A Stitch in Time

The room transformed into an unending whirlpool that she had often seen in her dreams. Could this be really happening?? Her world lay shattered at her feet when the doctors reconfirmed her fears. It was the constant procrastination & endless non-committal promises which her brought her here... The point of no return... 

Janice had grown up in a conservative yet braggart of a family which always wore that façade of opulence that never existed in reality. From childhood she had seen DD, her loving grandpa being neglected and alone. All his dad, Tas ever saw was what his mom Vivienne showed him. How could he be oblivious to his own father DD's suffering. Well Janice believed it to be the fact that her dad was away at border serving his country. She had understood from a very young age that her mom was a very manipulative woman who was so selfish that she would think about herself over her family. Even more after her eldest brother Aaron's wedding. That's probably because Aaron pampered her with generous gifts which his loving wife Dina got from her mother's. Aaron had won over her two sisters, Karen & Lydia and not to forget her dad Tas too. It seemed like an "Et Tu Brutus?" scenario to the young teenaged Janice. The only solace was her grandpa DD. 

Years passed by and Janice grew up inside of a cocoon which was invisible to everyone but DD. DD understood the hurt & pain that Janice had experienced every time she was rebuked & chided by her family for anything & everything that she wanted to explore. It seemed as if she had been shackled to some transparent peg like the cattle in the outer courtyard. The only difference was that the cattle could still breathe in the fresh air, yet she wilted & suffocated in the bondage of her family.

All that seemed to change or was it just a mirage, Janice couldn't quite understand. Why?? She had found the love of her life in Juan. A tall, handsome & witty young man Juan always kept her happy & never let her get upset or angry at anything. He was quick with his one liners to dispel the clouds of diappointment. Like they say there exists no perfect marriage, the same could be said for Janice& Juan but it wasn't them who spoilt it all, it was Janice's mom. She would forever belittle Juan for everything he did. To add fuel to the fire, Aaron joined the bandwagon with their mom. 

If we removed all these externalia from the scene, Janice & Juan complimented each other like hand & glove. They had their moments of anger, outburst & melodrama yet one couldn't survive without the other. In fact people would always comment that their's was definitely a love marriage for not just the love that reflected or shone from their persona but also the understanding that had been built without an exchange of words. Janice knew what Juan wanted or needed without him even uttering a word. This candy floss kind of love had only one sore eye, Janice's dependency on cigarettes. She just couldn't give up on that love of her life even after her attempts to do so. The final straw was the sudden demise of her dad. Everyone in the family treated her like she was a little kid. No one wanted to listen to what she had to suggest or say. It just ripped her heart apart and she became more of a chain smoker. Not just this, she started leaning towards other substance abuse in attempt to forget the way she was treated. 

The buzz of the phone jangled her back to the present. It Juan calling to find out where she was and whether she had been to the doctor's. Juan's soft & gentle voice broke her resolve not to share the reality with Juan. She just whimpered like a small puppy and broke the news of her condition to Juan. He listened quietly as Janice gave him an account of her condition punctuated by soft sobbing and silence. He drove straight to the clinic and understood the scenario from the doctor. Janice needed immediate medical attention and needed admission. Doctors were hopeful that they could undo the damage but Juan knew in his heart that the end was near. Yet he maintained the bravest demeanour to help Janice through hoping & praying for miracle. 

How Juan wished & prayed that they could retrace the footsteps back in time and erase the past. But as they say a stitch in time saves nine...