Yellow Car

I got a call last night at 10:00pm.

"Tomorrow is Tuesday. You promised you would come," the little voice squealed from the other end.
"Yes, I remember." I smiled and assured the young boy.
"When will you come then?" he inquired.
"I'll come dear. I promised, didn't I?"
"No! Tell me when you'll come! You have to stay with me for a long time!" He screamed.
"Okay. Okay. I'll come in the morning as usual. Okay?"
"Okay. Now talk to Ma."

I spoke to his mother for a while and disconnected the call.
I smiled and my parents inquired who the call was from.
"The Playroom," I told them.

Next morning, I went to the Hospital and saw him at the end of the corridor.
His face lit up and he screamed, "MA! Didi is here!!" and came running into my arms.
Oh. The smile on his face. I hugged him tight and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.
They had shaved off his head because he was losing his hair very fast anyway. And now small spurts of hair could be seen on his scalp.

He dragged me to his bed. His mother held me and inquired if I was doing well.
He smiled meekly and signalled his mother about something She turned around and took out something from their bedside shelf and handed him over a card.
He took the card and with a broad grin handed it over to me.

The picture on top is the top of the card. As always, the wheels of this yellow car is made with Chemotherapy bottle caps. Inside it reads:

"I love to play with you Prianjali Didi. - I. Ghosh."

Though he made an error with the spelling of my name (its Priyanjali), I cannot express in words what receiving the card meant to me.
Just the thought behind it.
It was enough to brighten my spirits for the whole day.
And to think that I am actually able to bring him enough joy and happee-ness, even if for half a day - to be able to give him the company he craves sitting in the Hospital just makes my visits to the Playroom worthwhile.

Its a mutual feeling I believe.
To give and get.
I can't give him much.
Apart from providing him momentary joy and a playmate, I also try to lend his mother a shoulder to vent her frustrations out.
In return however, he gives me A Lot.
He teaches me to be compassionate, caring and understanding.
To believe that things will all eventually fall into place.
To think of him in dire situations and tell myself that, 'if he can be so strong in such adversity, so can I'.

To be Strong.
To Believe.