We all wanted a vacation
Most of us wanted some time off work
Some of us wanted to be at home
Others have always been at home.
I slept around two last night
But so did the woman living next door
I woke up around 1in the afternoon
And saw her bargaining with the grocery guy.
There are days when I want to ask her
"Did you have a good sleep?"
There are days I want to appreciate her
"Woman, you are an angel!"
But then there are days
When I can't help but wonder
Were the noises I heard last night, my hallucinations?
Or are her scars too 'normal' to be healed?
I want to run to her and ask her
"Do you want to get coffee sometime?"
But all I can think about is
"I have never seen her drink coffee with
her family in the garden outside"
I may be over thinking, I may be exaggerating
But in the family of ten, does she even know
what her favourite meal is?
I have seen her 20 year old daughter made to go out
with her 10 year old brother post 6pm
But I have never seen her wearing a smile,
That wasn't forced.
That one day I saw her son cry
She came running to tell him not to
The other day I thought she screamed
But she was serving them coffee.
- Aayushi Mittal
Comments