Saturday, November 9, 2019
Immediately Iââ¬â¢d hand him my painfully heavy bag
When the bell rang at school I always waited anxiously to hear him. Heââ¬â¢d call my name and when I turned around I knew exactly how heââ¬â¢d look. Iââ¬â¢d still stare and smile back at his crinkly smiling eyes. à Heââ¬â¢d always have his sunglasses on top of his bald head.Immediately Iââ¬â¢d hand him my painfully heavy bag. At that moment all my homework troubles and test woes were over. Heââ¬â¢d ask me the usual about school and friends. Although he knew I was shy around other people and often bullied around, heââ¬â¢d still ask, ââ¬Å"How many kids did you beat today at recess?â⬠The irony of it always made me laugh.While he drove me home he always chatted like a chirpy bird. Heââ¬â¢d make his usual stop everyday. I knew what heââ¬â¢d say before leaving the car but I always looked forward to it. Heââ¬â¢d say conspicuously, ââ¬Å"Let me say a quick hello to my friendâ⬠. Iââ¬â¢dà know exactly why he stopped but Iââ¬â¢d play innoce nt.The stop meant he was getting candies from the store. Heââ¬â¢d return back with chocolates and colored candies smiling, and say, ââ¬Å"My friend sent these for youâ⬠. I canââ¬â¢t ever recall him not smiling. With the greed of a 6 year old Iââ¬â¢d peer into the big bag and immediately gobble the loot before the school bus even reached home.I remember this particular day spent with him. While I was sitting in the backseat of the school bus and gloating over my treasure and with my mouth still full of chocolates I exclaimed, ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re the best uncle ever; you buy the best things even when I never ask you for themâ⬠. He looked back at me from the rearview mirror and smiled.But, I remember seeing something strange and wistful in his eyes. I couldnââ¬â¢t understand it then but he said, ââ¬Å"One day when youââ¬â¢re all grown up and going to university, I will pass you by on the street and I will call out to you but you wont recognize your Uncle Rob â⬠¦I will ask you donââ¬â¢t you remember me? But no mater how hard you try, you wonââ¬â¢t be able to remember meâ⬠.I was mad at Uncle Rob that day. I was angry at his confidence in the future that he had never seen. I reasoned with him as much as a six year old can. He stood firm. I explained to him again and again that I see him first thing in the morning when he drops me to school and last thing before he drops me back home. This will have to continue till Iââ¬â¢m sixty years old and donââ¬â¢t need to go to school. He laughed sadly and shook his head in disagreement.The school year ended and Uncle Rob stopped picking and dropping me from school. I remember laughing, arguing and played games with him. When I moved to another state at the end of the year I made a mental note to myself to remember him.I put a flag to his memory and engraved his image in the deep recesses of my mind. I promised to never forget him. Iââ¬â¢m almost 24 now and his memory is still flawless in my mind. But I wonder, if Iââ¬â¢m walking on the street and come across a man with those crinkly smiling eyes and I call out his name, will he remember me? Ã
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