Goli Soda's Guitar Retired

Characters:

1. Ms. Goli Soda

2. Ms. Dee

3. Mr. Uncle Sam (Let the 'uncle' not misguide you. He's not old :-) )

4. I (i.e; Deepthi)

Goli Soda's guitar had been given for repair long long ago. Finally, on Friday, we decided that Saturday would be the most auspicious day to collect it. I met Uncle Sam half way through. Goli Soda would be coming with Dee. Four of us to collect one guitar!! It was an antique piece; an extremely expensive branded classical guitar. As usual, it took long for Goli Soda to reach the place. She was coming on her bike. Uncle Sam and I felt very hungry. The parking lots in the entire city were not ready to accommodate Santa, Goli Soda's bike. Actually, it wasn't the parking problem. She had left home half an hour after telling us that she was on her way. We were almost winding up at Green Onion when the two friends arrived. That was the first time Uncle Sam and I were meeting Dee. It was strange. I didn't know there could be someone else as sweet as Goli Soda. They too ate and we were about to leave when Dee reminded, "What about the guitar?". We had forgotten!!! The main purpose of our meeting was lost. Corner House was our next destination where we relished the ice cream and the Goli Soda-Dee college stories. Next, we walked to the guitar shop. Uncle Sam started exhibiting his talent. Goli Soda wanted to learn to play 'Summer of 69' and Dee wanted to learn 'Hotel California'. The bribing and bargaining for teaching the two songs took some time. Uncle Sam, I'm sure, enjoyed the pampering. As we came out, I thought of going for the Sunday obligation mass on Saturday itself. Mass was about to begin and the church was right there. Also, I would be working the next day and it would be too tiring to go to church after work. There was another choice. Going to the supermarket. My sister's friends were coming home and she wanted me to buy chicken. Goli Soda said, "Buy chicken. I'll drop you". She promised Uncle Sam the same thing. "My Santa!! Three of us will easily fit in", she said. We waited till Dee got her bus and left after that. Uncle Sam rode the bike, while I sat in the middle and Goli Soda behind. The way she just slipped off the bike, every time the cops were around, was very funny. I held the guitar horizontally in my right hand. But, as Goli Soda was finding it difficult to sit, I had to hold it vertically in my left hand. My left hand, as usual, displayed no strength. We were half way through when the bike went very close to a gravel pillar. The guitar banged onto it, then bounced back and hit Goli Soda's knee. She jumped off the bike in pain. She was hurt; badly hurt. The guitar was gone. It was damaged beyond repair. I still hope it can be repaired. The ANTIQUE, EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE BRANDED CLASSICAL GUITAR was gone. "Sorry" was all that I could say :( Goli Soda said, "Forget it. Let's go now. It's not your fault". Had it been my guitar, I really don't know how I would react to the situation. The sweet darling only smiled.

Later we thought, "What if Dee had not reminded us about the guitar? What if I had gone to church instead of the supermarket? What if I had held the guitar in my right hand?". All this would not have happened. But NO!! May be, all this was bound to happen. God saved us. Something worse could have happened. Goli Soda only hurt her knee. What if we had fallen off the bike, on the road?? God saved us!!! Thank you Lord.