Memory Lane

Listening to her talk about past times was thrilling. Going down memory lane wasn't what she liked. Embarking on yesterday’s plane wasn’t her kind of person. She was too busy for such diversions. She was too occupied for such luxuries. I listened painstakingly to every word she said. I gave rapt attention to everything I heard. She talked about relationships, family and careers. She emphasized more on family more. Probably she was passing a message she ignored in her past years. Probably she wanted me to understand the irreplaceable role of family. We spoke at length. It was not an opportunity I ever had. She did something that amazed me. She stepped on me and asked me to step back on her. I told her not to bother since it was a mistake. She insisted I did. After I did she told me that it’s taboo for the older to step on the younger. She said it’s a belief that the older must go before the younger. I didn’t know she still believed in taboos. I thought her cosmopolitan view of life had erased such beliefs. It was the only moment we shared. Her health took a reverse. It plummeted. She became a shadow of herself. Her memories stole her present. She battled her midnight until it snatched her away. Oh, the brevity of life, Oh, the irony of existence, Nothing on earth is infinite. February 26, 2023.