Daily prompt - Aluminium Frame (A five minutes freewrite)

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It's 4th already, the day Papa promised Mama would return. I had woken up with the speed of light, earlier than the first cock crow. I had freshened up ensuring that the house was still just as neatly arranged as the previous day. Satisfied, I dashed to the Kitchen and saw Papa chopping off the vegetables. I was elated, to say the least, as I ran to the sitting room, grabbed a stool and positioned it strategically by the window, at the foot of the aluminium Frame. Sitting and waiting patiently for any sign that looks like mama.

In what felt like forever, I excused myself to check on Papa and also to ask what was taking Mama so long. Any minute now was Papa's usual consolatory word, but my patience was running thin, and, the dish was getting cold. Is Mama still coming? I questioned with a teary eye. Of course, papa would always reassure him with a smile, which exposed his dementia. Taking a deep breath and gulping down saliva on three counts, I went to my stool. Sighed deeply in frustration and sat leaning my head by the window Aluminium frame. And just when I was about to give up and surrender to fate, I heard Papa scream in excitement, "She's here."

At that particular moment, it was like heaven opened, and its host came to lend their melodious voice to welcome Mama. Without waiting to confirm, I rushed after Papa, brushing past his right-hand side to be the first to get a hug from Mama while it was still warm. Unfortunately, I was halted; Mama didn't smell like Mama. She also looked nothing like Mama, and as I looked at my papa with tears in my eyes, searching for answers, he said, "Meet, Your New Mama. Finally, we get to be a family again.

At that moment, time stood still as it all unfolded like life flashing before my very eyes. The day Mama was to return from the hospital with my baby sister, but instead, it was Papa who came back alone with the same bag Mama left with the two days before. I might be ten years old then, but I knew what it meant when Papa walked through that day drenched in his own tears without Mama. And while I had thought he promised mama would return it became clear it was never mama but her replacement.

It's been 2 years since the real mama left and never returned, 2 years of pain being at her farewell party, and in those two years, nothing ever remained the same. It's also clear that nothing will ever remain the same.