Finding Arun Read Free

was
lunchtime. Ordinarily his stomach would have been crying out for
food by this time, but his appetite had severely diminished since
the loss of his mother and, still full from breakfast, he decided
simply to take a short break.
    The third bookcase was crammed full of box files,
which his mother’s erratic, doctoral scrawl informed him contained
archives of niche medical journals. Pulling the box labelled
‘ Journal of
Tropical Pediatrics 88–89’ from the top shelf for company, Aaron lowered
himself cross-legged onto the rug, exhausted from the graft of the
morning. He leant back against the dense cardboard fort and clicked
the box file open to reveal around a dozen faded journal issues,
each one as illegible as the next. The sun had obviously gotten to
them long before filing and Aaron wondered why his mother had
deliberately kept texts that she would not be able to read. A
former specialist in paediatric medicine, it was possible that the
journals contained her own article submissions, or that
collectively they were of some financial value, but whatever the
reason his mother had never done anything in her life without just
cause and he was certain of a logical explanation.
    He held the February 1988 issue up towards the light
and peered closely at the front cover, squinting while he tried to
make out the faded images. A thin slip of rough, off-white paper
fell from between the pages and drifted slowly through the air
before finally coming to rest in his lap. He glanced down at it in
surprise; the ends were somewhat dog-eared and both sides were
covered in a large and unfamiliar inky black scrawl. Instantly
intrigued, he set the journal to one side and, lifting the scruffy
piece of paper from his lap, began to read in earnest.
     
    P.O. Box No. 21, Puri H.O.
    Baliapanda Road
    Puri – 752 001 (Orissa)
    India
    05/03/12
     
    To Dear Catherineben,
    I am hoping this letter is meeting with you in the
very best of healths. And for your husband also I am wishing
it.
    I am very sorry for writing again but it is a very
much long time that I am not hearing of you. Am I saying something
too bad for you? I am so much hoping that it is not something I am
saying wrong for upsetting you. Maybe you are not receiving my last
letters? I don’t know how these things are working in UK exactly
but we are not such problems having before.
    I am sad very much in my heart for not hearing of
you. Always before you are writing and giving pictures of Arun and
like this I am knowing that my boy is okay. I am smiling all the
days when your letter is coming, but now is only very much worrying
for something bad happening with Arun.
    I am praying to God every day for bringing me some
news of my boy. My pujari is telling me to being patient and I am
in my heart knowing that God is doing only what is best for me, and
for Arun, and for you, even I am not understanding his ways.
    I am thinking how very much busy you are being with
your important doctor work. You are having very much a kind heart
and I am thinking maybe now is more important you are helping
people like you did helping me and so much time not having for
writing maybe?
    I am promising I am trying to being patient
Catherineben, but now is so long for waiting and I am scary for the
time is not enough. I am with all my heart asking you again and I
am praying to God for making this one thing for you important also.
I am staying everydays sick in my bed now, not even to the mandir I
am going, and the doctor cannot anymore helping me.
    Hanara and Lakshin are giving me the care and for
this I am knowing already I am very much lucky. To having here two
children is a blessing truly, but it is in my heart always the one
who is missing. I am knowing it is not much time more for me in
this world Catherineben and I am wishing for see my dear son Arun
only once time more.
    I am understanding that this is not in our agreement
and for this I am really very much sorry again. You are so much
giving to me and