A Letter to Adaline

Dear Adaline,
You were a surprise for me.When I first saw you getting out of the yellow cab to purchase the fake IDs, there was something in your eyes and smile. And after a few minutes did I realise that your history of 107 years was buried deep inside your eyes and smile.

Your past, present and future finally ends in you,Adaline, the first born baby in San Francisco on New Year's Day of 1908.I see my dopple ganger in your love for history and archives. what made your history different from mine and others was that you perceived the history of decades through your eyes and we perceived it through books.You saw the horrors of wars, the rise of powers, the fall of people,the change in living, the developing cities.And most importantly you learned how to 'let go'

I have always wanted to be like you, to stop aging at a beautiful age.As Ellis shares a saying in Italy,"Years, lovers, and glasses of wine. These are things that should never be counted". But your past was so dear to you that you cannot resist yourself from counting years.You were an animal of past without a proper future until the chapter of Ellis. You witnessed the death of your husband, your dear ones and finally your aging daughter Fleming who will also die before you, something that constantly reminded you of your past and your condition.

But even though sometimes I just hope I was, Adaline,to go into the depths of a realm where aging is not possible,where you cannot be yourself, where you could keep on changing your place of stay, change your profession, change your style, your identity, language, and the people around you,a state where you could change anything except that you cannot love anyone because you realise the heart wrenching truth that it hurts to hurt.

You will forever be etched in my heart of hearts Adaline, more specifically your smile of living for decades.Thank you for being You.
Not letting you go,
Aparna.

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