My parents were dead when I thought they're the only ones who'd get me. Look at my family, everyone's pretending to forget about them or some people like my grandma are trying to recall their memories of my parents.
I don't have to sit down and feel it. I shouldn't care. Because that care killed my parents ruthlessly.
'Hey, Bryo.' My aunt, Meera called me. She used to be a therapist but now she stopped working.
'Will you see the reports?'
I nodded and followed her as she led me to the living room. Grandma is crying while one of the colleagues of my mom is explaining how my parents might've died. It's a fire accident probably…
'Fire killed my daughter…' Grandma's voice filled the hall. Everyone was looking down.
'Take this,' Aunty gave a cloth to Grandma. Probably to shut her from crying.
The colleague opened his mouth to talk about the reports.
'Why is God so evil?' Grandma interrupted him. Colleague closed his mouth and looked down again until Grandma finished crying.
'Can I speak Aunty?' He asked politely as Grandma nodded while sniffing. 'A sudden chemical spike in the automated climate chamber. The oxygen levels, once ideal for replication, turned the leaf chamber into a kiln.' He read the reports.
'So?' Ravi Uncle asked.
Maybe after that the chamber's fire spread till it killed my mom and dad.
'So, our important project files caught the fire. Both of them were working on project convergence probably since Bryo was born.'
'Project convergence? Never heard of it in ecology…' Ishita questioned. She's studying ecology too. A college student.
'Maybe your curriculum didn't have it.' Uncle said.
'No. Why would you compare an undergrad course to what experienced scientists do?' Aunt asked.
'But actually,' Ishita continued.
'No Ishita. Let him explain.' Aunt shut her up. She sighed. And then glared at me. Why? I can understand rocket science; but not this.
'Since they've been working so hard in project convergence, she tried save those file. In an attempt to save her, her husband also got caught in the fire. They died together…'
'They purely love each other.' Grandma cried.
What I feel bad about, is that at least my dad might be there for me if he didn't save mom. We might be sad about her death. But I have my dad at least. Maybe they don't want me… No. Logically, it doesn't make sense that they leave their files to burn. If they thought emotionally, they lose each other and in this case, both died by saving each other.
Grandma was still crying. That colleague is waiting for Grandma to stop crying. Everyone looked down again.
Both uncle and aunty brought tea for everyone. Ishita was rubbing Grandma's eyes. Why is Grandma too emotional?
I sat on the sofa while everyone was sipping tea except me and Ishita. Grandpa sat beside me. He patted me.
'Don't worry dear… We're here for you.' He said this for the third time today. Was he expecting some sort of breakdown or what?
'I am not sad. I am fine. I want forget these bad memories.' I said. Straight and blunt. I couldn't tolerate any hidden meanings anymore. This was too much.
He looked at me with an expression I can't read. His eye brows were raised and his jaw dropped slightly. What does that mean? He stood up and sat beside Ishita, his favorite grandchild.
At another corner of the room, Uncle and that colleague were talking.
'Our boss will be arriving in minutes.' Colleague said. Uncle nodded.
'He wants to say something important.'
'Maybe he wants to talk about their job?'
'Probably. But he's more worried of what would happen to our project. Both of them are two of the best ecologists we ever had. Their coordination is impressive. Each other fill their knowledge gaps. And that's incredible!' Colleague sipped his tea.
'Yeah.' Uncle started moving hands like a singer would. 'What is actually project convergence about?' Uncle put his hand like a beggar asking for something. I would never understand this.
'Oh, wait!' Colleague said. Uncle was confused. Colleague widened his eyes and mouth wide open. 'I know why both of them named him "Bryo"' He said with some excitement maybe?
Yeah, always wondered why my name is very unusual that everyone else in my family. I sound like I'm a fantasy character rather than a south Indian.
'Really?' Uncle was surprised. I tip toed and sat beside uncle. He saw me, but then turned back to that colleague.
'I want to know, can I?' I asked them. That colleague nodded.
'Absolutely. It is about project convergence.'
That thing? I am just project in their eyes? No. No. No. Think logically. Maybe they're trying to give their legacy to me. Not wrong. I hate my emotions. My emotions are too emotional…
'So,'
Someone knocked the door. Uncle stood up to unlock the door. That colleague stopped speaking. Why would he stop speaking even at a very small disturbance? He can tell me right?
Another person came in and that colleague stood up. Oh. His boss. Aunt Meera and her daughter Ishita came to the hall to enter the discussion.
'Welcome sir…'
'Namaste.'
'Coffee or tea?'
'Just a glass of water please.'
And after these formalities and moments of extreme politeness, everyone sat down.
'So, I am here to talk about the contract both have signed. But since they died before completing the project, it gives our company huge loss considering how good they were together. But, we can't give you the money they earned throughout because it would cost our company dearly.' He said and showed the signed contracts.
No one spoke. No one moved. Just silence and everyone's reflecting on what just happened. If mom and dad named me like this, this must be very important for them. Logically, what this person says makes sense to me.
It's not about how much my parents earned. It's about how much company benefited from their work.
'We need money for Ishita's studies.' Aunt said.
'I study pay my fees with what I earn in my internships.' She said. But Aunt and Uncle still glared at her. Because, they want money.
Ishita whispered something to Aunt. And she replied by whispering into Ishita's ear. Why are they whispering?
'We're just telling this so that everything will be clear.' That boss said.
'Is there any other way we could get the—'
'Only one way.'
Everyone brought their ears together. 'You get the money back only if someone from your family can replace our human loss.'
'So, should someone else be the ecologist?'
'Even someone who is eligible in research can be there. In this project, we have mathematicians, biologists and philosophers working together.'
'Grandpa can?' Ishita looked at Aunt. 'He's a retired mathematician.'
'He's retired and he might've lost practice too. I don't think he remembers things?' That boss said. He glanced at Ishita. She's still learning. And then he looked at me.
'Can you do it?' He asked, pointing out me. Everyone else looked at me as I dropped my jaw. That's a nice idea maybe? Or, is that a really terrible job for someone who is still studying 8th grade?