The Therapy

                Grace is damn tired today. Her heels and calf muscles are aching of continuous standing and running around. Her day shift, at the busy specialty hospital of the city, had ended half an hour ago and she is heading towards her quarters now. She feels as if she is never going to reach her destination. At the same time, her tummy also wants her attention. She runs into the roadside tea stall, and gobbles up a cup of tea and a hot samosa. She again heads towards her destination. She reaches the hostel premises in another ten minutes. She climbs up the stairs somehow and enters her clean and sweet smelling quarters and heaves a sigh of relief. Grace quickly fills a tub with hot water and soaks her feet into it. She feels numb and closes her eyes.

                Grace remembers her mother, Martha and feels her mother was some kind of a miracle woman. Did she never feel tired in her life raising Grace and her seven siblings? Maybe, she was a super woman. She feels it is one of her gloomy days. The head nurse, Matron Anne, always tells her not to take anything personally. And that iron lady seems calm and composed every day every time.  Grace hopes she would not be affected someday by the events at work. Needless to mention, her line of work has some downside. She falls on her clean bed and falls fast into a deep slumber.

                A heavy knocking jolted Grace out of her sleep. She opened the door to find her next-door neighbor Richa standing at her door.  Richa invited her for a cup of tea at her room. It was their usual routine. Grace was too tired for their idle chit chat today. Richa was as usual blabbering about her boyfriend who works at the medical stores near the hospital. Grace quietly listened to whatever Richa had to say. Her mobile phone beeped after some time and it was from the Security Guard at the hostel gate. He informed her that she had a visitor.

                She rushed through the stairs to find her mother seating at the guest room near the gate. She was overwhelmed to see her mother on that not-so-good day. She ran into her mother’s welcoming arms and started sobbing. Her mother gave her a light pat and sternly asked her to grow up and stop being a cry baby. How did her mother know that she wanted to talk to her mother today? Martha, looked at her eldest kid through her glasses and said, “Bad days come and go. Cheer up and take me to your room. I have some homemade goodies for you”. Grace accompanied her mother to her own quarters and called Richa also to her room. As soon as Martha handed her the Plum Cake she had baked for her daughter last night, Grace and Richa started gobbling slices of that yummy cake. Martha had to remind them sternly that she had baked the cake not to be finished in a jiffy. Grace and Richa shamelessly smiled at the older lady. Martha started complaining about how untidy Grace had kept her room and how pale and thinner she looked. Grace went to her mother and hugged her tightly. Richa chose that moment to get out of Grace’s room.

                Martha gave her account of all the Grace’s childhood friends who got married and who had children within the last six months. Grace understood that her mother wanted her to get married by tomorrow and have babies by maybe next month. But she didn't want to argue with her mother today. She was happy to see her mother. Her mother asked her if she had to go for night shift. Grace had forgotten everything about the hospital by now. But she remembered that Matron Anne had asked her to rest tonight. Grace told her mother that she didn't have to go to duty tonight. Martha seemed happy to hear that.

                Martha had come all the way to meet her daughter and they were going to have a meal together tonight. So Martha started searching in the small fridge for something to cook and was appalled by its emptiness. Grace informed her mother that they would be going out for dinner.  Since she didn't have to cook for now, Martha started folding clothes and arranging Grace’s wardrobe in spite of her daughter’s repeated requests to get some rest and do that later.  

                Around seven that evening, both mother and daughter stepped out of the hostel premises to have dinner at a nearby restaurant that is famous for its fish curry. As it was a weekday, the place had enough places to occupy. They took a seat near the window and ordered the famous fish curry and rice. They were busy with a conversation about their village when somebody called Grace’s name. Grace turned to see who it was and at first, she could not recognize the skinny frame of the man. It was Anthony. He looked paler and it was obvious his health had deteriorated for the worse. She asked her how he was. He smiled at her polite question but the smile didn't reach his eyes.  She asked him if he had also come here to eat the famous fish curry. He told her that he comes here to eat every day as his wife had left him for good.  

                It was bound to happen someday. Anthony was alcoholic and looking at his condition Grace understood that it would have been difficult for his wife. After he left, Martha asked her daughter if she still pined for him. Grace told her mother she was happy without him. And it was the truth. They finished their meal in silence and walked back to the hostel.

                As soon as they reached Grace’s quarters both mother and daughter fell asleep. It might be because of the heavy meal, events of the whole day and both were very tired off course.

                Grace’s mobile phone rings at that very moment. She picks up the call and on hearing Matron. Anne’s voice, she thinks she may have to run for some emergency now. But Matron Anne tells her she has called just to make sure Grace is fine and she need not come to duty tonight. She says, “Grace, you take rest for tonight. We understand that you lost one of your good friends today and we are really sorry about Richa. She will be missed deeply, may her soul rest in peace. See you tomorrow morning.”  She felt as if someone splashed chilled water over her. She turned to check if her mother was listening but nobody was at the other side of the bed. She checked the bedside table but found no half-eaten Plum Cake. She remembered that Richa and her boyfriend had met with an accident yesterday evening and whole morning they had tried to save Richa but she didn't come out of comma and finally gave in around noon.

                Grace turned to look at the wall clock. It was half past eight. She changed her work clothes and went down to eat dinner. She felt rested and she was ready to face people.