Posts
My watch indicated to me that it was about 7:00 am. I was in a hospital accompanied by my mother, for my brother’s medical check-up. A whiff of cold air from the air conditioner caught my breath for a brief moment as I opened the door in the Radiology department. Huddled together in a corner of the room were a father and his daughter. They acknowledged our presence and went back into their deep reverie. It was an odd sight finding a girl aged less than seven in that room. She seemed every bit normal; moreover, her cherubic face radiated a joy that somehow did not gel with the gloomy walls around. This cheeky toddler was gleefully looking all around the room and she was clearly enjoying herself.
The joyful stillness in that room was shattered with the vomiting by this child. Her father led her by the hand to the washroom. Surprisingly on her way back, the same old cheerful smile adorned her face, whereas her father had creases all over his forehead. She seemed to be taking in every bit of her surroundings and her happiness was contagious.
After a while, the girl was asked to get ready for a MRI scan. They were having a difficult time removing her nose ring when my mother volunteered to help. It was then that the girl’s father revealed to our utter dismay that the girl was blind! He went on to say that she had been a very brilliant girl, invariably standing first in her class every single time. Everything had been precisely positive till she was diagnosed with brain tumor. Sometime before her surgery was to take place, she lost her sight and the world turned into an abyss. Yet her face revealed nothing that she was going through. The vibrant smile that she carried on her face revealed to me her inner strength. That detached attitude will forever remain etched in my memory. That day the little girl in the hospital taught me a few lessons in life that no textbook or experience of mine has taught me till date. I may forget the name or the age of that girl, but the memory of her undying spirit will linger on…
The joyful stillness in that room was shattered with the vomiting by this child. Her father led her by the hand to the washroom. Surprisingly on her way back, the same old cheerful smile adorned her face, whereas her father had creases all over his forehead. She seemed to be taking in every bit of her surroundings and her happiness was contagious.
After a while, the girl was asked to get ready for a MRI scan. They were having a difficult time removing her nose ring when my mother volunteered to help. It was then that the girl’s father revealed to our utter dismay that the girl was blind! He went on to say that she had been a very brilliant girl, invariably standing first in her class every single time. Everything had been precisely positive till she was diagnosed with brain tumor. Sometime before her surgery was to take place, she lost her sight and the world turned into an abyss. Yet her face revealed nothing that she was going through. The vibrant smile that she carried on her face revealed to me her inner strength. That detached attitude will forever remain etched in my memory. That day the little girl in the hospital taught me a few lessons in life that no textbook or experience of mine has taught me till date. I may forget the name or the age of that girl, but the memory of her undying spirit will linger on…
No comments:
Post a Comment