“Every summer we would go by the river with our grandchildren and she always made their favorite chicken and ham pie” he reminisced as tears trickled down his cheeks.

• 

Sam had moved in to her new apartment just a month ago, Aakash’s work got them to London recently. She had no friends here.

Then Sam met Ron, her 70 year old neighbor in the lift one day, as she was heading out to get the groceries. He was headed to the store himself and offered her a ride.

• 

To extend her gratitude she invited him over for a cup of tea the next day. Six months had passed since then, he now stopped by often for a hot cup of chai.

Jane

Watching her and Aakash, reminded him of his beloved wife Jane. On such evening visit to her house, Ron told them about Jane and her battle with Alzheimer’s.

It had started with her forgetting small things and then one day she couldn’t even remember her own name.

“One day she stepped out for a stroll while I was in the shower and then she couldn’t find her way back home. She was missing for two days.” It had been a heart wrenching experience for Ron and his sons.

• 

Ron never wanted to send her away but after this episode he accepted that Jane needed professional medical care. ”I promised to be with her through thick and thin, I intend to fulfill that promise till my last breath” he told Sam one day.

Ron moved into his current apartment soon after that episode, leaving behind his home of 40 years, where Jane and he had raised their two beautiful sons.

“In her mind, she’s a child living with her mom and her older sister“. He visits her every weekend, taking along a bunch of their old photographs, always hoping for a miracle.

He missed Jane dearly and often regaled them with her cooking stories. His personal favorite of hers were Falafels and Hummus “I haven’t tasted a better falafel than hers in all these years “ he said smiling.

• 

Ron

While Jane was sick, Ron was fighting a battle too, he was heartbroken and lonely. The family suffers as much if not more. He hid his tears from the boys.

Some days he blamed her for getting sick and then there were days he remembered her fondly. He felt cheated. Life stole from him his partner who had promised to grow old with him.

He had to unlearn his old habits, learn to carry on with life alone at the age of 70. Ron needed a friend, someone he could unpretentiously share his pain with.

• 

Sam never interrupted Ron when he spoke of Jane. There were days when he would go the same tales over and over again. .

Today was one of those days where he missed her dearly, Ron wiped his tears as he continued looking out of the window and then he said “All this talk of picnic has made me hungry how about we try those pakoras ? “.

Sam smiled at Ron, gave him a tight hug before heading to kitchen to get those hot Pakoras to go with the chai.

• 

Sometimes all someone needs is a listening ear and a warm hug.

Ron loved his Jane.Ron missed his Jane.