The Survivor
8th July 2039
“Ting-Ting-Ta-Da-Ting” “Ting-Ting-Ta-Da-Ting” rang the alarm. Amy lazily tossed around her bed, snoozed the alarm, pulled the sheet above her head and slept again. It was Friday morning and like any other young girl, Amy too was very lazy to go to work. However, the alarm clock as annoying as a stray dog went on and on. Amy reluctantly got up and went about her daily chores until she caught the bus.
Amy was a young girl in her early twenties. She was tall, graceful and very fair. She had miraculously silky skin, wide sea-blue eyes, freckles around her nose and brown blond hair usually falling over her forehead. She was an introvert by nature, and spent most of her time, listening to music and reading books. Unlike other girls of her age, she was very mature, quiet and pensive. She loved children and worked in an orphanage.
The bus reached the orphanage within 15 mins. As soon as Amy got down, her friend and co-teacher Suchita came to her. She informed Amy that she was being called to the staff room urgently. Amy was confused and puzzled. She was constantly brain-storming, trying to recall if she had made a blunder. With her steps getting quicker with each passing thought, she reached the staff room. Seeing no one around and the lights all off she was intimidated. “Boom!!” a noise startled her. The lights went on and all her co-mates were singing for her and wishing her.
Tears rolled down Amy’s cheeks as she quickly hugged Suchita. Amy had never celebrated her birthday since the time she was eight years old. Only Suchita knew this secret of hers and so on her 25th Birthday, Suchita had planned this small surprise for her.
“You are the only one I have in this world, Suchi,” muffled Amy, in her teary voice.
“Shh! Never ever say that. We all are here for you,” said Suchita, releasing herself from Amy’s grip and wiping her tears.
Suchita was Amy’s best friend. She had short, curvy stature, with ashy blond hair and grey eyes. They had met in the college. Suchita, familiar of Amy’s reserved nature would always pester her to get involved in the college fests and programs. Amy would feel connected to her and used to open up with her as and when she wanted. She felt that Suchita was understanding and empathetic.
Amy cut her cake, and hesitantly accepted all the gifts. There was one old lady in the orphanage, who was the librarian. She had been in the orphanage for last 20 yrs. She came upto Amy, hugged her and said, “It’s your birthday today! I want to ask you something. Will you answer me honestly?”
“Uhh ya sure…Please tell me ma’am,” replied Amy.
“Child, I see you over here everyday. You have never taken a single leave in the past 5 years. You are so young, intelligent, educated and hardworking, but still why do you work in this orphanage? Is there some obligation?”
“No ma’am, not at all. I work here by choice. I did get job offers from banks in Singapore and Australia, but I wish to work here.”
“But, my dear, are you happy? I might be wrong, but I have never seen you cheerful and jovial. I have always seen you very serious and engrossed in your work. I think something is bothering you. Would you like to share it.”
A chill ran down Amy’s spine. In a fraction of second, her eyes filled with tears. In a muffled voice, she began to speak, “I..I..uh..I am not from India. I am from Kyiv, a city in Ukraine.”
Suchita gave her a glass of water. She composed herself and started speaking again.
17 years ago
“Amy! Amy! Where are you?” said Mrs. Allen, Amy’s mother.
“Mom, I am busy. I am finishing my art piece.”
“Oh wow! You’ve made your dad and my portrait!”
“Yes Mom, I have to submit a painting in my school. It has to be about something I love the most. For me, it was you and dad.”
“Aww Amy, that’s so sweet of you. However, my dear, I had to tell you something really important.”
“What is it, Mom?”
“Dear, you know Russians are invading our country and declaring wars. So it is really not safe for us to stay here now. Your dad just called me from his office and asked me to pack our bags and leave for your uncle’s place day after tomorrow.”
“Mom, why? …all my friends, school, house everything will be left behind. I don’t want to go.”
“Amy, think practically. What if something happens to any of us?”
“Mom, it’s my birthday tomorrow. How can we leave…what about my party? I don’t want to go,” screamed Amy.
“Amy, don’t argue. Your birthday will come every year, but right now it is important that all of us are safe. Why are you worrying? We will celebrate your birthday with all pom-and-show, just the way you want when the situation is normal.”
Amy didn’t pay heed to what her mother told her. She was annoyed and walked out of the room. Later in the evening, on her father’s return from the office, Mr. Allen spoke to Amy calmly and tried to convince her, but she was not ready to budge. She was adamant on not leaving her friends, school and home behind.
She rudely said, “You guys don’t care about my feelings. You don’t care about my birthday. Just because you are elder to me doesn’t mean that you can force your decisions on me. However, I am helpless and I’ll have to listen to you; I’ll show you what I can do when I am grown up.”
Mr. and Mrs. Allen were shocked. They couldn’t believe what Amy had just said. They did not want Amy to be heartbroken and depressed on her birthday and so they dropped the idea of leaving.
The next day was a reign of terror. Early in the morning, Mr. Allen went out to bring a cake for Amy; to his utter surprise, not a single living creature was there to be seen. The roads were completely deserted. Mr. and Mrs. Allen tried contacting their friends to know the situation, but all the network wires and connections were cut. There was no source of communication left. The television and radio lines were also cut. “Boooooom!!” a bomb blasted. Within minutes there were sounds of gun whirings, people shouting, and there was commotion all around. The Allen family was aghast. They quickly filled the bags with first-aid boxes, water bottles and all other essentials. Amy ran to her room, to pack her stuff while her parents were in the kitchen and garage. “Aaaaaaa!” came a sound. Amy recognized that it was her mother’s shout. She ran out, and found the door was left swung open and her parents were nowhere to be seen. Amy was numb. She didn’t know how to react. She started walking directionless, not knowing where to go. She reached a junction where most of the survivors had gathered and then pushed into a container, not an inch left. The rescuers wanted to save every single living soul. The container made a whirring sound as it was air-lifted and was soon high up in the air. After few hours, that seemed like eternity, the container finally landed in front of an orphanage. An old woman took Amy in her arms, and took her inside. Amy was still holding the piece of paper in her hand – the last piece of memory – from her happy abode few hours back. Her red face and fierce eyes clearly stated her ordeal. Her tears had dried, but she was still crying inside. She didn’t know when she fell asleep.
Present Day
“Till date, I don’t have the slightest clue as to what happened. I spent rest of my childhood in the orphanage; later I went to college and met Suchi, who supported me and was always there for me. I wanted to help all the children who met a bad fate just like me, and so I came to this orphanage. I still don’t know where my parents are, how are they…are they even alive!” Amy cried her heart out. The old lady came up to her and hugged her.
Amy muffled, “I regret speaking to my parents so rudely that day, ma’am. I just feel dreadful for being so self-centered and not listening to them. I wish just for once, I had listened to them and they would be with me even today. I still fantasize, how great it would have been if there was a secret underground tunnel where there were all the rescue facilities and so all my near and dear ones would be safe. Right now I don’t want anything, I just want my parents to here with me.”
There it was a young girl still regretting her behavior but out there standing high-headed, holding the baton, helping the needy and affected.
