Ping-pong

Do you believe in Karma? Some may say “Yes”, some may say “No”. If someone had asked me the same question only a few weeks ago, my answer would have been “No”. I would have said that there was no such thing as that. Until a friend thought me differently.

-Do you believe in Karma, Ali?

I nearly choked on my beagle.

-What?

-You know. Karma- he looked at me, eyes half closed- you know what Karma is, right?

-Uhh...

He sighted.

-You know, that thingy in which if you do good things, you get good things, and if you do bad...

-Oh! Yeah! I get it- I said, remembering- No, I don't believe in that kind of thing.

-Why not?

-Tell me, Rob, what chances there are that the universe will return your doings?

-The universe can do great things Ali.

-Yeah, sure.

-Well, anyways- he picked up his backpack- gotta head to football. See ya!

-Bye! 

Then, something unbelievable happened.

Another friend of mine was raising money for charity.

-Wanna participate, Ali?

-Sure. How much?

-500 pesos.

I took the money out of my wallet.

-Here you go.

She smiled.

-Thanks, Ali. Life will return it someday.

-Yeah, right. Bye, Maddie.

I was about to go, when Maddie's phone rang. She gestured for me to stay.

-Yes?...Yes, it's Maddie... Yes, I'm with Alisa... Yeah, he is our friend...- Maddie stopped, mouth half open, tears flowing out of her eyes- He–he what?... Is his family already there?... Oh my, we are on our way.

She looked at me, her face wet with tears.

-Its Rob.

Turned out the bus that was taking our best friend too his football class, had crashed. Ten people was alright, just a few broken ribs, two people had died, and four people were in a comma. Rob was one of them.

Was this the “Karma” he was talking about? 

Rob was the best person I knew, and there he was, in a bed, at the edge of death.

If this was Karma, then life was completely unfair.

For a year and a half, I waited for Rob to wake up. So did Maddie, and so did his family. Doctor had said that everything had gone well. That if Rob managed to make it through and wake up, he would be alright when he did.

“If”. That was the word they were using.

For a year and a half, I tried everything. I prayed every hour of every day. I was as good as I could. No use.

-I'm sorry Rob- I said one day, behind his bed.

-For what?- I heard a voice croak.

Rob had woken up. 

That's when it hit me. All the good doings that Rob had done, that I and Maddie had done, had turned out in Rob waking up.

Life is a Ping-pong. It always returns.