Category: Prose
Theme: New Year
Synopsis:
She was never a turbulent person, not the type to cause trouble. With a wave of influence, everything changed for her. Isolation was her coping mechanism, but when will that last?
A year passed by, really? I wasn't counting minutes or months but it felt like a flash. Within that flash was tons of memories, better than two years ago. We healed through the process, and in the journey, some people became our inspiration to continue and follow. Chaos and trouble won't be always left behind. Without it, we wouldn't bring the lessons we have right now. The rules are somehow unfastened, so we can enjoy every moment we've been longing for.
Strolling through the busy streets with our buddy, and pausing at places to rest those sore feet. Eating at places that brought back nostalgia from a long time ago, hearing the iconic clanging of the cutleries and piquant aroma lingering from the kitchen to the tables. Before everything else, we need to take 2 shots for protection. It became a sensation that the needle would pierce through the soul and it would hurt like hell. But guess what? It never did, more like a punch than an exaggerated bite of the emblematic tyrannosaurus rex.
I could feel the chill through this thick jacket or what really seemed to be much cooler than the wind of Christmas eve. If I keep myself blinded by my thoughts, I’d be hitting a pole anytime later. And I did.
"Shoot, it hurts like hell."
Wait, that wasn't a pole. I lift my head to find a boy at my age glaring at me as if he would pierce through my astral. Hah, no. "I'm sorry sir—"
"Whatever geek, advanced blessed new year to you."
My line of thinking just got interrupted. Well, that was unexpected. I just went ahead and carried on with my trail. "Ma'am, that would be 257." I picked the cash from my wallet and handed it to the cashier. Never knew it would be this expensive now. What a waste, but oh well I already settled.
7 hours from now, we would be throwing our old calendars; replacing them with a fresh set of months, starting with a year of different numbers. A new year to celebrate events that were annually spent.
I'd been focusing everything inside of my head too much that I forgot to view the composition above. Ocean of blues with the turbulent stratocumulus apricot clouds and a hint of pink beside. It perfectly matched the fair weather with cold abnormalities. The craft of the Gods was too awe-inspiring to not be photographed. I snatched my phone from the hoodie's pocket and snapped.
"There! Perfect desktop wallpaper."
I restarted my laptop to check it out better than the settings. Oh, it was already been three hours? Due to panic, I scrambled out of my mini office to get the camera to record memories for the games they would be having later on. Ridiculous but fun games and eating until 11:59 comes were already part of our tradition, even before.
"Three, two, one, smile bright!"
Two snapped in a single second, I didn't even let them breathe. Bet their eyes hurt after.
I badly want to spend my new year somewhere far from here. It was too noisy and there are people who didn't seem nice to be with. Those are my old friends, they used to be a great influence but because of natural changes, they just brought chaos to me. I was never a violent person, but because of norms; I had to fit in. Which was what I shouldn’t have done.
"Hey, want to come with us and—"
"Not interested."
Without any hesitation, I rushed out of the place and just go where my feet wanted to. It felt like a bad guide but somehow it brought me somewhere silent.
"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you..."
My playlist was on shuffle and my favorite music came. I can't help but sing along while looking at the waxing moon. Several songs went by, I was getting occupied by the boredom.
"Oh, look it's the geek from earlier." Not him again. Gladly my things were already fixed, now all I need to do is get out of here—
"Hey now don't go, stay for a little while."
"And why should I?"
"The fireworks are beautiful here you know."
Now that was convincing. I sighed, sat back in my original seat. The grass felt unexpectedly comfortable than it did earlier. "So how did you encounter this place?" And starting from that, we talked for the next two hours. We shared laughs and crazy memories until our stomachs throbbed. Then suddenly forgot every painful thing I had. We were barely aware of the time until people started to light their fireworks.
"Looks like they sell sparklers, why not buy them and celebrate ourselves?"
"Sounds great!"
It would be my first experience because I rarely get in touch with this stuff. "Point it downwards or else you'll be hit by its sparks" I hastily point it down because I was too scared to do it carefully. He chuckled and proceeded to focus on his. Gladly it didn't fly on my face.
"Hey, you know they said that when the sparks fly off one by one, it meant that after every hardship you face, at the end of it will be tranquility?"
I looked down, unable to speak. Why did it have to affect me badly? Now I wanted him to shut up. “Hey, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, just shut up already!”
We spent the time together until it was raining fireworks. Of course, I never forgot to take pictures for my wall of memories. It was mesmerizing than it should have been, more than amazing. I took a stolen shot with him and gladly he never noticed. We greet each other with a happy new year and said each other goodbye. I was met with a shot of a sweet alcoholic drink that was not meant for my age, but I drank in. He already left because he could sense chaos.
Woke up the next morning and looked at every photo. Almost everything was photos stolen from him. Yet there was this one picture, he was smiling at the camera that I never noticed. I swiped furthermore and saw one that showed like we were hugging, and it was probably from his phone.
Opened the laptop and printer to get everything ready, when I noticed the file name of the photo where we're hugging each other. It said; “Starting a new series with a warm enfold.”
Published by: Rhina Ruth T. Galano
Date published: January 14, 2022
Time published: 7:43 AM
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