I'd been wanting to meet her since the time I joined Wb. I read her writeups and so gathered courage to meet her one day.
She was willing to be interviewed.
"Why did you sign off suddenly without warning?" I shot off my first query.
"Just simbly like that," she smiled.
"But you surely have some reason," I interjected.
"Nein..I mean no," she shook her head.
"Are all mallus like this?" I persisted.
"What's a mallu?"
"Oh no. Anyway, how do you feel now?"
"Fantastic. Feeling fresh after months."
Fresh? All the time we thought she refreshed herself at the keyboard.
"I can't explain the feeling. Just simbly doing nothing all day. Not having to meet numerous expectationsd, answering inane queries, commenting on each post..the burden became too much. Being at the top doesn't come easy, you see," she replied with a sigh.
Some days the fellas wouldn't even look at me. And to make up for it some days were too good. Red all over, you know what I mean."
"Hummm..' my favorite Wb phrase.
"But folk there miss you."
"Yeah. I know. But they'll soon forget me. That's life, man."
Did I see her eyes moisten a bit.. I'm sure I did.
"It's lonely at the top, you see," she continued listlessly.
"But people here are dying to get up there," I interrupted.
"It's not worth it, really. Tell them, write only for fun, not for ranking wanking."
"So how do you spend time nowadays?" I changed the topic deftly.
"I'm having the time of my life. Watching TV, food channels especially. Writing had kept me on my toes for months, besides you all know my day's itinerary quite well now," she smiled.
"So you won't come back at all?"
"Nein."
The nein was getting on my nerves.
I realised I could do little to persuade her and rose up to leave.
"Tell them I still love them. Well, ah, I do miss them.. the comments and polls and all..who knows maybe..maybe one day.."
"One day...?"
She rose up slowly, her eyes twinkling. She touched me lightly on my shoulders.
"Go in peace. My blessing goes with you."
"What?"
By this time I had stepped out of the front door.
She waved at me from her balcony as I stepped into my car.
I began driving. Her words kept haunting me.
I reached home, reached for my PC as though in a daze and began writing...furiously.
