THE HAPPIEST MOMENT OF OUR LIVES!

A fictional short story by Stutee Kulkarni

Mrs. D’Souza’s 10-year-old daughter Anna was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago and has been undergoing cancer treatment since then. At present, she is at the doctor’s for her treatment, with her father.

Mrs. D’Souza is cleaning Anna’s room. While re-arranging her desk drawer, she finds a diary tucked all the way at the back of the drawer. After some contemplation, Mrs. D’Souza decides to open it. She reads the latest diary entry dated yesterday.

Date: 24/12/2025

Dear Diary,

How are you today?

Mom says I should write down what I feel so that it stays with me forever. That way, I will never feel alone. So here I am, back to sharing my confusions and curiosities with you.

“What is the happiest moment of your life?” I asked my grandma. Granny replied, " The moment I held your mother on the day she was born.”

Every day when I replay this conversation, I think about what my happiest moment is. Confused and unsure, I start my boring day. I wake up, freshen up, take my daily tonics for strength, have a healthy breakfast, and have tonnes of medicines!

Sometimes when mom is not looking, I skip one or two medicines. Truth is, I have been taking them for so long now that I feel that they suck the life out of me. Who are “they”, you ask? Not the medicines. My parents, the doctors, the nurses, and everyone who looks at me with those sad faces.

For the past two years, every other week, I have been taken through what feels like endless cycles of the same treatment. A treatment whose exact reason I still do not know. After every treatment cycle, I get a different stuffed animal. So far, I used to like seeing my parents’ smiling faces every time they gave me those soft toys.

However, during the last two treatment cycles, my parents have not given me any Huggy toys. It is not that they are doing it on purpose. It just feels like they have forgotten about those toys because they have been sadder than usual. Sometimes, I wonder if it is all my fault that I am somehow making them worry so much.

Initially, before I got so sick, my parents were not as sad as they are lately. I guess they always knew what to do to make me feel better. They know that Christmas is my favourite festival. So, we would watch Christmas movies together in my room. Mom would bake her multigrain gingerbread cookies, make hot chocolate, and we would have a good time together. Once I would feel better, their faces would light up! Seeing them, I would instantly forget my tiredness and pain. On actual Christmas day, we would have a gala time! So much fun that I cannot even describe.

What I like most is that we would not wait for Christmas to arrive. My parents had the power to create any of my dull days into a spontaneous Christmas celebration. As I am writing about it, I realise that all those magical, unplanned Christmas days are the happiest moments of my life! I genuinely miss spending such happy moments with my parents.

At present, I feel I am like a boring job to them, and not a person anymore. I am something that they must take care of, even if they do not enjoy taking care of me. I understand that I feel sicker, so they must spend more time and money on me. Mom is so stressed out most of the time. She has stopped painting and has taken a part-time job instead. Dad is barely at home during the day, except on the days that he takes me to the doctor.

Every two weeks, my parents alternately take me to the doctor for my treatment. When I ask what the treatment is exactly for, all they say is not to worry, and that I will get better if I follow the treatment. On those treatment days in my absence, the other parent who stays at home cleans my room. I know this, as I always find my things easily on the day after my treatment. This is how things have been going on for a long time now.

Can I tell you a secret, Diary? Since the time I started feeling sicker, I do not think my parents have come to my room at all to have fun with me, like they used to. The only time they come is to take care of me or to clean my room. If you truly are my friend, diary, please do not tell this to Mom and Dad. I know they care a lot for me, and I do not want to make them sadder.

All I pray to God daily is that I wish I could have the spontaneous Christmas fun again with my parents, as many days as possible. Today is Christmas Eve, and I hope tomorrow can bring me my Christmas miracle.

I hope to relive the happiest moment of my life on the day of Christmas!

But do keep this secret to yourself, diary. I do not want to bother Mom and Dad more.

Thank you, my secret keeper.

Anna.

After reading this entry, Mrs. D’Souza could not read any further and shut the diary. Sobbing, she went to the washroom to wash her face and calm herself. Seeing herself in the mirror for a few seconds, her mind was fresh with a spontaneous idea.

She instantly calls Mr. D’Souza and says, “Once you both return, we shall recreate the happiest moment of our lives!”