The Twenty-Twenty-One

Today, on the first day of 2021, I open the 71st chapter of my memoir written – not sure when – probably before time. I want to read what lies  ahead. There are only a few more chapters left before I happily reach the final episode.

I have been reading it now for seventy years. I do remember most of the episodes; some in detail. I obviously do not know what I have forgotten. They lie in a dormant state. I would recollect it if something triggered it or someone – my only living sibling or a childhood friend – who  was part of the episode reminded me of the event.

The memoir I am reading is one of the many – I do not remember how many. I read them long time ago and retain vague memories. One of the most vivid recollections is the rocky hills in a hot, dry, arid environment. Like a long lost mother, it evokes my deepest sentiments.

As I enter my 71st year, I am excited about the two new volumes that I now access. I can read only one page at a time each day. It is like how petals unfold, one by one, in their own time, to reveal the hidden flower.

Just as the morning sun reveals a new day, each page unveils  a new episode. But then the sun never sets, nor does it rise. It is always there glowing beyond the human eyes. For the sun, there is no such thing as night, day, year, or even millennium. And, there is neither  past, present nor future. All that happens is that life unfolds under its ever-glowing rays.

How I wish I could be a part of the sun and never to think about tomorrow!

Tohon is a short story writer for The Daily Star Literary Page. 'Life's Invisible Battles' is his recently published memoir.