By Sheenam Khan

'And as he walked through the road, lamenting hard, with not a single person on either of his sides, Andrew prayed to God to see someone who is there with him in his complete loneliness and suddenly….….'

Mr. Andrew Jackson was, now, a middle-aged, tall and strong man in his 40’s. He was an extremely intelligent person with almost every sort of knowledge in the world; be it sports, technology, art or even politics. It’s not now that he has started feeling superior to everybody around him, but it was since he was born. Indeed, he was superior as he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth in the family of the “rarest of the rare” caste and on top of it----he was good-looking with a classic white complexion! How on earth can anyone get all these wonderful attributes in a single body? He got all that one needs but lacked the most important thing in the world and that was humanity.
Andrew was born to his parents, Mr. Joe Jackson and Mrs. Emilia Jackson (who was from a high-class family of Leicester) in an elite family of Manchester, England. Being the only child to his parents and having every bit of facilities, his parents have made him taught everything possible. From swimming to horse-riding, painting to violin, he knew all that he could.

“Oh! What a luck he has, I wish I could be in his shoes so that I could enjoy all my life in luxuries and fun.” Whoever saw him, used to say the same thing.
Then came the days of his boyhood which made all the ladies in his class around him go ‘head over heels' but unfortunately he didn’t feel the same for anyone one of them as he thought that not any girl could match ‘his class and intellectuality’. Every single soul, for him, was way too inferior. He was very cold-hearted and indifferent towards people’s bad situations and times.

One day, when it was raining cats and dogs, his luxury car broke down and he had to walk his way back home from his college. As he walked through the streets; he said “Holy shit, I have never imagined that I have to walk through these slummy streets filled with filthy rustic people who live like animals in box-sized houses.” Suddenly, he saw a child who was shivering badly due to the cold, with a bag filled with plastics on his back, picking up some waste food from the dustbin, he laughed hard at him and said “hey you dirty little kid, haven’t you got the sufficient nutrients for the day or is it your favourite cuisine?”

The child’s poverty, weakness, condition and even his watery eyes with which he was looking at Andrew, could not melt his heart away. In fact, he was cursing about how the poor people are responsible for the backwardness and the poor image of his country. He went home and slept peacefully in his warm room without even giving a thought about that rag picker and his poor circumstances.

The following day, he went to the college and while entering into his class, Andrew banged into one of his fellow classmate Emma, who also has been Andrew’s schoolmate and was secretly madly in love with him. “Oh!” said Emma, “I….I….m...so…sorry Andy…..” “Call me Andrew lady, as only those who are pretty close to me call me Andy” he replied.

Everybody in their class knew that Emma was obsessed with him but she knew that he was obsessed with him and was pretty sure that she won’t ever make it to his ‘friends list.’ Why? Oh, because she was a destitute, average-looking girl who used to go to college by public bus, wear unbranded clothes and spend her time studying or doing other ‘boring’ stuff rather than going to the city’s popular clubs and page-3 parties like Andrew and his friends but she had the most precious thing in the world which neither did he nor any of his friends had, i.e., a heart of gold.

“Now, can you please excuse me girl, I have already got quiet late because of you and I definitely do not want to miss my class furthermore.” He said to Emma after she handed him all his fallen books to him. The way she was looking into his eyes while he was making such a mean comment at her , described her true feelings and emotions for him but poor Andrew was completely unaware of the feelings which are known as love, kindness, respect or courtesy which makes a simple person a great human.
Christmas was approaching and there were celebrations and festivities all around not only for Christmas itself but also for Andrew’s birthday. After all, it was the most awaited day of the year as he used to throw the biggest and the trendiest bash which only a few people from his college, who were in his ‘guest list’, would make it. It was only few days left for the college to go off for the Christmas season but before the vacations, all the students of their class needed to submit their winter projects for evaluations.

Then, ‘the most awaited day of the year’ arrived. Andrew’s bash was all the hype. Only some cool people got the prestigious opportunity to make it to his party. As expected, Emma did not get a chance but she really wanted to give the present to Andrew which she purchased with all her savings, in order to make him realize her worth. Somehow, she just managed to know the party venue and went with her friend, Heidi and her little present. It was at the most high-rated club. The security asked her for the invite-card which she obviously didn’t has. She waited outside the club for Andrew to come out when the party gets over. She waited and waited for quite long. “Stop it Emma, let’s go…it has been two hours that we are waiting for him and he is not even coming out to see us. Look, I am done with it and I am leaving. If you want to come with me that’s fine but I can’t wait for such an indifferent and mean person. He is not worth it Emma. Don’t do it to yourself.” said Heidi, her friend who left from there in frustration but Emma was reluctant and kept waiting for him.

After almost three hours when the party ended, Andrew came out of the club with his few friends who were still there with him. They saw Emma standing at the sideway. She went to the birthday boy, handed the present to him and said “Andy...I mean...Andrew...I got something for you. Hope you like it.” Andrew felt a little guilty but he was about to accept it when his friends snatched it and said “Let’s see what you got for Andy, Emma.” “Maybe it’s a handkerchief or some boring book….Oh! Look everyone, it’s a T-shirt, so pretty and in fact its Andy’s favourite colour but don’t you think Emma, it’s quite low class for him.” “Hey, stop it everyone”, said Andrew “Emma, thanks for the gift and your efforts but it’s really cheap…um….my valet can surely wear this.” Saying that, Andrew burst out laughing hard with everyone .She was very hurt and disappointed at Andrew’s bad behaviour as of course, she had expected his friends to be like that but definitely not him because she used to think that Andrew has a good heart and he will understand her love for him one day but now she was left with no hope of him to change. With her swollen and teary eyes, she went off to sleep as the next day; their class had to submit the winter projects.

The bell rang and it was the time to submit the projects. Mrs. Johnson, the teacher, started calling out the names of the students one by one. Andrew was blank as he had forgotten to make one. His so-called ‘friends’ had also not reminded him about the same but they made it for themselves. “Andrew Jackson” called Mrs. Johnson to which he didn’t reply. “Mr. Andrew Jackson, may I get your project on my table,” she said. As Andrew was about to tell the truth to the teacher, Emma said, “Ma’am, it’s with me. I couldn’t complete mine in time so I just took his project out to make it mine.” Everybody was shocked for all knew the real story. “Ms. Emma Williams, I haven’t expected this from you. You are a bright student so why did you do that?” asked Mrs. Johnson. Emma replied, “I returned so late from a party last night that’s why I couldn’t complete it. I’m sorry ma’am.” “Come with me to the principal’s office. You shall be rusticated for this.” said Mrs. Johnson.

Emma was rusticated for a week from the college. It was all due to her love for an unworthy boy. All were feeling bad for her, in fact, Andrew’s friends too but it was only Andy who felt it to be a ‘no big deal.’ It was their last year at the college which was about to end. As their final exams started, Emma returned back after serving her punishment. But this time, she wasn’t even looking at Andrew for she understood her fault after giving her love a deep thought during her days off. Looking at her, Andrew felt quite guilty and he did not like the way she was treating him. Maybe, he started liking her but of course he couldn’t accept that fact due to his class, personality and cool self. How could he accept an average girl?

The exams were over and it was their convocation day. Everybody was super excited for their future but they were also nostalgic as leaving their college’s premises, teachers and dear friends were all so emotional. Emma really wanted to confess her feelings to Andrew but she didn’t as she knew the answer already. She kept on looking at him with a dead hope. Andrew was busy with his cool friends, taking their last pictures together. Although, Emma had no hope for her emotions to be understood, she decided to end all of this on a good note. As all the students were greeting each other, Emma went to him and for the first time ever he said something to her, politely. “Hey Emma, congratulations for your great result.” said Andrew, who wasn’t having any words to speak to her as he was feeling quite awkward and uncomfortable. “Good bye Andrew, I wish you a great future and life ahead.” she said and with that, handed him over a card............

Today, it’s the same day of convocation but after a whole long time of twenty years. Andrew is now forty-three but is still not married. Why? Oh! Because he didn’t get that PERFECT one for him till now. He lives alone in an old cottage, with his cat that he picked up from the street. His mother died after battling a dreadful ailment and his father hanged himself out of depression as the family was suffering from a severe financial crises. His ‘cool’ friends were all in their own happy lives, leaving Andrew to face his fate alone. Going for an evening walk was a part of his daily routine for his good health as the doctor suggests. Sitting on a bench and seeing families playing around lovingly and happily, living their lives to the fullest, made him think of all the time he wasted on unworthy things and people. He was so occupied in himself that he couldn’t even make true friends to count on. Though he was so popular in his youthful days, he doesn’t have a single person next to him now, why? It’s because he didn’t value anyone. He always wanted to keep money, class, luxury and fame by his side and not people. He had everything in his life that he needed but still couldn’t stop his mother from dying and when he needed his father the most, he lost him too.

All his money, power, luxuries and class have left him all alone now. Nobody is there to love him as he never asked anyone for it. He spent all his precious time in enjoying life and doing cool stuff rather than building relations with people who could have helped him in his bad and tough times.

It got dark so Andrew went back to his cottage. With all these deep thoughts in his mind, he went to sleep and after an hour or so, he found himself to be all alone in the entire city. There was nobody to be seen anywhere. He ran out asking if there was anybody but got no reply. The places, the roads even the houses were all empty and as he walked through the road, lamenting hard, with not a single person on either of his sides, Andrew prayed to God to see someone, who is there with him in his complete loneliness and suddenly, when he was passing by a slum, he saw a rag picker, a child who was searching for something in the dustbin. Andrew said, “Hey! Can you tell me where everyone is? Why can I see no one anywhere?” and as the child turned his face towards Andrew, he was shocked to death as it was the same kid whom Andrew insulted in the slum when he was young and affluent. “I can see everybody because I can feel their emotions. Look… there are my parents and in fact, the street is so busy, but why can’t you see anybody? Oh! I think it’s because you don’t feel people’s emotions,” the child replied. “What rubbish are you talking? What do you mean by that?” said Andrew. “I am telling you the truth. You ill-treated them. You haven’t even felt any emotions in your youthful days. You were always proud and loved to be yourself. That’s why they all hate you and want you to see them. Now, you are left alone with yourself. I pity you,” said the child when somebody held Andrew’s hand.

“He is not alone” said the girl holding his hand and she was none other than Emma, the girl whom Andrew disgraced and humiliated all the time. “Meeooowwwww……..” the cat made a loud sound and with that, Andrew woke up from a terrific nightmare. Soaked in sweat, he thanked God that it was just a nightmare and wants nothing to happen like this ever. He started thinking about Emma. He now knows what the biggest mistake of his life was; it was losing Emma, the only person who genuinely cared about him.
He wanted to meet her and make up for his mistake by confessing his love to her but he didn’t know her whereabouts. Then, he remembered that she gave him a card on the convocation’s day, which he never cared to open, but he didn’t know where had he kept it? He searched for it everywhere and was very sad that he couldn’t find it. There was an old box on the attic of the cottage and he gave it a last try. He started opening the box which was having all the unimportant and useless things in it. He searched with all his heart and hope and Eureka….he got it!
Tears were rolling down from his cheeks as he was opening the card for the first time in his life. It was a beautiful card with a note in it:


“Dear Andrew, I know that you will never value this card because it means nothing to you but to me, it’s the most precious thing in the entire world because it holds my true feelings for you which otherwise I could never confess.”

I LOVE YOU ANDY

And remember that whenever you’ll need me, I’ll be there for you…ALWAYS!!

With Love,
Emma


Reading the note, Andrew cried hard and cursed himself for not understanding her love and emotions. He was devastated but there was still a ray of hope in his heart. He smiled thinking that, be it late but eventually he realized her true emotions. When he was looking at the card all around with a deep sense of regret, he saw that Emma had mentioned her number at back of it if ever in future he needs her. Andrew was very happy as if he got the biggest treasure of his life. Nothing could be done now as she must have been married by now; he thought when he was about to call her and dropped the idea of calling her.

He could not resist and was dying to tell everything to Emma, so, he finally called her. “Hello, who’s there” said a matured voice. “Hello Emma, it’s me…..Andrew” and after some minutes of awkward silence, they both started crying. With a shivering voice Andrew confessed everything to her and told her that he was so sorry for all that he had done to her and he regret the fact that he can’t make up for it now but to his astonishment, Andrew got to know that Emma was not married. The reason made him even guiltier. It was he who broke Emma’s heart and since then, her trust and faith in love was lost completely. She never even tried to love someone again in her life and ended up alone. But after listening to Andrew’s confession, she once more decided to trust him as she had promised to herself to be with him always.

Emma’s love and care truly changed the way Andrew used to look at life. It was only because of her that he could understand the difference between a human body and a human being. It’s only her that Andrew now knows that money, power, luxury or status is not what belongs to a person or stays with him. Its love, emotions, bonding, trust and relations that stays with him forever. When he was having every materialistic thing, he got nothing in real sense and now when he is left with nothing materialistic, he got everything real. This is the power of being good and kind to people all around you. Both of them were the happiest as they rekindled their feelings for each other, realising that it was a bond that never broke.