I am participating in the 30 Days Letter Challenge where you write one letter each day. The 22nd in the list is a letter to ‘Someone you want to give a second chance to’ Though this is addressed to one person, this is in general to those who have messed up with the first chance given them, but think I owe them a second.

 

Dear Someone I want To Give A Second Chance To,

Very sorry to say this, you simply don’t exist because you see, no one gets a second chance from me. No sir. Nyet. None at all. No doubt you think I am as mean as they come by for saying that. If you do, and say it out loud, you’d be talking through your bally hat, whether you own one or not being immaterial.

I bet you don’t know why I don’t give anyone a second chance. It is because when it comes to me, no one ever NEEDS a second chance. Why would you? It is like this. I am not impulsive, don’t have a short temper, don’t do or say things on a whim. I respect people and their feelings to a fault and go out of my way to make you comfortable at the risk of extreme discomfort to myself. In short, I make the first chance I give you the toughest one on me, that the need for a second chance for you does NOT arise at all.

I always have premonitions quite early on regarding the need for a second chance arising. In fact I can feel in my bones, the need for it approaching from far, in slow motion to boot. My reaction to that is a redoubling of efforts to keep it at bay as long as possible. I hope and hope and hope, that you will see it too and take appropriate steps.

Once I see that mere hoping on my part is not working, I come right out and use words to convey the need to reevaluate the situation. I may even get hysterical as it gets closer, driving you mad in the process for blind as you are to any such thing, you continue being your flippant, blissfully unaware, or painfully obtuse (that’s the right term!) self, messing up the first chance, taking advantage of my feelings and my worst ever quality of taking things lying down for far too long, till it becomes too late to speak up.

You know it actually makes me wonder why you don’t see the inevitable staring you in the face. It must be because in your mind rests the thought that you will always get that second chance that everyone is entitled to. Isn’t that the way of the world? You treat people without a care for their feelings and can always put up an application for a renewal of old relations via a request for second chance.

Guess what. Perhaps that’s how the world works, but not Shail. With me you get the one big chance which is more than enough for a lifetime, during which time like a contortionist I bend and twist to assume a lot of difficult to achieve postures so that the ‘first’ chance works. Then I reach a point where I can bend no more without breaking, as inevitably anyone must. And that is when/where I stop and turn my back on you.

Oh, don’t worry. I won’t cut you off when I see you again sometime. You see, I am civilized. Not only will I talk to you politely, I will even invite you home and serve you tea and snacks. I bear you no ill-will. Just never bring up the matter of a second chance and getting together like old times. It will not work. Never ever.

Yours

The one who gives only one chance to others.

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©Shail Mohan 2014