The Nostalgic Conundrum of Max.
Triiinnnngggggg…. my alarm clock went off at 6 A.M. The morning sun with its crimson red hue peeked through the satin curtains of my room. It produced an almost radiance like effect which was enough to lift up morning spirits. The birds chirped away to their own tunes although it was melodious even to a human like me.
I woke up squishing my eyes and stretching my arms. Taking a deep breath I got down from the comfort of my bed. The balcony was my first recluse in the morning. A bamboo chair cushioned with a homemade pillow made by mother was my throne of the morning.
The light breeze still had a soothing coldness to it. It was not too cold to shiver me but was as gentle as a feather gliding over a silk cloth. I Did my usual routine of meditation and later picked up the cup of warm tea which was placed along with a kettle, some tea bags, sugar bowl and a couple of teaspoons.
It was the perfect recipe for the start of my day.
After I finished relishing my hot beverage, Ludo came running towards me.
Ludo was my pet dog. It was a Siberian husky with light blue eyes which shone in the dark like emeralds.
Nothing can separate a dog’s loyalty to a man. Ludo has been loyal to me for the past five years.
I take a bath and get ready for a road trip to La Pelosa beach, Sardinia, Italy. The breakfast of scrambled eggs, bread toast, and an orange juice were as usual delightful.
After breakfast, I took out my backpack which was kept in the upper portion of the closet. As I pulled the bag down, two photographs tumbled.
The photographs were taken at the cusp of sunrise at the Jimbaran beach in Bali. The photo had me, Carlos, Andy, Jennifer, and Max. It reminded of those college days when Max used to be among us.
We were known as the “Furious Five”.
Andy was the geek amongst us and was the first to finish an assignment.
Carlos was the artist who drew paintings with lifelike qualities. His paintings felt almost as if they were trying to communicate with us.
I was the sportsperson who was the forward player in Football. Scoring goals at ease and helping my college team win many an inter-university football championships.
Jeniffer was one of those stout girls who would bully any student with ease just with her looks. She was suspended several times for her actions. However, she was good at heart and never intended to cause harm to anybody. She was the most caring person in our group and had helped us in many dire situations.
Max was a different girl in many ways. She belonged to a bourgeois family yet was friendly with austere people like us. She was more eager to dine in a modest restaurant rather than eating out in Les Papilles.
She was a no-fuss girl. She would rather be dismayed if she missed out trips due to being sick rather than cry over not getting to land her hands on an iPhone on the very first day of launch.
She was very aspiring and motivating in her life. She was good in academics, sports as well as philanthropy.
She used to donate a part of her pocket money to child care homes so that the orphaned children can at least get basic joys of childhood.
We often used to rebuke her of her charitable acts but today maturity has made us realize her contributions.
We had completed many a trip to Grand Canyon, Phuket, Helsinki, Rome, Tahiti, Niagara falls among others.
The honks of a car broke my contemplation. It was ten minutes past eight and my friends have arrived near my house in a Mini Cooper convertible. The silver color of the car gleamed in the sunlight.
Andy was waving his hand incessantly at me signaling to come fast. I kept the newly found photos in my backpack bid goodbye to Mom, dad, and Ludo and made a dash downstairs.
After a long time, the four of us met together and had planned a road trip. We left from our house and drove along the interior villages of Campidano.
We saw hectares of wheat cultivation taking place. The smell of the fresh air away from the pollution of the city was a relief to each one of us.
We drove into the luxury resort of Porto Cervo. We had our lunch aboard one of the yachts. The turquoise blue color of the water with the brisk sunshine upon us provided an ideal milieu for a sumptuous meal.
We had ordered Salumi, bruschetta and prawn cocktails as starters.
For the main course, we had turkey, salmon, and stockfish coupled with bowls of rice.
We ended it with tiramisu and icecreams as desserts.
After the lunch, we headed towards our destination of La Pelosa beach. It was a 106-mile journey passing through the northern parts of Sardinia. The journey took us past a number of valleys, curving roads, thick forests, and the occasional suburbs.
We stopped for a cup of coffee amidst the cork oak forests. After relinquishing the coffee break we sped off to La Pelosa. During the journey, we caught up with the new occurrences in our lives and the gossips of our workplace. Everyone seemed content with their living.
The occasional meetups like these bring out the best moments in our lives. For without friends we seldom create memories.
One such moment happened today when a seagull took away Andy’s ice cream. Andy didn’t heed to the caution of the usher at the yacht and alas he lost his chocolate chip laden ice cream.
As we drove into La Pelosa, the gentle aura of the sunset was upon us.
Carlos set up his DSLR on a tripod to catch the golden dusk about to occur in between two cliffs. The air was salty and humid but the wind was pleasant. The sands were orange in color and many tiny crabs crawled out of it.
We could see the large merchant ships and yachts dotted across the horizon. The Lighthouse was functioning in full flow and tourists lined up to catch a glimpse of the coast from vantage points. Some of the tourists were content in getting tanned while perusing through their favorite novel.
As the sunset occurred, it painted the sky into a myriad hue of colors such as crimson red, vermillion yellow, copper green, and vibrant orange.
It was a sight to behold and surpassed the imagination of everyone gathered there.
For once I recollected how Max was so inclined to watch sunsets and would stare at them for a long time.
She would have definitely enjoyed the sight of today’s evening.
We sat on the beach and lit a bonfire. I for once told other’s how earlier in the day I found our past picture of the trip to Jimbaran beach. Everyone nodded in recollecting the trip and choked with emotions.
I then told them how I missed Max at this moment.
‘Yeah, she would have surely loved our road trip today.’ spoke Jennifer.
‘Surely she would have longed to go for yachting in the afternoon had she been here.’ Andy said.
‘She would have definitely asked me to paint a portrait of her against the backdrop of the sunset. I would have loved that.’ said Carlos staring towards the sea.
We all missed her badly and wished she was here but alas she couldn’t for she succumbed to cancer. She was one of those high spirited girls who was always enthusiastic for any activity. No one probably had any hint of the forthcoming.
Life is unpredictable and we must not waste our times criticizing, harming or causing agony to others. We need to create and cherish imperishable moments which we could ponder back gleefully.
As the night was falling in we decided to head back to our homes. Jeniffer got an idea to etch a message for Max on the sands of the beach. Thus we all proceeded to write.
MISS YOU MAX, FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS!
We hoped that Max could see the message wherever she was till the next tide comes and erases it clean.
Thanks for reading Writers Guild — A Smedian publication
Join our Facebook Group. Write for us. Share your many stories on ManyStories.com
