Listen to a bgm while reading this, I would suggest 𝐂𝐨𝐳𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 or 𝐒𝐚𝐝 𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 on youtube, play it from somewhere in the middle(cuz I was listening to that while writing).
Now, get in the car, we are revisiting one of the best time of my life, that was supposed to be the worst time.
Back in 2020, right before covid had started in India, a family moved in into a house in the rental building that my family was living in. The family was a woman, her elder son and younger daughter. The girl was about my age but she was way too cool for me, she had boyfriends, good fashion sense and a decent following on instagram. I was the exact opposite, lonely with my guards up. I did not have a smart phone. So, my kind of fun was watching movies on TV, and listening to songs in the terrace.
One evening when I was on the terrace, this guy showed up and I ran downstairs, because I was scared of men and I hated them. This happened a couple times that week. So, I stopped going to the terrace alone. I hated this guy cause he ruined the only time I had for myself.
But a few days later, lots of people including my family, started hanging out on the terrace at night, due to summer's heat. And my mom talked to this guy, he was sweet. The whole neighbourhood used to play cards at night with a dim flashlight. I love cards, he did too. We started talking a little.
The kids started playing lock and key, hide and seek, on the ground floor. And I, he, his sister, my younger brother, we all played too. We played cricket during the day, and other games at night.
He used to tell his stories of having to drop out of school, and how he is a driver rn, he even had a lot adventures stories and stories about his girlfriend. He used to lie a lot too (making up stories), but I never noticed because I was too invested in listening to him. Well, he was such a good narrator, or maybe I was just dumb. He was sweet, scared of dogs, I once had to hold a dog for him to run away, that was sweet. I had made fun of his favourite sad song, in fact I was bursting into laughter by listening to it.
We were like close friends. One day when I was fetching water from the street pipe, I noticed a creepy guy, and I kept spotting him for the next few days. I was furious, wanted to hit him. I told my mom, she told me, it was nothing. Later, I was yapping to him and I told how helpless I felt. I did not expect any action, because no one ever gives that much importance to what I say. But he, OMG, he convinced my mom, they went up to the creep and warned him *gassspp*. I have never felt that heard in my entire effing life.
Few weeks later, I was talking to him, as usual, but we were alone, the moon was so bright and pretty, I was talking about the pressure of being the elder child of parents who are going through a divorce, and my eyes were out of my control as I started saying that life would be so better if only I had an elder brother. He told me to stop crying and that I was like his sister. And that felt good to hear. I was understood, he never told me that I was over-reacting. My feelings were valid to him, he was my safe space.
But then the villain stepped in, we were separated because a random guy told my mom that he looks like a bad guy(maybe he was). I wasn't allowed to talk to him or see him. But I ran into him one day, and I told him about how I'm not allowed, that was our closure I guess. Few months later they moved out, and then we did too. I have never seen him since.
My mom once called him for something, and he asked if I was okay, my mom didn't and doesn't know about the bond we had, so she thought it was nothing. But for me, it was everything, the fact that he remembers me, and thinks about me the way I do.
To date, he is the most meaningful relation that I have ever had, even though I don't know what to call it.
We were friends, siblings, comrades. He was my Jack Dawson, except we weren't in love. I don't know if I want back what we had, but I am grateful. I'm glad I got know and feel loved by a stranger and I love this bittersweet feeling of missing a stranger.
You can miss someone, and still be glad they aren't in your life.
Some days, especially on bad days and at midnights like this, I wish I had someone like him. But we were never meant to be friends, we were just too different. And as time passed away, we were strangers again.
Wish I conveyed what I wanted to, thanks for reading. Hope you liked my souvenir from this trip to the memories of neighborhood Jack Dawson.
