The hardest Goodbye

"Goodbye my dear," said a woman with tears filled in her eyes. She was the one who really cared about me. She was the one who loved me more than anyone else.

"Goodbye mom," I said standing at the entrance of my house. I completed my schooling at Porur, a small town in Tamil Nadu. And I wanted my graduation to be done in a city. I took up this decision because of two reasons. The first reason is that my town doesn't provide much facility for higher education. So I had to shift elsewhere. The other reason was that I had to relieve my mom from my dad. Being the only child, I had to take up all the responsibilities. My father was a drunkard. He neither cared about my mom nor me. She faced a lot of problems because of him. My mom had no one to console her. I was her only consoler. I was a small boy then. My dad used to pick up fights with my mom for illogical reasons. My piteous mom cried everyday for the things she was not responsible. All I was able to do at that time was to lean on a wall at the corner of my living room and watch my mother cry all day. This inhuman character of my dad made me choose elsewhere to continue my higher studies. And I wanted to get my mom out of that prison. So I decided to pursue my higher studies somewhere out of this town, so that I could take my mom with me after getting a job.

My mother bid me goodbye, "Take care my son." I was worried about my mom. Without me, she had to survive reluctantly for three years with this misanthrope. I sured my mom that I would bring her with me as soon as I complete my graduation. I offered her goodbye and started my journey to Banglore, where I decided to continue my higher studies. 

I finally reached there. And I rented a single bedroom apartment at the cheapest. People in Banglore, speak Kannada. But I speak Tamil. In that case, English gave me a hand. And I somehow dealt with it. At first, Banglore was new to me. I didn't have friends. I had to fend for myself without depending on others for the first time in my whole life. That was indeed a great experience. Life is all about experiences right!

Banglore is the capital of India's Southern Karnataka state. It is the centre of India's high-tech industry. Banglore is famous being the Silicon valley of India.

I missed my mom a lot. Actually she missed me a lot more than I did. Thanks to technology, it remained as a bridge in connecting me and my mom through video calls everyday. The best thing I did before coming to Banglore was, I taught my mom how to video call and more other options so as to stay connected with me. My mother called me every 8 hours to make sure that I was good and I didn't feel lonely. If I missed the call by chance, she would message me continuously till I would call her back. She knew that the continuous popping sound of the message makes one mad. After all, that's all the care and love that made her do such things. I was her whole world. She knew nothing other than me. Her 24/7 thought was all about me. She wanted the best for me always.

Being a south Indian, we have a lot of traditional customs to be followed. My mom was my to-do list (honestly). She reminded me of each and every thing that I had to do. She was my only companion even though I was far away from home. I enquired her everyday about my dad's behavior. Everyday after I return home from my college, my mom asked, "So how was your day today?" That reminded me of my childhood days when my mom asked the same question and I would tell her the whole story of each and every thing that happened that day. 

I saw myself changing from an introvert to an extrovert. I had a big stage there to show my hidden talent. My school didn't support me in other extra curricular activities except the academics. I was doing good at my academics in school. I was quite interested in writing. During my leisure time, I would write a lot even if I didn't had any idea or content. My interest in creative writing made me choose journalism. 

Journalism is a challenging field and it is playing a key role in the development of the nation. I seeked advice from my senior, who assisted me in acquiring informations regarding journalism. Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting news and informations. It is the production and distribution of reports on current or past events. And these informations excited me to take up journalism. 

Two years went on just like that. I gained some friends at the University. Every weekend, I got to chill out with them. That was a great relief for a home-alone guy. I was in my final year then. I attended several interviews. And finally, I got a job! I informed my mother. She was jubliant. I wanted my mom to come along with me. She informed my dad that she was not going to stay there anymore. My dad said that he would manage without my mom. Me and my mom expected something different from him. I thought that he would not allow my mom to shift to Banglore, as it would be tough for him to stay alone. But the result was just opposite. Anyway, my wish came true. She took a bus and reached Banglore. I picked her up at the bustop. 

"Welcome mom," I greeted. It had been 3 years since I last set eyes on her.

Those "Goodbye mom" then changed into "Welcome mom".

And the woman who stood with tears in her eyes when her son was about to drift to a different place, was standing just before me with a wide smile on her face.