The same old habit continued- he sat there motionless staring at the painting titled “The Scream” which lay in his hands- the look of horror on the person’s face in the painting resembled of his own when he had seen his soul being taken away- yeah! His soul- The look of disgust coupled with dark circles around his eyes made him look more contemptuous and scornful than anyone she had ever seen. She looked around his empty apartment realizing that perhaps the old painting was his only belonging left in this shabby place. The wallpapers were torn apart at many places highlighting the dusty old unpainted walls that lay beneath them- how ironical- she muttered under her breath as if perhaps she had found some link of his present condition and the walls themselves. He sat on the floor facing the only window that opened in this room which looked more like a sitting room. An eerie silence ensued after what seemed like the worst storms to have hit this area had been blown away. She looked at her watch trying to fathom how many precious little moments she had spent there looking at this man.
“No, it can’t be.” She looked horrorstruck as she tried to bang her hand against the face of the watch. Time had stopped.
“Wondering what might have happened to your watch eh?” For the first time in what seemed like an eternity he had spoken. She could feel his gaze entering through her eyes into her mind. She diverted her own eyes towards the window and said:
“No, I guess the battery must have died or something. But it can’t happen, I just got it changed yesterda…”
“The fault lies not with the watch but with me” He had cut her explanatory sentence short. “I have lived like this for eternity now- yet people come and they go- leaving their preconceived notions behind this door about time, space and human capabilities.” She could sense condescending tone in his voice.
“Regretting that you ever came here, are you?” He had sensed the scared look in her eyes.
“No! I was just wondering. Yeah well! Now that you say I…” Words were lost as she looked horrifically at the painting in which in place of one man there were seven heads, all of them saying in unison:
“Welcome then gal”
She must be dreaming she told herself. The look in her eyes- trembling hands- shivering body- sweat pouring out of her forehead- no it can not be real- it can not be-
The room started spinning around her- memories flashing through her brain- memories of her childhood, her walks with her husband- she closed her eyes- hoping to open them again and find that everything was a dream. Suddenly everything was so calm- she felt warm rays of sun touching her skin and a strong breeze blowing her hair away. She opened her eyes only to find herself on a deserted beach with only sand and sea around her. She bit herself on the hand to make sure she was awake for sure- it hurt- she was awake after all. Suddenly seven bodies started coming out of the sand.
“NOOOO! You did not mean literally when you said welcome… No you were not- no you were not- its not possible- it can’t be real- its all just a dream- I am going to wake up- its just a dream…” She hardly noticed that she was screaming hysterically at the pitch of her voice.
“Please calm down Maria” An old man amongst those seven people said as he approached her.
“How do you know my name? You filthy little piece of shit. It’s not true- it’s all just a hoax. Someone must have something against me- no it can’t be- it just can’t be” She had lost control again.
“I am your father Maria. How come you don’t recognize me?” He spoke in a soft tone as tears fell out of his eyes.
“Yeah then she would be my mother and rest of the people would be my family eh? You just don’t realize it, do you? I am not crazy psycho like you guys. I don’t want to be here- you guys have some hidden agenda- you want something from me- you want to ruin my career as a psychiatrist don’t you? You are all a bunch of lunatics.” She was now totally out of breath.
“We are not the lunatics here Maria. I am afraid you are.” A young man early in his twenties said.
She could not believe her eyes. She had so far ignored this guy and hadn’t given him a single look. He was there- her husband- the last person she saw in her memory flashback. Everything else had seemed so blur-
“It can’t be- it just can’t be- I don’t believe this- somebody is playing a prank on me- it can’t happen to me- it just won’t- it’s all just a bad dream- that it- nothing else- God can’t do this to me. Can you God?” She looked heavenwards and collapsed on her feet. In the distance she could hear voices-
“It’s really good news that she has at least started to recognize her husband.”
“I think the treatment is going quite well.”
“You just have to keep bringing those pictures along with you.”
“She seems so pale doctor”
“Yeah, but she’ll be alright I am sure…”
That was the last thing she heard before falling to sleep again.
Author’s note:
“No, it can’t be.” She looked horrorstruck as she tried to bang her hand against the face of the watch. Time had stopped.
“Wondering what might have happened to your watch eh?” For the first time in what seemed like an eternity he had spoken. She could feel his gaze entering through her eyes into her mind. She diverted her own eyes towards the window and said:
“No, I guess the battery must have died or something. But it can’t happen, I just got it changed yesterda…”
“The fault lies not with the watch but with me” He had cut her explanatory sentence short. “I have lived like this for eternity now- yet people come and they go- leaving their preconceived notions behind this door about time, space and human capabilities.” She could sense condescending tone in his voice.
“Regretting that you ever came here, are you?” He had sensed the scared look in her eyes.
“No! I was just wondering. Yeah well! Now that you say I…” Words were lost as she looked horrifically at the painting in which in place of one man there were seven heads, all of them saying in unison:
“Welcome then gal”
She must be dreaming she told herself. The look in her eyes- trembling hands- shivering body- sweat pouring out of her forehead- no it can not be real- it can not be-
The room started spinning around her- memories flashing through her brain- memories of her childhood, her walks with her husband- she closed her eyes- hoping to open them again and find that everything was a dream. Suddenly everything was so calm- she felt warm rays of sun touching her skin and a strong breeze blowing her hair away. She opened her eyes only to find herself on a deserted beach with only sand and sea around her. She bit herself on the hand to make sure she was awake for sure- it hurt- she was awake after all. Suddenly seven bodies started coming out of the sand.
“NOOOO! You did not mean literally when you said welcome… No you were not- no you were not- its not possible- it can’t be real- its all just a dream- I am going to wake up- its just a dream…” She hardly noticed that she was screaming hysterically at the pitch of her voice.
“Please calm down Maria” An old man amongst those seven people said as he approached her.
“How do you know my name? You filthy little piece of shit. It’s not true- it’s all just a hoax. Someone must have something against me- no it can’t be- it just can’t be” She had lost control again.
“I am your father Maria. How come you don’t recognize me?” He spoke in a soft tone as tears fell out of his eyes.
“Yeah then she would be my mother and rest of the people would be my family eh? You just don’t realize it, do you? I am not crazy psycho like you guys. I don’t want to be here- you guys have some hidden agenda- you want something from me- you want to ruin my career as a psychiatrist don’t you? You are all a bunch of lunatics.” She was now totally out of breath.
“We are not the lunatics here Maria. I am afraid you are.” A young man early in his twenties said.
She could not believe her eyes. She had so far ignored this guy and hadn’t given him a single look. He was there- her husband- the last person she saw in her memory flashback. Everything else had seemed so blur-
“It can’t be- it just can’t be- I don’t believe this- somebody is playing a prank on me- it can’t happen to me- it just won’t- it’s all just a bad dream- that it- nothing else- God can’t do this to me. Can you God?” She looked heavenwards and collapsed on her feet. In the distance she could hear voices-
“It’s really good news that she has at least started to recognize her husband.”
“I think the treatment is going quite well.”
“You just have to keep bringing those pictures along with you.”
“She seems so pale doctor”
“Yeah, but she’ll be alright I am sure…”
That was the last thing she heard before falling to sleep again.
Author’s note:
Maria Ali has been under psychiatric treatment for sixth year running, after she, while on a walk with her husband, collided with an oncoming car leaving her paralyzed for two years. She recovered from paralysis but sustained damage to her brain. The clash also killed her husband. Doctors say that she imagines him sitting in their apartment with a painting in his hand. Witnesses say that the last thing she saw before the crash was him screaming at her to get away from the car…
