'Knock,knock! Knock knock!' A little gentle tap on the door, a little winding of the door knob, then a faint knock as if to assume the absence of one in the inn. Suddenly I awoke with a gasp of air. I had fallen asleep. Had I missed my date. The only chance I had to meet my dream mate at my door step, not that my door even had a step. My room was still in a mess. Soaks were all over the place, rolls of tissue hang were hangers were to be, shoes were far from being paired. The cooker had not received a share of tidying up for the past few days. Was I to open the door and run after her, but I couldn't afford her seeing my scruples. I was a neat guy, afterall. I recall having planned to clean up the room, perhaps she had come a little to early, or I had overslept. Love was walking away, but dirt was hindering my path. I felt a little like I was being ripped in twain by two horses pulling in opposite direction.
By the time I finally opened the door, I could barely hear the tapping of her gentle strides as she walked away.
I returned to my decrepit cabin, and swept my way to my seat. I had missed my flight to a new era. I had in my hand a ticket, wasted, non refundable. I decided to tidy up my room. Dusted every corner of it, even the pictures on the wall suddenly looked a little like they had a smile on them, or perhaps I was day dreaming. I looked through my window, perhaps I would cast my eyes on that beautiful soul, but to no avail. Her prints could not last a second on the tarred surfaces.
I took a brisk shower, then extended it a little, and dressed up, as it were to meet the queen to be dabbed a knight, 'I dab thee sir dash-dash of dash dash'- something in those lines. I didn't have much of an apparel, I guess doctors were simple lads. A faithful pair of pants and my 'whity' (white shirt) did the trick. I ran across the hallway, the corridors, down the stairs, of course laden with a bag of apologies for every bump into a bystander or more. I headed over to her room. Second storey, room number 131, there I stood with sweaty palms. I'ld wish she would say come in before I dared to knock, for somehow my hand had ran down with paralysis . In a mommet, I managed to knock on the door, gently , then a little harder until it was evident she was not around. Her roommate aswered, 'Oh, hi. She is not around, she left all dressed up for some occasion it seemed.' I tried calling her , but her line was off.
In a flicker of time, I received a call, not from one who awoke love in me, but from the hospital. I was needed. I quickly dashed over to my room, wore a labcoat and veered to the ward. Along the way, a lady stopped me. I almost bypassed her, but then , where were my manners, so I stopped. She started narrating what seemed like an eternity of a story line. I couldn't help it, so I asked how I could be of help, she retorted , "my son I need some money for transport...." I didn't as much as hear the end of the story, so I reached out for my wallet, a meager one too, but atleast it had a few good notes to share. I gave her as she requested. I was off, a little unhappy about the delay. Oh, and just when I was about to reach where I was headed, another woman, stopped me. I wondered whether I had an inscription ony face saying 'Not occupied, talk to me!'. I could almost tell where this was going. I asked ," Yes mom, how can I help?" She replied, "Kindly assist me get my husband up the staircase, we need to go to the clinic on the 3rd floor." What! But where were the elevators to take you up, or the nurses for crying out loud? I angrily asked in tones audible to none but I. I looked and behind her was a frail looking old aged man. He had a calmly face though , kind of reminded me of my on granpapa. I had a soft spot for him. Suddenly my tone changed. I told her to wait up as I rushed to check the elevators. I was disgruntled to find them non functional. "Ok, calm down, calm down", I told myself as I took some deep breaths while counting to 10 back and forth. I looked at my wrist watch, then up the staircase, then looked around for a nurse, but then I just had to swallow it all up. "OK young man" I motioned, "lend me your hand so we get up them stairs as a pair, what do you say?" He smiled and said, "Son, you've got wits, but more so a heart of gold for them wits you carry up in that lovely skull of yours, you're a good lad, God bless your soul" . We walked at snail pace, but we walked all the same till we got to the doctor's office. Somehow I was no longer all worked up . I was feeling mighty fine. I rushed down the stairway, and as I walked towards the ward, a man called out, "Doctor,doctor!" I had come to learn ,apparently, that every male in a white coat was a doctor and every female in a white coat somehow was a nurse, well atleast for the common folk, this held true . At first I ignored, then I just couldn't ignore him, perhaps he was one on the patients I had attended to a while ago. I turned around, trying to reach out for my pocket, perhaps money was the issue, but to my suprise, he stretched out his hand , in his palm he held my old time brown leather wallet. It had dropped a way off. "I picked it near the road, and some old lady told me it must have been yours, so I followed you, though you were a little fast, but thank God I found you". Without a word further, he zoomed away. I reached the ward, and who should I find there? My two good friends. Apparently all was well, unlike they sounded on phone. I thought something was terribly wrong, perhaps an accident or the like. But all they needed was help to ascertain whether their observations during a 'DRE' was a pointer to prostate cancer. I had a go at it, and thankfully, it wasn't suggestive of it. In a moment I began to think through the whole drama. "I went through all that just to come and confirm this to you guys? " "Went through what?" one of them querried. It dawned on me, my thoughts had been broadcast. I was thinking out aloud.
So I never really got to see my love that day. I did see her on a few days that followed. A mere sight of her made me have sweaty palms, and my cardiac rythym was a little distorted, I had palpitaions. She was the sweetest thing I had come to know. A beauty at heart too. At first glance I was sure she was the one. And at second and third glance too. I attempted to seal the deal . She gently let me down. So I didn't gain a soul mate, perhaps just a good friend, a pal, perhaps time may tell a better tale, perhaps something was ensuing.
But love was knocking still, apparently I had begun to answer the moment I realized I was never to busy to help one in need. Simple acts of kindness go a long way. The greatest love is that which involves giving of self to others. Yes the recepient may not have an alluring form, a calmly countenance or beauty marks yet still all deserve to be loved. For the things we love, time will always be found, even in our busy schedule. Perhaps love has been knocking on each one's door, especially at yours.
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