Oblivion

17.03.2009 Starting your life all over again, from scratch, is no easy task, and I for one, am experiencing it first hand. I am Jo. 16 months ago, I had a major accident. Of course, I didn't die. It's all fun and thrill when you see cars in movies overturning and skidding. But when that happens to you in real life, you are sweating and shitting your pants, with absolutely zero hope. God forbid that it should happen to you, but nothing is possibly better than dying right there. While your close ones might find it miraculous in case you survive, it's you who knows the pain, the trauma and the botheration involved in restarting your life. The severity of the accident left me with 93 broken bones, that took close to 6 months to get back to their form, a permanent limp in the left leg, a scar that runs deep from my right eye to my nose, and a mind that has been wiped cleaner than a slate. The initial days of recovery were excruciating. I would be in and out of my senses like flashes of light, I would be lying on the bed, full of bruises and painful screams, and I couldn't even remember my name, let alone other things in my life. It took my family and my friends a great deal of time to get me accustomed to my life. I felt like a baby that's grasping everything new in life, except that it felt much worse as a 30 year old grown-ass man. Oh, and I lost my job as well! And because I belonged to a somewhat small city, the news of my accident was a big case, the cops were involved in it for quite a while, and all of this made me a sort of a celebrity, for the saddest of reasons. But eventually, the flame flickered away. There were occasional moments of sympathy from people, but it was fine; the police called it a cold case, although from some of the evidence that they had manage to collect, they were pretty sure that they; things were starting gradually starting to fall in place. I still haven't regained my memory though. But everyone around me has been real patient and has been helping me get acquainted with all the things that were a part of my life.

20.05.2009 It's been 2 months since I moved out of my city to a place 2300 miles away. It was quite an ordeal to convince my family that I'm capable of taking care of myself now. But I managed to persuade them eventually. Truth be told, I was tired of being a burden for everyone around me. Of course, no one told it to me. But it was my conscience that was asking me to wake up and walk away. So here I am, in a completely alien city, 5 times bigger than my own, filled with complete strangers, new cultures and traditions, and a new life to begin. Honestly, I have no clue about how I am going to sustain, but I know I have to do it.

23.11.2009 It's been a quite but nice 6 months. The people in this city are kind and helpful. Despite the gigantic population of the city, there is a calmness that prevails. The city is close to the sea, so at nights, I usually take a stroll around the beach. The sunset here is to die for. I have made a few friends here, we crash at one or the other's house on the weekend and have a fun movie marathon over beer. Oh, and I work as a barista now, given that I have lost all memory about my skills and thus the coordination related to any of them. Some of my regular customers say I have a good sense of humor, none of them know the pain inside me, though. Life is going smooth, if not completely beautiful.

26.02.2010 It was raining today, I was late to the coffee shop. As I went to my usual corner behind the counter, I saw a girl sitting by the window next to the main door. It was the first time I saw her here, not that I know everyone who walks through the door of the shop. But there was something different about her. She slowly sipped coffee, while flipping the pages of a manga book - something that I was told I was heavily inclined to. She had long auburn hair with bangs that almost covered her eyes, but when I saw them, I could see their distinctive green color. She had earphones on, and every once in a while, she would fiddle with her hair. It felt as if I knew her from somewhere. I couldn't really place it, but I felt like I have seen her somewhere. I would be lying if I said I didn't find her pretty. But I had to get back to work, I was already way too late.

29.04.2010 Sheri has been visiting the cafe regularly for a while now. She's the same girl I was talking about the other day. She comes in exactly at 4.18 PM, sits by the window next to the main door and orders a caramel mocha. She has this hauntingly beautiful smile, every time she looks at me, my heart skips a beat. I asked my friends and my family if they knew anyone from the description of Sheri that I had given them, but everyone drew a blank. Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me, maybe I didn't really know her. Sometimes I wish I could just be with her, but then again, I shake my head and laugh. Why would someone so beautiful go out with a handicap case like me!? Like they say, beggars can't be choosers.

1.06.2010 Turns out, Sheri had taken a liking for me. She would look at me for a moment, and then look away with a smile. Oh, the explosions in my heart! It felt like something was missing from my life, and she was here to complete it. So I eventually found the courage to ask her out, to which she said yes in no time. I told her all about my past, and my new beginning, and I was almost certain that she would walk away, but she just held my hands while her eyes welled up. With each passing day, we are getting to know more about each other, we are quite similar with our likes and dislikes and thoughts. Life feels a lot more beautiful.

4.09.2010 Sheri and I have been going out since 3 months now. I haven't told anyone about it, though I am pretty sure that everyone I know would be happy for me. It feels so good to have someone who loves you no matter how fucked up you are, she's like a spring breeze- warm and comforting. I know she deserves someone a lot better than me. But every time I mention it, she gets furious. So I have stopped talking about it altogether. Anyway, today is movie night at Sheri's, just the two of us. She picked me up from the cafe and now, we are in the parking lot of her place. Right before entering the elevator, I get a call from my sister, so I pick it up. "Jo, I want you to listen very carefully. The cops got in touch with us today. They finally found a lead. Your accident was planned by a stalker, and they have traced her to your current city. The cops have sent a photograph, I'm sending a picture of it to you. Just stay safe bro." Although a bit shook, I smile at Sheri and walk into the elevator, while my sister sends me the picture. The elevator closes, I open the picture. It's Sheri.