The doorbell rang and startled the seventy-eight year old man. Mr. Sen had dozed off on his chair like any old person would do. He rubbed his eyes and looked around for his glasses. He held onto his walking stick and stood himself up. He rarely had any visitors and he wondered who it could be at this early hour. The doorbell rang a second time and he heard a young man call out for him. “I’m coming,” Mr. Sen called back as he hobbled across the living room to open the door.
There stood a man of about 30, tall and slender with dark black hair and brown smiling eyes. He had a sharp nose and strange ears that stood out from the rest of his head.
“Yes? “ Mr. Sen said to the man.
“Hello, Mr. Sen, I’m Charlie, your new neighbor. I’m sorry to have disturbed you, but I saw the post man leave some mail for you and I thought that I may deliver it to you. I hope that is alright?” he said as he handed some envelopes.
“Sure, thank you very much,” Mr. Sen said uncertainly, he had a confused look about him as he tried to understand what Charlie said. He took the envelopes and looked at them curiously, completely forgetting about Charlie. Charlie waited a few seconds. Mr. Sen seemed to be lost in thought; so he said good bye and just as he was about to leave, Mr. Sen stopped him, “Hold on. Charlie? You said your name was Charlie? I’m sorry I’m too old now and I can’t remember too many things. Would you like a cup of tea? There isn’t much else that I can offer you. You see the maid is out and I am forbidden from entering the kitchen. But tea is the one luxury my old age permits me in abundance. Would you like some?”
Charlie smiled at the old man, and contemplated his offer. It was better spending time with an old man than be by himself in his sparsely furnished apartment. “I’d love some Mr. Sen.”
Mr. Sen let him in and closed the door.
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Josh sat on the subway barely able to keep his eyes open. He had just returned from night school, he would go home, shower and change, grab some food and then proceed to his job as a ticket issuer at the local theater. There were hardly any people on the train, and it gave him an opportunity to stretch his legs out and take a nap during the one hour train ride.
He thought how different life is for most twenty-somethings… Parents to take care of them… friends to hang out and party with… and the company of ladies. He saw them enjoy life everyday while he sat sullenly on the other side of the ticket counter. “Good morning sir, how may I help you?”… “Thank you sir, enjoy the show!” is what he said every day to every customer.
The train jerked to a stop at a station and a ragged old lady got into the train. She looked around and ignoring all the empty seats, she took a seat next to Josh. The strong stench of body odor and urine hit him and he opened his eyes to look at the old woman. Her silver white hair was in a thin braid with several strands come loose. Her teeth were broken and her face was dirty. Her clothes were in tatters though once it had been decent looking. She was jittery and fidgeted about. She rocked herself back and forth as if an unknown force were cradling her. She looked at no one in particular and began talking aloud. “I am on old woman. I am 80 years old. My husband was in the army. He fought in the Vietnam War and died. The government took away all I have and now I am homeless.” She paused for a moment. It seemed like she was trying to recollect the next line of her rehearsed speech. Then she continued, like a little child saying a nursery rhyme, “I haven’t eaten in 5 days. I haven’t taken a shower or slept in a bed for I don’t know how long. I have only 3 dollars with me. I need another 5 dollars to enter the homeless shelter for the night.” She looked about herself in a lost confused manner and continued mumbling some gibberish. All this while she rocked herself… back… and forth... Josh took a dollar from his wallet and gave it to the old lady. She quickly got out at the next station.
Josh shut his eyes once more and rested his head. His thoughts once again wandered to his own life. His parents were teens when they had him. Often they were too drunk to care for themselves let alone care for him. His grandfather took him in and raised him like his own. Josh acknowledged he had more to be grateful for than to complain. Things could be far worse than they were.
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Charlie and Mr. Sen sat down with their cups of tea in the open patio. The apartment had a beautiful view of a calm and quiet lake.
“So what do you do young man?”
“I am here to do my Masters in medicine, Mr. Sen. I will be studying at the university.”
Mr. Sen’s face lit up, “Oh, you will be a doctor is it? I used to be a doctor you know. In my younger days I was the most sought after neuro-surgeon, but now old age doesn’t permit me to be active anymore.” He sighed.
“Oh, is that so? I would love to discuss case-studies with you. It would be such a wonderful experience!”
Mr. Sen nodded his head and looked out towards the lake. His face changed expressions quickly from nostalgia to excitement to confusion.
“I live here with my wife, she is a doctor too. She was called in for some urgent case. It’s like that you know, they call her at odd times and she must go. She has a small clinic that serves mainly the poor.” He looked at the clock and wondered, “I don’t know when she would be back, I must let the maid know about lunch,” He continued as if talking to himself, “I must call the clinic. She might be busy, but she always does like it when I leave her a message. She works so hard you know, on that clinic of hers. She loves those people and they love her.” He turned to Charlie and asked him, “Do you think I should call her?” and without waiting for an answer he continued, “Yes… yes, I must, oh but how can I? I do not have a phone,” He looked at Charlie once again, “Charlie… you said your name was Charlie right? Would you happen to have a phone with you?”
“Yes, Mr. Sen, I do. But, it is back at my apartment.” Mr. Sen’s eyes lit up and then it was lost in confusion again, he mumbled something to himself.
Charlie rested his cup down and said, “I could fetch it for you if you would like.”
Mr. Sen’s face lit up again, he grabbed Charlie’s hands and said, “You would?”
Charlie patted Mr. Sen’s hand and stood up, “Sure, I promise I will be back shortly.” And he left.
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The train finally pulled into the last station, and Josh woke up from his nap. The automated voice on the communication system urged passengers to alight the train as this was the last station. Josh was the last person to leave. He took his bike and went home.
He used his keys to enter the apartment. He always carried his set of keys just in case. His grandpa was sitting on the patio drinking tea. He noticed an extra cup laid out. He went into the kitchen and realized the pot of tea was empty. Just as he was about to confront his grandfather, the doorbell rang. It startled his grandfather and he felt a pang of pity for him.
He opened the door and there was Charlie. Charlie held his phone up and started off, “Here Mr. Sen, I have...” but he stopped on seeing an unexpected face. “I’m sorry, I was expecting Mr. Sen. I’m Charlie, your new neighbor.”
Josh stared at the man curiously.
Charlie continued unsurely, “He requested for my phone to make a call, could I give it to him?”
He opened the door to let him in and gestured towards his grandfather on the patio.
Charlie went up to him and said, “Mr. Sen?”
“Yes?”
“Here is my phone that you asked for.”
Mr. Sen looked at Charlie and then at the phone inquiringly. For a long time there was complete confusion on his face and then he said, “Who are you?”
It was Charlie’s turn to be confused, he turned to look at Josh and then back at Mr. Sen, “Mr. Sen, I am Charlie, I brought you your mail, you offered me tea and then asked for my phone.”
Mr. Sen looked about apologetically, and mumbled, “Is that so? I’m sorry I’m too old now and I can’t remember too many things. Would you like a cup of tea? There isn’t much else that I can offer you. You see the maid is out and I am forbidden from entering the kitchen. But tea is the one luxury my old age permits me in abundance. Would you like some?” and the mumbling continued.
Charlie shook his head in disbelief. This was a curious case indeed. He turned around to leave. He looked at Josh, “I don’t understand, five minutes ago he asked me for a phone; he wanted to call his wife at the clinic... I just don’t understand...”
“His wife is dead,” explained Josh.
“What!” exclaimed Charlie, “But...”
“His wife, my grandmother, died a few years ago. Last year he was diagnosed with Dementia. He is losing his memory and tends to hold onto the good times. He doesn’t remember new people he meets. I’m sorry for the trouble it has caused you.”
Charlie was deeply saddened. He turned once more to look at Mr. Sen and he hurried out of the apartment without saying goodbye.
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The next day, Josh was sat in the subway, his eyes closed, pondering over the episode the day before. He felt sorry for the neighbor.
Just then the train stopped at a station and the old ragged lady from the day before entered the train. She looked about her and sat next to Josh. She rocked herself back and forth and began talking aloud, “I am on old woman. I am 80 years old. My husband was in the army. He fought in the Vietnam War and died……..”
Josh took a dollar from his wallet and gave it to the old lady. He closed his eyes and went back to his thinking. The lady got off at the next station.
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--DiVyA--
