Written piece
Alone
Tapan Debnath
Bangladesh
About this piece
Erika visits a peaceful Los Angeles park daily to escape stress and loneliness. Reflecting on her distant son and life’s solitude, she finds comfort in companionship. The story explores loneliness, memory, motherhood, and the need for connection.
Alone
There is a beautiful park in Los Angeles. Every day after work, Erika stops there for a little while before going home. She loves the park because of its green trees, pleasant surroundings, and peaceful feeling.
She usually sits on a bench, combs her hair, and listens to one or two of her favourite songs. Sometimes, she hums softly. This gives her a little peace of mind before she goes home.
Today is Friday, the last day of the week. Erika drives to the park with two small tree saplings. She takes them out of the car, places them beside her, and sits on a bench.
“It feels as if God made this park only for me,” she says.
She takes a small mirror from her vanity bag, looks at her face, fixes her hair, and touches up her lipstick.
“When I come here, the tiredness of the whole day becomes less,” she thinks. “These days, I do not see many people. Day by day, fewer people come here. Everyone seems to be becoming lonely. I became lonely a long time ago. My son does not come close to me like before. But children never understand that, to parents, children never really grow up.”
Erika looks at the sky. Even the sky seems alone. The trees are alone too. Everybody is alone.
She decides to plant the two saplings side by side so they can stay together. “When I am no longer here, they will know I did not leave them alone.”
She wonders, “Can trees talk like people? Who knows? If they talk secretly at night, who will see?”
As the sun begins to set, Erika plants the saplings, waters them, and gently touches their leaves.
“Did I give them company because they were alone, or because I am alone?”