AGED LOVE

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I've never seen love age. When I say love, I mean love between two people in companionship. My dad died when I was young and so did my grandfather. So sadly all I saw was a pair of women who were mourning their love. Don't get me wrong, their love didn't fade way. Amma and Appachan's love lives through the fond stories my mother tells and the little private smile she has when I call her "aanoo" (ആനോ) - the name my dad used to call her. So I've seen long lasting love; but that love is a longing, a lament. 

My parents had a difficult and impoverished childhood, which is probably why I don't see a lot of friendships that stood the test of time. For some weird reason, none of my siblings also has friends that could show me how love travelled through life and aged.

Which is why the videos of old couples bring tears to my eyes - to see the fortune of being in love and being reminded that you get to share your life with them everyday. The little cynic in me always thought that those videos were probably scripted and can only happen in Disney movies.

But now that I've started to accept myself as an adult and have seen my friends give their all for me, I'm starting to think that maybe I'll see love age in my life. 

And what brought on this certainty? A pair of slippers.

That's right, a very ordinary pair of grey slippers that were brought from a nearby shop. When my dearest friend moved to his new house and had me over the first time, he pointed at a pair of slippers. I was a little confused at first...why was he showing me his slippers? But then I noticed that he had his own. And he told me that they were mine; mine to use when I visited. His house barely had any utensils for cooking at that point, but he had thought of me. His first shopping list for essentials had a place for my comfort.

And that's how I know that I'll finally get to see love age. And it'll be my love.

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