Early Morning Memories

The Fading Presence

What is the last thing you learned?


I lifted the cup of tea from the table, and enjoyed a slow sip. The
cup had left a ring of water on the transparent cover of the wooden
table. I used the index finger of my unoccupied hand to break the
border of the ring… extending a trail of water outwards as my finger
moved on the surface.. eventually it will fade away…

I was sitting out on the long balcony of my uncle’s house. The balcony
oversaw a compound at the edge of which stood the old gates of the
house. I have been here a few times before, however this visit had
presented me with a painful truth….. the house had fallen silent.

My aunt was busy in the kitchen preparing lunch, once in while she
would appear to exchange a word or two and then she would disappear to
continue on with her work. Everyone grows inevitably old, but old age
seemed to have left a touch more than her years in this world.

The house awaited the son who was yet to return from work and then
there was the single reclining chair which stood vacant. A partial
view of the drawing room from where I was didn’t hide the chair.

The chair hadn’t always been vacant. It was my uncle’s favourite
chair. In it he sat, talking in his loud joyous voice about the past,
present and his vision of the future for us all whom he so dearly
loved…… and we loved him too.

The coronavirus had left this house with a member less.

There is no one who has not lost someone to the end of life, not
grieved, not felt torn….. but in this visit of mine, I realised to a
deeper extent, how a house feels different to another set of eyes, a
house from which had been taken, the physical presence of a person
forever… a warmth not to be felt anymore… leaving just memories and a
vacant chair.

Written by Anuran Chatterji

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Anuran & Sayoni

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16 responses to “The Fading Presence”

  4. The loss of a love-one is difficult. I feel your pain in the piece you wrote. Time helps one accept the fact that, that person is no longer around but you always miss him/her in a special way. I replaced my husband (to a certain extent) with serving my God. That helped. Keep on writing you are good at it.

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  6. Well, everyone is always learning. At least I would hope they are taking things in from what life gives. I always wondered why farmers have donkeys on their farms. I could understand animals such as horses, pigs, chickens and cows but donkeys? And then I found out that they are great security against coyotes. They apparently despise them and will kick the heck out of any invaders. They may be even better against coyotes then dogs.

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