A Special Date.

It was a bright sunny morning exactly the way he had expected it to be. He raised his eyes and scanned the sky. The sky was blue with the lone morning Sun shining. His black jacket fluttered in the November breeze. With a smile he stepped out of his building, swinging his walking stick in his left hand.

“Good morning Cutinho saab!” said the doorman standing up.

“Morning Bahadur, how is your wife now”, he asked putting his hand on the doorman’s shoulder.

“She is fine now saab.”

“Looking sharp in that black suit Mr. Cutinho”, said a voice from behind.

Mr. Cutinho turned around and saw a tall fair young man entering the compound. He wore a white t-shirt, grey slacks and running shoes. His face and hair were moist with sweat and he smiled brightly at him.

“Good morning Ravi! Looks like you are back in shape these days.”

“Yes I am trying to be regular at my jogging routine these days. Where are you off to today?”

“Well, I am going on a date”, said Mr. Cutinho.

“That’s great! May I ask with whom?”

“With my wife of course”, said Mr. Cutinho with a laugh.

Ravi smiled back at him.

“My wife has her own way of celebrating our marriage anniversary, I pretend to be her blind date and we spend the whole day wooing each other. Today is our thirty fifth marriage anniversary. So you see Ravi if I am to meet my blind date I must look sharp.”

“That’s an awesome way to spend such a special day. Hope you two have fun.” said Ravi with a calm expression on his face.

Mr. Cutinho nodded, patted Ravi on his shoulder and walked out of the complex. He walked on the sidewalk swinging his walking stick with the enthusiasm of a young lover about to meet his beloved for the first time. He bought a bunch of red roses from the flower shop and went to the bus stop.

As he waited for the bus he thought about all the good years he had spent with his wife. She had been sad after their only son left them and went to the US. But after Mr. Cutinho retired as the CEO of a leading multinational in the country four years back his savings and incomes from investments were enough to support their needs, so he had enough time to spend with his wife.

Bus number 438 came and Mr. Cutinho boarded it. He took a seat at the end of the bus and bought a ticket for the next stop. As the bus started to gain speed he started to think about her again.

They had begun to enjoy their new found privacy and the free time they got. This was the time when they fell in love with each other again. It was their thirty first marriage anniversary, first after his retirement, when she suggested that they should pretend to be blind dates for each other.

The bus stopped.

Mr. Cutinho picked up the flowers and stepped off the bus. After walking for a few minutes he came to a huge iron gate. Through the gate he saw trees of all kinds. The area was surrounded by a crumbling boundary wall. He heard the sea which lay beyond the boundary walls. He heard a church bell toll in a distance.

Through the small gate on the right of the huge Iron Gate he entered the compound. He heard the birds chirp. His heart was at peace. He walked until he could clearly hear the water lashing on the sea shore. He came to Gulmohar tree, sat down underneath it, and kept the flowers on one side. With trembling fingers he traced the carvings on the granite stone. It said:

Mrs. Cynthia Cutinho

1958 - 2007