Chapter 10: Remembering an old Pal

“So tell me Miroku, why did Macbeth fear Banquo?” Evie was asking me questions from Macbeth.
“Absolutely no idea” I replied.
“You will surely fail. No doubt about that.”
“I have been studying all morning now please give me a break.”
“No breaks for you”
“Please only for an hour”
“Ok but only for AN hour”
“Make that 2 hours.”
“You need to study more Miroku or you will never make it out of High School”
“Ok just give me 2 hours break and I will get back to studying.”
“Have your break then.”
“Thanks Evie”

It was really becoming boring for me… I kept all those notes from Sam beside me and went to sleep…

“Where am I? Why is this place so misty?”

“Miroku come here boy.” A woman said those words.
“Coming mommy” A small boy of 6 or 7 years of age replied to his mother’s call.
“Look who has come to meet you”
“Who? Mommy”
“Jack has come to play with you dear”
“Come Jack let’s play soccer”
“I will be the goalkeeper Miroku” another boy of the same age as the first one said.

“What is this? Jack? Jack was my childhood friend… but…How?”

“I will score against you Jack” It was that first child again.
“No. I will stop your shot” Jack replied.

“Hey you kids over there” I shouted to the kids “come here and tell me what this place is?”

“Jack I am taking the shot be ready”
“I am ready”

Those children didn’t answer me. They continued their game.

“Look I stopped your shot” It was Jack who spoke.
“You are not stopping me next time”
“Hello little ones mind if I join your game?” It was the voice of an adult.
“Daddy!!” shouted the first kid and ran up to the man who was perhaps 40 years old.

He picked up the child and walked up to the other kid.

“Who are these people? And what am I doing here?” I wondered to myself….

“Wake up Miroku; your 2 hours are over”
“Where am I?”
“You are in your home Miroku, are you dreaming?”

I woke up. It must have been a dream. But that was Jack my childhood pal. It’s been 11 years since he died. I never saw him in my dreams before so why now?

“Miroku get back to your books now.” Evie was really serious.
“Alright”

Saying that I picked up the Short stories and started reading the first story.

“Read now I am going to the kitchen and when I am back I will ask you” Evie went away after saying this.

I was just turning the pages mindlessly nothing was going inside my head. I was constantly thinking about the dream I just had… Jack was a very good friend of mine. He had cancer. He died on his seventh birthday 11 years ago, on 9th February…