with her. The parents were happy for her and asked for more information about their son-in-law to be.

Alas, when they got to know more, her dad strictly disliked the guy and warned Andrea to stay away from him. It was found that Sajith happened to be the younger son of his co-worker who was his arch enemy.

The thin line that connected Andrea to the family was broken with the arguments that followed. She strongly refused to stop the affair. The very next week she moved out from home to live with a friend leaving the family in pain and misery.

Maryeza who was not very close with her sister was completely drawn apart with this incident, little disputes they had, were added to this incident and a grudge arose in her heart. Andrea was considered dead by her dad, who was a strict man, who lived by his own rules.

Invitation

Last Monday, they were surprised to see Andrea standing at the doorstep. Dad was not at home and mother with her natural motherly affection towards her child, welcomed Andrea, even though they knew that it would be a big diaster if their dad came home to find Andrea in the house.

Andrea came in and gave her wedding invitation, but soon left, after crying and kissing her mum and sis goodbye, leaving them standing, still in astonishment. Mums heart soon melted and she wanted to bring Andrea home and help her with the wedding arrangements.

As for Maryeza, she was oscillating between love and hatred and was unable to think, what she should do. Dad learnt the news and the house was silent with crying and thinking people, for almost a week. Dad decided that no one is going and no one should talk about, it either. But when the day of the wedding drew near, the silence and the gloominess grew stronger. Everyone was deep in thought.

Today mother announced that she was going to the wedding no matter what. Dad too is willing to go. He is dreaming of walking beside his daughter to the altar, as the proud father with his head held high. But what would the people say. Everyone will laugh at him for not being able to control his own daughter. How could he stay in the same place with his archenemy, now being his relation is what disturbs him.

Memories

Dad is not the only one who has a battle in his heart. Maryeza too is desperate to go, but dad's pride and the eyes of the world were telling her not to go. She felt so tired and fell on to her bed to grab some sleep, when a photo caught her eyes. It was a photo of herself and Maryeza hugging each other. It was taken long ago on her fifteenth birthday.

Her mind ran back to those days, the best days of their lives. She remembered how they were caught playing in other people's gardens, making a big noise. Her father would come fuming like a monster, when he heard the sound, because his sleep was often disturbed.

And then there were times that he took both of them home and beat Andrea for shouting and playing in the garden. When Andrea cried all alone, Maryeza would still go and play in the garden, with the others. It is now that she realized, that she has often not been there, when her sister needed her most. Yet whenever she needed Andrea, she was always there for her.

She still remembered how a wicked prefect tried to punish her in front of all the children, falsely accusing her that her uniform was too short, on her first day at high school. It was her big sister who saved the little sis from the disgraceful punishment.

That was the first day that she saw her older sister fighting. Till then she didn't know, that even the most innocent and shy person has a strong and a brave heart hidden inside. In fact she was very surprised.

Once they were fighting over something, and Maryeza went out to play, when a neighbour suddenly started an argument with her over something she didn't even know anything about, leaving her in shock. Andrea came running, forgetting the grudge they had a minute ago, she was covering up for her little sister like a brave mama lion saving her little cub, from a fox.

Realization

Tears were running down Maryezas face, she smiled back at the photo, which held a thousand memories of a beautiful sisterly love, which has been hidden away by the sands of time. It is hard to believe, how a love so pure and strong vanished, into thin air.

She felt ashamed of herself for not being there at little times that her sis needed her. Andrea has never stopped to think, whether her little sis loved her in return, she has only believed in giving and loving for so long, not about getting it back again.

Maryeza was now crying in pain, for she has failed to see her faults until now. She was now wishing that she could turn back time and be there for her sis and help her. She now wanted to walk down memory lane and pick up the love, which she has let, carelessly slip away, in the times gone by.

Sometimes people keep on loving forever, receiving only heartache and ignorance. And one day, when their hearts refuse to take the pain any more they become numb to the people they loved so much, maybe that is what happened to Andrea, which made her drift away from the family.

"With a big fat hug a kiss from me to you"

Strange how people see others faults to clearly and yet fail to see where they went wrong and what they did wrong. Maryeza realized she too had some loose ends to tie up.

Maybe this is a chance given by God to make things right and feel the love of her sis again and love in return. After all that's why they say "blood is thicker than water". A sis could never let the other down, she would always be around as the wind beneath the wind to lift her sis up.

She decided to talk to her dad and said "dada please, forget about the world for once, who cares what they think, this is the most important day of your elder daughter's life, please think of the way that we used to be, laughing and sharing, in good times and bad. How did we let go of a love so pure and strong, and let each other walk their own roads alone dada?" It was strong enough to bring a tear to her father's eyes.

The next day, they went to see the lost lamb of the family. From a distance they saw, Andrea dressed like an angel looking at the road and waiting for someone impatiently, with eyes filled with tears. Just as she saw what she hoped to see for years, a silver line was drawn across her face and she ran towards them with open arms.

Dilini Amalka
Goonewardene,
Kandana