This piece is unfinished.
This short story is based on true events that took place in the GTA. Both Alicia and Lita are real people. Their names and details of certain circumstances have been altered in order to maintain confidentiality.
By: Arzoo Zaheer.
She walked up to Alicia one day and said a simple “Hello”. Alicia wondered who that lady was and what business she had with her. As Lita introduced herself to Alicia, she mentioned that she needed notes for ENG101 course they were taking together. This chance meeting gradually transformed into a strong friendship. And then Recession & Life swallowed Lita. Perhaps she went to her homeland China. Perhaps she took a different job in a different city. Whatever the case, Lita simply disappeared out of Alicia’s life without any explanation, any closure. Alicia tried tracing her via email, telephone and tried to locate her condominium amid the myriad of Brampton based condos. Alicia had visited Lita’s new condo just once and did not had the time to jot down the address or memorize the directions. She just remembered what the entrance looked like but during the hunt for her best buddy, she found out that there are numerous condos with similar looking entrances. Stop! Just stop! She can’t be living in her condo anymore because her phone service has been disconnected. This all was very confusing.
Just to add coherence to all her jumbled up thoughts, Alicia walked alone that night.
“Why has her close friend disappeared all of a sudden?” Gradually, things started becoming more clear and coherent in her mind. She remembered how Lita told her she just got divorced and thought to move on with her life. She remembered how one day, Lita just packed all her belongings and left her house. She remembered how Lita hid her inner fears when she was moving, “Oh, I am used to this, Alicia. No worries.” But Alicia knew and understood more than Lita wanted her to know. After Lita had moved into her condo, Alicia talked to her only once via the telephone. “Where is Lita? Where is she?”, Alicia wondered as she strolled through the slushed snow. And then a role reversal occurred within her mind. She was now Lita. And she understood why Lita had disappeared into this world, this immense Sea. She has “disappeared” in order to let go of everything, just so that she may move on. Breaking old ties with everyone from her old town was one way of letting go of her pain. Perhaps, Lita just wanted to be carried away with the flow of this world; just like a lone survivor who is carried to the beach by the sea waves. Alicia knew Lita was alive and breathing and that she is still her close friend. “Give her some time. She will come back one day with samosas in her hand and we will have tea. I just know it”. Silently, a much composed Alicia prayed for Lita’s safety.
True friendship doesn’t require words. It requires understanding.
