Air Borne

The cold wind hit his face. He was too young to die. It had all boiled down to this day and now he would be free. As his feet crossed the railing, his heart braced itself for the freefall. As he went spiralling down, memories flashed before his eyes.

He had only turned five and his parents had thrown a birthday bash for him. The kids of the neighbourhood had come over in large numbers. The chocolate cake was tempting and his friends were jealous of him for the wonderful gifts he had received. But when they all surrounded him and began to sing, he lost control of himself. His nerves tingled, his eyes lost their vision, his hands clenched the knife and he blacked out. The next thing he saw was blood everywhere. In his moment of numbness he had pierced the knife through his mother. Celebrations had turned to mourning. The day would no longer be remembered as the day he was born but as the day he killed his mother.

As he grew up, he learnt he was not a normal boy. He was autistic. He could not bear the noise of a crowd or a pat from a stranger or to see a yellow hoarding. There were learning difficulties too; plenty of them. But he remembered things exceptionally well down to the last detail. And that’s why he couldn’t forget that he had killed his mother.

For his graduation ceremony, his father had hired him a tuxedo to wear and a car to travel in. Before going up the stage, he had looked back to see his father’s eyes brimming with tears to hear his name being called out. But instead of joy he felt guilt overwhelming him. If it hadn’t been for him, mother too would have been seated alongside looking on tenderly her face radiant with joy. As he went up to receive his certificate of merit, the Principal did an unusual thing – he affectionately patted his back. The pat triggered off the numbness within. For the second time in life, he lost all control. He tried to reign in his senses but now, they had a mind of their own he was hapless as he realised he was reigning blows on the Principal. The monster within had raised its ugly head!

On regaining his senses, he found himself tucked in his own bed. Father had gone out to buy him medications. Deprived of his certificate, he couldn’t bear to look into his father’s eyes now. He had brought them enough tears already. He wished to remember them like he saw them last happy brimming with pride. So he ran away from his home as quick as his legs could take him. He had climbed the roof of the tallest building around and here he was spiralling down to his fate. But before he could hit the ground, he heard the gasp of his father. He saw those eyes and they were full of pain. He died there suspended in the air even before his body could touch the ground; air borne.