By Samika Kala
Conversation pierced through her ears, yet she remained adamant to focus on the familiar clicking of her computer. There was a family gathering in the adjacent room, and everyone was laughing and sitting around— everyone except one.
Glued to her computer, she wished for her family’s loud gossiping to die down. She had never desired to take part in such lively conversations, as they would only slow her academic journey down. Unlike her brother, who— in the absence of their father— had forsaken attending college to earn for the family. Nevertheless, somewhere deep down she knew these connections were a missing part of her life, yet she refused to acknowledge it.
Being fourteen, she was expected to follow her parent’s wishes. Which is why it was such a shock when she blatantly refused to go and take part in an event that included all her relatives from overseas.
“I have work.” A plausible excuse, if it hadn’t been used so frequently.
“You barely leave this room, and would it kill you to spend some time with family and friends?” Her mother sighed, wondering where she went wrong.
“It would.” She countered, not looking up from her books.
Just like that, the majority of her time was wasted between school, and extracurriculars. Much like the everyday life of you and I.
After the encounter with her mother, no one bothered her anymore. She allowed herself to fall into a false sense of security that she could hide in isolation. She was wrong. Out of the blue one morning, her door burst open.
“I am fed up!” A figure stomped through the door.
“What?” The girl looked up, unbothered.
“You’re always caged in your room, and you even skip meals in exchange for working! “ Her mother’s emotions flooded out, “Everyone is worried about you, you never bond with your family, the people you can’t live without!”
“I could live without you all!”
Immediately, a deal was struck. The girl would spend a day without her family providing for her needs, and see how well she got on. She wished she could say the day went smoothly, but it didn’t.
Her inability to provide for herself forced her to realise the importance of the people around her. How the love they held was something that no amount of success could replace. She concluded that well-deserved breaks wouldn’t hurt, especially if it meant being with her family.
