Write a story that includes: a
tombstone, a first kiss, and a butterfly collection…
Mili was seven when Uno came to the
house. The doctor had said its better to keep her happy in her last
days. Her parents had cried the whole night. Doctor Roy, from Hazra
Medical College had tried to console them. As a family friend and the
consulting oncologist. Mili hadn't understood the fuss. All she
wanted was her mother to come and sit next to her and massage her
belly. That usually worked to ease the pain. She could hardly even
hear the words being spoken.
Once she got a bit better, after a
particularly nasty session of chemo, her daddy brought home a little
Labrador puppy. Almost golden in colour and extremely energetic, Uno
- as he was named by Mili on the very first day - became her best
friend. She stopped missing her friends from school, whom she anyway
met less and less with all her treatments. Uno and Mili became
inseparable. Food would have to be served for both at the same time.
Uno would not eat till Mili had her food in the mickey bowl. The only
person who could give Uno a bath was Mili. And while taking that
shower Uno would screech and Mili would sing a tune and together
would make an unholy chorus, loud enough to make the neighbours come
out of their houses.
Evenings, Mili would go into their
backyard, carefully trying to avoid her mother kitchen garden. Uno
would follow, sniffing the cauliflower leaves as he passed. Mili
collected colourful butterflies in a big glass jars. Her mother kept
a net instead of the lid, so that the butterflies wouldn't die. Next
morning she would let them go from the terrace. Uno never really
understood why she had to let them go. They looked perfectly edible
to him. Mili must not be hungry in the mornings, Uno thought.
Everyone knew Mili would not live for
long. The disease had spread pretty fast. And even though there were
days when she couldn't walk from one side of the room to the other,
her parents always hoped for a miracle. She was their little
princess. The relatives had been insensitive and suggested that they
should try for another child, or else they would be left completely
alone after Mili is gone. But they could never imagine replacing
Mili.
Day before yesterday she had started
feeling weak again. She coughed up blood and was too weak to even
lift her head. Uno came and snuggled next to her. He licked her hand,
letting her know its going to be alright. Usually Mili kissed him
whenever he showed affection like that, but today she was too weak to
do that. Her mother pulled Uno and took him out of the room. As Mili
cried here, they could hear Uno barking in the living room. Everyone
tried to say their last goodbye.
Today, standing on the graveyard, Mili
is trying to recite a 5-line poem for Uno. Uno passed away on the
couch in the living room. He must have been scared of the dark. And
while everyone was gathering around Mili, no one noticed him running
around wildly, trying to make sense of it all.
Mili's parents felt sad. They knew
Mili's time would come soon too. But at least she would have someone
waiting for her!!!
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