“Excuse me miss. I’m Zachary Smith. Do you have anything for me?” Zach asked, as he had earlier to the cashier at My Wardrobe. “Ahh yes Mr.Smith, I have been instructed to lead you to the ‘New Arrivals’ counter” said the salesgirl as Zach followed her. “If you need anything more, do please let me know.” She said as she turned to go. “Umm..Did no one tell you what I was to look for?” Zach asked. “No sir, no one did” she smiled as she walked away. Zach started riffling through the cd collection, randomly reading the tittles on the covers. ‘Golden daffodils’, ‘Lost in transition’, ‘Forever together’ …all random names, and then his eyes fell on a cd cover. It said, ‘A garden full of secrets’ Zach picked up the cd, “A Garden full of secrets…” he grinned. That must be the park that ran alongside the Teese lake. It was called ‘The Garden City’. That was where Kathy as he used to go for cycling when they felt like it. That was where they had first kissed. “It just has to be it” Zach said aloud. His exclamation had the salesgirl come running towards him to see if anything was wrong. Looking at the particular cd in his hand she smiled at him and said, “I see you’ve made the perfect choice.” Zach thanked her and almost ran to his car.
It was almost 3 o’clock Zach noticed as he got into the car. It seemed tough for him to get to his 6 o’ clock shift at the “Ritzy New Place” where he worked part time as a bar tender. So thinking, he called up his mate Ivy who worked there before him and asked her to cover up for him till he got there. “You know Zach, how I don’t have a problem doing that for you, but dude…it’s Friday. I got a date!” Ivy almost jumped at him through the phone. Zach explained how Kathy had designed this trail for him and he wasn’t sure how much of it was left. “Fine then.” Ivy said. “I guess I could ask David if he wished to have a couple of drinks before dinner…served by me!!” “Thanks Ivy, you are a major sweetheart. I owe you one!” Zach said, pulling out of the parking slot. “Of course you do darlin’. Now go ahead…go find your treasure!! Let me know if I can help in anyway..more that is!” teased Ivy. “Yeah I will thanks again” Zach said. But all he heard from the other end was, “Yes sir one beer coming up!!” and Ivy was back to business, Zach thought, flicking his phone off and putting it in his pocket.
‘The Garden City’ was a pretty big park and it would take Zach a long time to go around the park on foot. So he decided to cycle his way around. “Entry for one. And I’d like to rent a cycle too.” Zach told the man at the ticket counter. The man gave him a look that easily meant that he branded Zach to be a weirdo. “There is something I have to find, which is why I need the cycle now” Zach tried to explain as he handed over the money and took charge of the cycle. “Ok sir.” was all the response he got. Cycling along the path that Kathy and he usually took, Zach went past various boards that had different quotes like, ‘If your dog doesn’t like somebody, maybe you shouldn’t too!’, ‘If you’re not willing to risk it all, then you don’t want it bad enough’, ‘Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.’ All those quotes that Kathy loved to read aloud every time they came cycling. ‘But which one would have my next clue?’ Zach wondered as he came to the place where they had first kissed. Just across from it was one more quote, “Poetry is the music of the soul.” Zach read aloud. “Poems!” Kathy loved to read poetry of new and upcoming poets. Her best friend worked at this bookstore called ‘The NOVEL idea’. Afternoons were generally a no-rush time and she spent time there; curled up with a good book, reading poetry by young authors.
Making his way back, Zach returned the cycle, thanked the ticket counter man and nodded to his question of, “Did you find what you were looking for?” The bookstore was a good 20 to 25 minutes drive and Zach put on the radio to enjoy some music on the way. His favourite song, ‘Love Love me Do’ was playing and he turned the volume up. A couple of songs more and he was standing in front of ‘The NOVEL idea’ bookstore. Stepping inside, he was greeted by Amanda, Kathy’s best friend. “Ahh, I see you have made it this far Zach!” Amanda smiled at him as she hooked her arm in his and led him to a corner where they had some tables where people could come in, read, while enjoying a coffee. “There was this book that Kathy was particularly fascinated by these few days.” Amanda said handing him a book titled, ‘Going Home’. Out of nowhere, Zach thought of Parker and a sudden feeling of uneasiness crept up on him. “There is no reason to!” Zach admonished himself. “Parker is 700miles away. And more importantly, he was a part of her past.” Zach reminded himself as he sat down and started sifting through the book. The book contained various poems written for different contexts like going home from the army, going home for Christmas. All of them though, contained the same underlying feeling of longing to get back to their loved ones. “Here’s a coffee for you Zach. It’s on the house!” Zach looked up to see Amanda smile at him. He took the mug from her as she slipped into the seat in front of him. “Found anything yet?” she asked. “Ummnnn..” Zach muttered distractedly as he went about reading the poems. “Ahh you’re no interesting company at the moment Zach! I’d rather much arrange books!!” Amanda tried to talk to him. “Ok” Zach said. “Zachh…!!” Amanda said exasperatedly. “Yeah?” Zach looked up at her. “Oh nothing, just go back to your search. Call out if you need anything. And do please drink that coffee before it gets cold?” Amanda said, spotting a customer walk in.
With Amanda gone, Zach resumed his reading. Leafing from poem to poem, Zach came to one page that was slightly folded.
‘You can never go home,
That’s what they say.
My response is just a smile,
I know I'll find my way.
Miles and miles to get there,
That is what I might have to do.
But it is all so simple,
My home is inside of you.’
“Miles and Miles to get home.” Zach spoke aloud. “What could she possibly mean by that?” Amanda who had come up behind him again said, “Don’t tell me you don’t understand!” Swivelling around to face her, Zach asked, “No. I don’t. Please help me out here?” Amanda sat in front of him again. “I’ll tell only if you give me a treat later on.” Zach gave his assent. “Dumbo, it’s a book about going home isn’t it? So very clearly, that’s where you need to go. Home!” even after this when Zach gave her a blank look, Amanda reiterated, “Go home. Go to her place Zach!! Technically our place, but yeah…go! Go now!”
Almost as if in a dream, Zach made his way to Kathy and Amanda’s apartment. A dozen thoughts crowding his mind. Thinking, trying to remember all that Kathy had told him about Parker. It wasn’t much. All she had told him was that he was her first love. She had been crazy about him for years. A family friend first, then they started meeting up rather frequently without the family, “It was almost like dating!” he remembered Kathy tell him. But then that is the way Kathy had perceived it. When she confessed her feelings, Parker was shocked. He had believed that they were simply good friends. Pretty soon he left for college and they lost touch. He broke her heart, and she was only 15 then!
“That means he’s 4 years older than her, making him a year older than me.” Zach calculated as he reached Kathy’s place.
Climbing up the stairs, he reached their apartment and knocked on the door. The excitement he’d felt just some time back was slowly filling up with dread. ‘Was he about to lose Kathy?’ he wondered as he knocked again. “Oh hello Zach!” Mrs. Dunhill, the landlady wished him. “Both of them are out. But I can open the door for you if you want.” She had met Zach a number of times and knew him to be a ‘nice young lad’ as she kept mentioning to Kathy. “Oh yes please Mrs. Dunhill. I would be grateful” Zach said, just as his phone started ringing. ‘Ivy’ the phone flashed as Zach muttered under his breath, “I still got time man!!” as he picked up the call. “Kathy is here. With some guy. And she seems really distraught. I think you should get here as soon as possible Zach.” Ivy said in one single breath.
By this time the door to the apartment was open and Zach was already stepping inside. Moving around the apartment as Ivy spoke, he noticed that the picture of Kathy and him which used to be on the telephone table was missing, while the other one of Kathy and Amanda was still there. “Ok, I’ll be there.” So saying Zach hung up as he pushed open the door to Kathy’s room. The bed was neatly made, but all her small items were missing from the bedside table. Another picture of the two of them together was at its place, but the small bunny rabbit keychain he had given her was gone, and so were her books, which were always by her bedside. Opening her cupboard he noticed most of her clothes missing and the big suitcase that used to be at the top of her cupboard was not in its place either. Just then his cell beeped signalling a message, and he kept staring at his message. It was Amanda- ‘Parker in town. Not a part of plan.’ Was all that she had said.
A chill ran through him. He was lost. He didn’t know what to do. Should he go confront Kathy?
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(to be continued..)
