Forgotten memories

He woke up to the sounds of seagulls and wondered where he was. There was a sudden shooting pain in his head which brought tears to his eyes. He held his head and tried to get up but he didn't have enough strength to move his body.

He didn't know for how long he lay there listening to the waves crashing against the rocks. The overhead sun was so strong, it blinded his vision, he was in a state of semi-consciousness. 

Few hours later, he used up all his energy and with super human effort, stood up. He felt dizzy but he managed to regain his balance. He looked around, it seemed to be some sort of an island with thick forest in the interior, his clothes were covered with sand, he was cold, wet and hungry. 

'How did I get here'?, he thought but the more he put pressure on his brain the pain was more intense.

He started moving towards the trees and the jungle hoping to find something to eat. There was no sign of any human being nearby and he felt lonely and scared. He had no shoes and was finding it very difficult to walk on stones and twigs which cracked under his feet.

He went on walking among the thick dark trees unaware of his destination. And suddenly out of the blue a cottage loomed before him at a distance, he started walking towards it.

As he approached the cottage he heard a loud gunshot which nearly hit him, instinctively he raised both his arms shouting

"Please don't shoot. I'm not a thief".

In retaliation he heard a voice,

"Go away, if you take another step I will shoot you".

He saw the face of an old man peering from a window. 

"Please help me" he pleaded.

"Go away, this is my final warning to you and this time I won't miss", shouted the old man.

The man turned to move away from the old man's property but again there was the shooting pain that was unbearable and he passed out.

He came around to human voices, he opened his eyes and saw he was in a hospital room, there were two nurses standing in the corner and whispering. He tried to move his body which attracted the nurses attention.

They came running towards him.

"Sir, please don't move your hand as the IV is going on", said one of them

"Where am I ?" He rasped 

"Sir, you are in the "Bay Island Hospital".

"What is my name? I don't remember anything?".

"Sir, please don't strain yourself, the doctor will be visiting shortly and he will answer all your queries".

She added a tranquilizer in his IV and within a matter of seconds he fell asleep. He woke up after 15 hours feeling much better than before.

A man wearing a white coat entered the room, he had a chubby face and a cheerful smile.

"Hope you are feeling better now, "I am doctor Rupin," he introduced himself.

"Doctor, I can't remember anything, not even my name".

"You have suffered a concussion and loss of memory is one of it's symptoms".

"Either you were hit by someone or it was an accident" .

"Usually people get back their memory in few days. Let's wait and see and then we will plan, further course of action.

The doctor instructed the nurses and left the room.

He sat up on the bed and tried to get up from the bed, with slow steps he started moving towards the door, his head hurt a lot but he wasn't dizzy.

"May I help you Sir" the nurse asked.

"I just want to move around so that I feel better".

"If you feel fit Sir there is a garden just outside the room you can sit on the bench there".

She helped him to the garden where he sat on the bench inhaling the earthy smell of the flowers and trees.

He tried to remember his name but couldn't, as though a thick sheet of fog had covered his brain, he gave up and started enjoying the beautiful scene before him. He felt calm and relaxed.

The next few days he followed the same routine trying desperately to remember his past but it was a dead end.

One day the nurse handed him a small mirror, he looked into it and saw a pair of blue eyes and blond hair looking back at him. He guessed he must be between 30 or 40 years old. 

Surely he belonged to someplace and must be having a family, he was was sure they would come looking for him soon.

A week had passed and there was no improvement. Now he was better, his pain had subsided considerably and there was no dizziness. He was moving freely without any support.

The doctor called him to his cabin one evening.

"Hello doctor", he called out from the doorway. 

Please come in, "I'm happy to see that you have recovered so soon, don't you remember anything at all?"

"No doctor, I'm trying my best but it seems to be a futile exercise. "

"Ok don't worry", it will happen gradually, the police have circulated your pictures in nearby towns and maybe we will get to hear some good news soon."

He handed him a note book and a pen and told to to write every small detail, he remembers or thinks of. 

He took the book and went to his room, he started scribbling in the book and all of a sudden his hand started making beautiful sketches of birds, flowers, nature, of everything and within no time he had sketched in the entire note book.

When the nurse entered his room that evening she saw the sketches and couldn't stop to marvel the perfection and promised to get him some colors and papers for him to paint on.

He himself was amazed he could draw so well, maybe he was an artist, he thought.

His paintings became famous and was pasted everywhere around the hospital and since then the doctors and nurses came to him to get their portraits done, which he executed perfectly. 

One day the doctor informed him of a vacancy for an art and crafts teacher in a local school and he should try there for a job.

"The salary is not so great but you will get accommodation on the school campus".

He felt it was a godsent opportunity and very much wanted that job, he couldn't live in the hospital forever.

He went to meet the principal, a very kind lady who spoke to him with compassion. 

The doctor had already briefed her about his condition.

She saw his work and was impressed by it.

"I will keep you on a trial basis for few weeks and if the students accept you only then will I think of hiring you permanently".

He agreed to all the terms and conditions and started work immediately. 

He went to the hospital to say his final goodbye, as they were his only family now .

The staff had collected some money and gifted him new pair of clothes and shoes so he could wear them to school.

Dr. Rupin too presented him some more clothes which he had purchased and never got an opportunity to wear.

"I have made some kind of an identity card for you and have given you a new name and date of birth", said the doctor.

His new name was 'Rick Mason' which he liked very much.

He started work the next morning and the children loved his work, he jelled with them very nicely. He taught them new techniques and methods which amazed the students and so Rick Mason settled in the school as if he had always belonged there. 

Everyone was very kind to him as they knew his history especially Val, the kindergarten teacher who was a young shy girl, she would always carry extra lunch and shared it with him.

Rick knew she was attracted to him but he was scared of his past. Of all the possibilities, he might be a married man or even engaged to someone, so he always maintained a respectable distance from her.

Life went on for Rick Mason and he never felt happier, he was contented with his job and his students and soon a year passed by.

Val was still being kind to him and now he had started dating her, nothing serious, just an occasional movie or a dinner. He knew she wanted more but he was scared to commit.

He would often visit the police station to find out if there was any news for him but they didn't have any and he wondered if he really had any family of his own. 

Another year passed and no one came asking for Rick nor did he remember anything and now he didn't want to remember anything about his past as he was leading a picture perfect life now and didn't want any thing to spoil it.

He and Val had come closer now and both were in love. Val insisted on marrying him or at least living together but Rick was hesitant.

"It's more than three years now Rick, if you had a family, they would have surely come looking for you".

"I know Val, but unless I know the truth I won't be doing justice to anyone"

"Is it going to be like this forever Rick?" asked Val choking on her emotions.

Rick felt very sad and his heart went out to Val.

Next day he went to meet Dr. Rupin and told him about his dilemma. 

"Rick, I think Val is correct, it's more than three years now, you should start thinking of a new life for yourself."

"Usually amnesia lasts for 6 to 9 months but often its incurable ".

"So it's possible that you may never know your past".

Rick decided that he has to take a decision and make his choices, he prayed that he never remembers his past. 

He told Val his decision and she was over the moon and started making plans for their marriage. Everyone was happy for them, they both deserved each other as they made a beautiful couple.

Rick had mentally prepared himself for this new life with Val and he knew he had chosen right path towards a bright future. 

Val only had an old aunt as her family, both her parents had died when she was very young.

They planned to marry in the school church and host a small reception later with a few friends. 

Their marriage day arrived. Rick woke up early, in fact he didn't sleep at all as he was too excited, a riot of emotions running through him. He got ready and wore his new clothes which Val had gifted him. He was eager to see Val dressed as a bride. She would make a pretty bride he thought.

His phone rang, it was Val asking him if he was fine and he told her he never felt so elated, ever. He was about to leave his house for the church when his phone rang again.

It was the police inspector on the other end.

"Mr. Rick, there is a young lady here with two small kids claiming to be your wife and she has substantial proof and photographs with her".

"Will you come here immediately? "

Rick had dreaded that this would happen one day and his worst fears had come true.

Val would be waiting for him in the church and he didn't know how to break this news to her, with tears in his eyes and stone in his heart he dialed Val's number.