People scurried about like mice, a middle aged oman consoled her crying baby, a tall man in a business suit yakked into his cell phone. I narrowed my eyes and squinted slightly, scanning the crowds for familiar faces. My shoulders slumped a little. None. Subconsciously, my hand reached up to tug on the black beanie I put on to hide my messy hair. My phone vibrated, I froze and, my hand hung in mid air. Once. Twice. Buzz buzz buzz. Walking to the nearest vacant bench, I sat down to reply to the text messages I received.
All of them bore the same question, "Hey, where are you? " I chuckled to myself. In a matter of seconds, I tapped out my reply and got up after pressing send, casually strolling to Starbucks when I really wanted to sprint over. Effortlessly, I maneuvered through the sea of people and sat down at an empty table, located at the far end. Since it was still early and to avoid appearing awkward, I scrolled down my phone mindlessly while waiting. The enticing aroma of brewing coffee and roasted coffee beans filled my senses and I smiled to myself.
I thought of getting up and ordering a cup of semi-sweet, warm, mouth watering goodness and a croissant to go with it but shrugged it off. My friends arrived one by one and I greeted them all with a smile. "Oh, don''t mention it," they replied with a grin when I thanked them profusely for setting aside some time to come see me before I boarded my plane. Candy, flowers, cards and various trinkets were held out in my direction and I smiled. A stack of letters made me squeal in delight. I arranged them neatly in my backpack and tucked the letters in a compartment that won''t wrinkle or crush them.
We sat down and snared a tew laughs. Looking back, the stupid things we did, taught s a lesson or two and none of us seemed to regret it. My cousin bought me ice cream. "Don''t worry about it, kiddo. It''s my turn to buy you something this time," he chuckled and ruffed my hair though he knew that I hated it whenever he did that. "We made something for you," Aaron, my ''brother-from-another-mother'' declared. He held up a long black roll. His face was solemn, I couldn''t help but giggle. The black roll turned out to be a large black card and I fell quiet. The word ''Memories'' was written at the top.
I was at a loss for words. The card was decorated with various roup photos, old movie stubs and a portrait of me, drawn from a photo of me taken a week ago. I remembered it as if it was yesterday. Everyone had the time of their life, laughing and dancing- hula dancing to be exact, under the stars. Aaron played the ukulele onstage and sang his rendition of Jason Mraz'' I''m Yours. The waves seemed to catch the beat and crashed against the rocks, accentuating the performance. Sand got into our flip flops but no one seemed to care. Someone pulled me aside. "Hey A1!
Look at you, with those flowers on your head. You look great! " I looked at the neon pink tank top I paired with a pastel green wraparound. "Take a picture, it''ll last longer," I replied playfully while adjusting the flower crown that sat on top of my head. He whipped his phone out and his finger hovered over a button. "Say Hawaii! " We took a number of photos together and my cheeks literally hurt from all the smiling. "Never smiling. Again! " I exclaimed, rubbing my aching cheeks a few times for emphasis. The time passed quicker than I thought it would and it was actually time for me to go.
I hugged and was hugged- tightly. I felt my eyes getting wet but I blinked them back. No one else was crying. Don''t you be the only one crying. I hugged my grandma the last and I saw that her eyes were red. Tears sprang into my eyes again and my voice broke when I told her that I would be back soon, and that she had to take care of herself well. "We''ll miss you! " everyone called out before I disappeared into the domestic gate. I waved at them until they were out of sight. My heart soared. My head spun. I''m leaving today! Throughout the year, daydreams weren''t unusual for me.
I have been dreaming of eaches, tanned skin and a fabulous life ever since I found out that I would be flying to the United States to continue my studies. Just the thought of it made me giddy with excitement. It felt Just like it was yesterday that I was dragging my feet, knowing that the day I would be leaving seemed like a few light years away. Now it seemed as if I couldn''t take big enough strides. I Just couldn''t wait. I buckled my seatbelt before the safety announcements came on and sat back. It wasn''t a full flight so I had all three seats to myself. I sat near the window and put my ag on the seat next to me.
My fingers tugged at the zipper on my bag and I dug inside for the stack of letters. The pilot started talking and went through a few announcements but my mind was back home. Tears burned the back of my eyes, my throat swelled and it hurt to swallow. My vision blurred and a tear ran down my cheek. It quivered for a moment on the tip of my nose, then splashed onto my light colored sweater, leaving a small, dark circle. More tears followed as I let it all out. My shoulders quaked and I tried to keep silent and pretended to be fascinated by the view out the window.
IVe been here all my life, I realized. IVe met all kinds people, blessings and curses. These people have helped mold the person I am today. I also realized that I might not see these people ever again. A part of me is relieved because IVe been scarred by many, like everyone else. But I do believe that people step in and out of one''s life for a reason. Be it a blessing or a curse, I hope I become a blessing for many. I closed my eyes and leaned back, the letters strewn on my lap. A small smile tugged on the corner of my lips. This is a new beginning.
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