The others

Sonam's mom has always been rude to me. She never offered me anything to eat, and never even bothored to talk to me. I never saw her smile at me when ever I visited Sonam, that made me felt bad but like my mother said not everyone is same so I let that go unnoticed.

I visit Sonam whenever I have time and he is usually home because he is too young for school and I am usually free because I dont go to school. Sonam and I am neighbours and we became friends a few months ago. They are new in town and the house next door has been empty for a long time. I always hoped a family with many children came and lived there but for a long time the house remain empty. My mother told me not to visit the house because it could be haunted but I always like challanges and I visited the house many a times alone (but I never told mother).

Then one fine day Sonam and his family shifted to that house. I wanted to go and help them with their things but mom said i would be more of a burden than help because I am just 10 and cant carry heavy things. I watched the new family move their things but I was looking out to see if there was a kid with whom i could befriend.

I never had any friends.It was always my mother, brother and father. My father and brother left for some place far away so I do not have any friends to play with these days. I did not excatly know where my father and brother went but mom always says we will meet them soon, it has been long but havent met them.so you understand my happiness to see Sonam right?

I saw Sonam playing alone in the lawn and I went and approached him. I think he is five bcause I heard his mother say he will be going to school next year.He smiled the moment he saw me and we started playing together ever since. Sonam always invites me to come to his house but I feel awkard because he is family does not even aknowledge my presence.

Winter went by and it was soon spring. All the trees were in full blossom and plants were ready to flower everything was green and full of flower except the trees and plants near our house. The garden was a mess when I asked mom about it she said she was not well to tend the garden and I was too young for that.

Sonam's parents were young and both of them worked. When both of them went to work they took Soanm and left him at his cousins house. So right after they came home, I went visited them and Sundays and Saturdays I was there most of the time.

We look at books with pictures together and play with his toya all day. Sometime i tell him fairy tales and he enjoyes them a lot. One day as usual I was with him the whole day and by the time I realised it was late. I quickly ran home and saw that mom was not there. She never went anywhere where would she have gone now? I ate dinner and then went to sleep. The next morning I quickly woke up and saw that she was still not home. Two days and she was not home, it left me worried and I didnot have anyone to share my problem with. I told Sonam about it and he said I could sleep with him till my mom returned.

I started sleeping with Sonam everynight. During the day I went home once but my mom never came home.I noticed that Sonam's parents were bothered about something but I never had the courage to ask.Days passed by and one day I woke up to some loud noise. I did not know what it was but it was distrubing me a lot. I looked around and Sonam was not there, I tried to run away from the sound but some strong feelings dragged me towards it. I forced myself to the sound and saw that a few people dressed in red robs were sitting along with Sonam and his parents. They were the one making the noise. I requested them to stop the noise but one of the person dressed in red with a yellow hat asked me to sit next to them. Sonam's parents looked worried and Sonam looked weak. I had never noticed that.

The man said I must go home and I didnot know they were talking about. I told them my mother was not home and they told me that my mother was waiting for me and that I should follow a path through the clouds. The conservasation took a long time and then finally when i realised I was not walking on the ground anymore but I was still moving towards some white glowing light. I waved good bye to Sonam and then I was I saw my parents and my brother waiting for me.