The 'New' Girl

At first, it felt like a fish market as there was a horde of students gathered in the ground,everyone looked renewed and fresh, soon the bell rang and the students rushed to take position for the morning prayer assembly. Some students on the stage started chanting hymns, followed by the as usual, long and sonorous, speech of the principal and quickly we were headed to our upgraded classes. This was the beginning of the new session.
I, with my hard work and god's grace, was upgraded to 9th standard. The benches were new, the walls were painted, everything was looking so pristine. As I was scanning everyone entering my class I saw many new faces. I was shy but eager to make new friends. When all were seated our class teacher entered with a girl whom I saw outside the class room. She was looking very afraid and was reluctant to enter the room but the teacher, holding her hand and giving her some moral support, made her enter the classroom. Teacher introduced her to the class. I came to know that she was new to the place, and lived with her father.
I made a new friend, Rajan. He was a chatter box and a google. He was always updated about the latest talks and news of the area. While playing in the recces I noticed that, there was someone sitting inside the class. I suspected it to be that new girl. I went inside the class and BiNGO! I was right, it was her only with her head leaning over the bench. Usually when the bell rang for the recces, everyone is in a hurry to get out of the class and only a bookworm or a student who is not well enough would stay back. I went close to her to ask her if she's alright. I gave a slight jerk over her shoulder and suddenly she opened her eyes and seeing me immediately ran outside. I asked her if she need any help or so, but without listening to me she ran away. There was something strange about that girl. She didn't have any friend or we can say never approached to anyone, always sitting alone in class or in that graveyard. Sometimes I made an attempt to approach her, to talk to her but all in vain, she always run away.
Am I looking ugly or something over my face which is weird? I asked Rajan, sitting in the drawing class. He awkwardly glanced at me and said, WHAT!
I told him that whenever I make an effort to talk to that new girl, as an humanitarian attempt, to ask if she has any problem or something which she wanted to share and if she need any help, but without even listening to me she always run away. Rajan, with a partial smile on his face, told me to focus on the first bench of the last row (where that new girl was sitting). A girl came and asked that new girl that whether she could sit with her, but the new girl nodded her head and sided towards the open side of the bench with her head facing down, it was the sign of disapproval. Rajan told me that she not only behaves in that manner with me alone but with all.
One day, while coming back to school, I saw that new girl. Rajan and I were at a distance from her, but she was clearly visible to us. Then she took a turn, but it was strange, as it was not the way to her home but to that we decided to follow her. She walked very fast and we too. Then her steps stopped after moving a few distance. We immediately hid in a narrow lane which come in the way to the street. We heard opening of that old rusted iron gate. We made our eyes to peep outside and saw that she was gone. we hurried and reached the spot where she was standing and were shocked to see that we were in front of the cemetery. it is a place where dead are buried and children are strictly warned to stay away from it. And who in the world would like to come here. The cemetery was a small barren land with a old and partially demolished hut in it. We partially opened the gate and tried to peep inside to look for that girl but there was no one inside, god knows where she went? I wanted to go inside but Rajan cautioned me told that we should leave now as its getting late and mothers would worry for us and we left.
It was the Christmas eve. The streets were lit up and the houses were decorated with different lightnings which gave them a gaudy look. Decorated Christmas trees were put up in the houses. Relatives, friends and all exchanging gifts with each other. Some from far of places came to meet their loved one's on this eve. I too had a visit from my maternal grandfather who lived in Scotland. We had talks and a lovely dinner cooked by my mother, and a chocolate cake which was the main item of the menu and was cooked by none other than my dad. This day is the most awaited day of a person's life and also grandfather bought me a new pair of studs, as I loved to play soccer and was a part of school soccer team. It could be rather be a prize for my efforts in the tournament which our team recently won.
At around six my grandfather took me to the church. As it was the winters so the sun was set already and the stars appeared. After half an hour, when we stepped our of the church after the prayer, grandfather met an old acquaintance and was struck in a conversation with him. I was getting bored and so bored that wanted to run back home myself, but was not allowed to do so. And as I was was moving my head in my own tune while standing with him I saw some lights from some yards ahead of the church. I glanced at the grandfather and as he was busy talking, I slowly moved towards the lights. as I was walking I wondered that who could be the person who put lights at such place. yes, it was the graveyard! the lights were hanged over the gate and also there was a Christmas tree in between the cemetery which was partially decorated. then I saw some one moving from that cottage with some more lights and a star in the hand, behind was a man with a ladder. I recognized it to be that new girl and the man would be her father. That girl put the lightnings over the tree and the man climbing the ladder put that star over the tree. It was weird to see Christmas in a graveyard, but Christmas is not related to any place but to feelings.
The girl was having a rose which she kept over one of the grave near her tree, and then she turned back to that man and hugged him. He smiled and then both watched the grave and the tree. After few seconds the man went inside, the girl sat along that grave and watched the tree. I was shocked to see her, for the first, since I saw her, smile. But how can she be happy in a place like, graveyard? Then I heard someone calling me, it was the grandfather looking for me. I ran back to him and we went back home. He asked me where did I go, but I lied to him that I was with a friend who met me nearby. He suspected me but then excused me.
The next day I told everything to Rajan, about what I saw in the cemetery. but he was not ready to believe me, and was making fun of me, that I would have seen a ghost or something, as why would she go to such a place at a Christmas eve and also all the girls were invited to the Christella's party last evening. All the girls in our class were there as no one would miss that chance of going to her party, and she also must be there.
Christella was a student in our class. She was known for the lavish party's she throw on the occasion of her birthday and also on Christmas eve and they were specially for the girls, and no one wanted to miss that chance. Her family is counted in the rich elites of the town. The parties and functions over there are lavish and wonderful.
I once doubted but then I decided to ask Christella that did that new girl was in her party. As the bell rang she entered the class with a gang of girls, all busy talking about that party. Her face was full of pride and boastfulness. I made an effort to ask her that whether that girl was in her party or not, but she denied and said 'only that very soul was absent from the party rest all were there, oh the poor chap! missed the golden opportunity'.
On hearing this Rajan looked at me with his eyes widened. We now decided to investigate about her on our own. In the recces we asked the teacher, that she knew anything about that girl. The first thing which we came to know was her name, Jemima. Teacher was reluctant to tell us anything more about her, we urged her, but she refused and we left in dejection. Seeing us in such situation, teacher called us back and said that she thinks it is for something good and so told us that a month ago she lost her mother and her younger brother. This information was a fuel to our car which can now run and reach its destination.
Rajan and I were both working hard in the task to gather information about Jemima. Rajan was much more active than me in this task. But he too failed to gather any information about her. We continuously worked in that mater and failed to have any enlightenment about her.
The new year's eve came. It is the beginning of the new life with some new resolutions and in our school beginning of the final examinations after a week. I was thinking about the session which seemed to come days before and went away so soon. I was not able to mark when it came to an end. The year was good but full of surprises in it.
In evening we had a new year's party and I called all my friends including Jemima too. Father and mother called their own friends also. It was a good and peaceful party, with food and drinks all around with a soothing touch of music. Everyone came, but not Jemima. I told Rajan about it. We saw the elders busy enjoying their talks and so we moved out of the house.
"but we don't know where she lives?" Rajan said,
"don't worry we'll find it"'  I said to consolidate him.
Looking here and there but no clue, we decided to go to that cemetery. Ss I thought, the lights over the gate and a 'HAPPY NEW YEAR' sign over it. there was also many flowers over a particular graveyard and we peeped through the gate and saw a girl bringing more flowers and depositing over an another small graveyard just at the side of previous one. The girl was none other than Jemima. I wanted to go and talk to her but Rajan stopped me, saying that we must see what she does further. we kept on watching her. Then we heard a call for Jemima and she went inside the hut. We slowly moved ahead and reached near the hut and peeped through the window. There was a wooden table in the center on which there lays a roasted pork and then a man brought a beautiful cake from inside and kept over the table. Jemima too came from inside with some plates in her hand and kept them over the table.
"Dad, can I have some piece of the cake" jemima asked
and giving a cordial smile, her dad, told her that she don't have to ask and can take as much as she want. Her father asked and accordingly sliced a piece of cake and laid it over the plate and walked outside. We immediately hid behind the bushes, so she cannot recognize us. We carefully scrutinized upon her. She kept the plate over the grave full of flowers. then she said " mom, this is for you as you like the strawberry cake very much. I brought this for you, dad made it. He is a horrible cook but has now improved much. Please try it, I know you would like it, give some to the brother also as I know he never eats by himself" and she smiled, but I could see the tears coming out of her eyes. I wanted to go to her, but again Rajan stopped me, she went inside.
Rajan told to leave as all would be looking and we would land in a big trouble. I din't want to, but I need to listen to him and we reached back home where everything was as usual as it was when we left. The party finished late night but we were made to sleep early as we had school the next day.
The morning was refreshing and so much bright and beautiful, that I forgot everything of the last night. At school everyone was wishing each other a very happy new year and asking about the resolutions they made for the new year. I saw the girl sitting quite and shy on the last bench. I made a firm decision to talk to her. I made my steps towards her seat. She didn't noticed me coming as she was continuously busy writing something in the notebook. I called her name "JEMIMA". She stood still for a second and was about to leave the bench. I told her that we all just wanted to be friend with you. No one is a evil or a beast that would eat her up, but human beings who want friends. Friends, with whom they share their sorrows and happiness, and you too need a one, remaining quite and afraid is not the solution to any problem, that she need to be with someone whom she could share her feelings.
"I have my family, and need no one else" she replied, and left the class
I went behind her and was so annoyed by her that I couldn't control my words and said that, I knew she lived only with her father and her mother and younger brother are already dead. She stopped, turned back and then ran as fast as she could from the school, the gatekeeper tried to stop her but she ran away. I later realised to what I spoke and was so much regretful about it, but the arrow was out of the bow and can't be taken back. The whole day in the school I remained such downhearted. I was so anguished by the fact that I made someone cry. My intention was not to hurt her but to help her, make her feel good and be a helpmate to her, but rather helping her I made her cry. I need to apologize to her.
Rajan, seeing me in such disheartened condition, tried to consolidate me. He also assured me that after school we'll go to Jemima, to apologize to her. I was quite relaxed by this, but not much. I was restless and time to time checked my watch eagerly. Rajan told me to concentrate in the lecture and that anxiety, but I was not able to control that restlessness in myself, I was physically present but psychologically absent from class. and as my eagerness came to an end, just at 2:30pm the bell rang I picked up my bag and ran out from the class as fast as I could, Rajan followed me calling my name to be slow or I would fall and be injured, but I continued to run. At a distance from school I stopped, I was thinking to where she could be?
Rajan told me that she lived in that hut in the cemetery with her father, this was clear by the fact that on the new year eve she was in it celebrating the new year with her father in their own way. I was worried that if she would not be there and ran away somewhere else then what would I do? Such nasty questions started to arise in mind with each step I took towards the cemetery. But the moment we reached near it, we heard loud noises of someone laughing and speaking something in the similar tone. Rajan became so afraid that he wanted to run but was tied with me, which he regretted. As we reached the cemetery the voices became clear and loud. As we peeped through the gate, we were astonish to see jemima, laughing and playing in the graveyard. she behaved as if she was talking to some other person present over there, but we didn't see any one else except jemima. Rajan was about to escape but I holded his arm and made him remember to what he promised to me, that he would accompany me to apologize to her. I made my way inside and called her.
this time she stood where she was and didn't ran or hid. I went towards her and behind was Rajan, who was extremely scared but was trying to hide his emotions or we can say the expressions. I holded my ears and requested her to forgive me to what I did in the morning. She collapsed her head a moment and her smile was gone. Then she rose her eyes and said that she never minded to what I said but just needed an excuse to run from the school. I asked her the reason for that, as I was so downhearted since morning as I thought the way she left, I must have spoken something very bad, but now......
she told that the words I spoke were little harsh, but she didn't minded and else they made a way to me to escape from school. I asked her the reason for that and she answered me that more than anything else she likes these graveyards. She like to spend time here with them as they are her family. "This is my mother" she pointed towards a grave full of rose flowers "and this is my brother" she pointed towards a small grave just next to the previous over which there were lot of toys and some flowers too "and these others are recently became my friends, they all talk to me and I too share everything with them" she moved her hand round the yard. We were surprised that how can she be so happy in a graveyard?
I asked her why didn't she make some other friends too, mean some real one. She replied that these all are real and the reason that she don't make other friends is that they all refuse to play over here with her and always run away. "I can understand why they do so!" I whispered Rajan, whose condition at present was quite similar to it. She told us that her father is the care taker of this place i.e cemetery. "They wanted me to go to school and study and then pursue higher studies, but I wanted to live here and take care of my father and family." I told her that I respect her feelings but if she remained isolated to this place she would not be able to evolute her brain. If she didn't go to school she would not be able to make a livelihood for herself and then how could she support her father and her "family". She thought for a moment and then invited us both to the hut. Rajan was reluctant to enter but I pulled him from his arm saying that everything is fine, just come in, she would not going to eat you up.
She introduced us to her father, Mr. Lewis. He was a good and nice person which I recognized from the way he talked. He was little surprised to see us as Jemima introduced us as her friends. Initially we were reluctant to speak anything but after, the situations were normalised. Her father brought us some milk with home made choco pie which were so tasty, that the taste is undescriptible. At first we were shy to have anything but as they forced so we needed to.
The next morning there were two more graves just next to jemima's brother's grave, on the gravestone of each it was written 'my friends'
No one saw Rajan and Ronald after that day they met Jemima. No one know's what happened to them or where did they gone.
"THIS CASE iS STILL A MYSTERY WITH THE POLICE AS NO EViDENCE COULD BE FOUND OF THEM." Jemima read the headline of the morning newspaper, giving a partial smile to her dad, who is in the kitchen grinding something smelly.
WAKE UP! WAKE UP!
With a jerk on my shoulder I jumped out of my bed. I was completely breathless. And then I saw mom standing beside my bed.
Yes! I was in my room. Fine and well and felt giddy with relief. Was it a nightmare? I asked myself, but whatever it was, had completely freaked me out.
Mom asked me that why was I sweating in such a cool temperature, is everything OK, she asked, but I just told her that I had a bad dream and so.....
After that I went to bathroom and while I was taking shower I felt some chocolate over my mouth, but I completely ignored it. After the shower I put up my uniform and came inside the room to clean the bed, and to my astonish I saw a half eaten choco pie over my bed. I was completely choked.
I ran downstair's and asked mom, "did I ate chocopie last night?" Mom was busy in the kitchen and so completely ignored the question by saying that "you should know what you eat."
This was not the answer to my question but then I heard some voices coming from the drawing room. I peeped inside through the slightly opened door. Inside was my dad, Rajan's father, cleaning his wet eyes with handkerchief, and on the big couch was the sheriff with his asistent. They were talking about Rajan but i was not able to hear them properly.
I went to my mom and asked that why has sheriff came here and why was Rajan's father wheeping? My mom stood still and shedding tear from her eyes told me that its been a week and no clue has yet been found of Rajan and his wareboots.
But where has he gone, I met him last night, we were together?
"No you were not, he has been missing since the new year party." mom said
"since! mom what date is today?"
"you dont know even this! it's 7th of january and from tomorrow your exams are starting. "
This was a bolt from the blue for me as what did happened all these days I did not know anything. I wanted to get Rajan but from where............. I was struck dumb.