A World of Colors

A World of Color

By Jadalin Cheney

“By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” I stared in awe of the beauty around me, my eyes growing misty. 

I twirled around as all the color's danced in and out of my vision, not ceasing my momentum, even as I became dizzy! When I finally came to a still I allowed myself to roll onto the ground that was filled with leaves the color of flames. I allowed myself to pick apart every hue I see in this beautiful moment all while remembering what it was like when I could only see gray, black, and white.

Everything seems so boring when you can't even see the colour of the world around you. I lived each day of my life watching the seasons and people around me in hues of gray, never truly seeing them.

 I would wake up, walk to my morning classes at a generic university college, and then head back to my empty studio apartment to end the day. I never had anyone to talk to since grade school. So I was always Keeping my head down and never interacting with anyone, that is until that one fateful day.

I was walking to my classes as I read online novels on my phone when I heard a bike bell.

 “Now that can't be right, nobody ever rides their bike on campus” I had thought, only to turn my head to see a bike heading straight for me!

 I jumped to the side as fast as I could, the bike barely clipping the sole of my shoe, before jumping up to sprint away from the biker so I could avoid any sort of confrontation. 

I thought I had been able to get away scot free from the biker, who would probably be angry at me for getting in their way, but then I heard a shout and knew I had been wrong! 

I started walking faster as the shouts grew more persistent as I was trying to flee! A strong hand caught my shoulder and I froze, like a deer caught in a car's headlights, I slowly turned to see my captor.

A tall woman about my age looked at me as she seemed concerned,

“Are you okay?” She asked

I startled a bit as I had been expecting her to yell at me, for being in the way and making her crash her bike, not for her to be concerned.

“Yes I am but what about your bike?” I worried,

She looked absolutely baffled as to why I asked that question,

“Who cares about my bike? You could've been hurt!” She practically shouted,

I shrugged my shoulders as I didn't really care if I would have gotten hurt. She looks at me intently for a moment before I see a sort of fire light in her eyes.

“What's your phone number so I can repay you for almost running you over with my bike?” She asked,

I hesitate for a minute before taking a pen from my bag and hastily scribbling my number on her arm,

“There, now i can make it up to you,” she said after I had written my number down “i’ll talk to you soon” She finishes her sentence off with a wink as I seem to spontaneously combust on the inside.

 Little did I know that was just the start.

Almost every day she would call me or text me random and silly things. At first I had thought the way she acted was weird and childish, but eventually I would look forward to her texts. My days went from reading online novels while I walked to class to chatting with her about anything and everything we could think of. 

We spent time together both in real life and on video call, she learned about my depression and I learned she had anxiety. We would talk for hours or even sit in silence just enjoying the others presence.

Soon I started to realize something, I was starting to look forward to everyday!

The world didn't seem so bleak to me anymore! I smiled, laughed, and experienced happiness for the first time since I was an oblivious kid!

I was feeling like myself once more.

Our relationship developed more and more. I started growing outwards and began to try more social things and she started to learn the joys of quieter life. We watched each other's backs and held each other when the days just got too overwhelming or hard. No matter what we seemed to always be there when the other needed them most.

Then, she didn't answer my call or the call I sent in the two more hours that I tried contacting her. 

She had been sent to the hospital that night after experiencing a fatal seizure and several heart palpitations, and my heart had torn that night.

I rushed to the hospital as soon as I could, begging the nurses to let me into her room. I waited by her bedside each day until I got pulled out by the nurses when visiting hours were over. She recovered slowly, only to experience another seizure.

I had to watch as she spasmed and was in so much pain as I could do nothing but pray that she would make it out of this one alright.

After months and months of recovery, physical therapy, and multiple nights crying until we fell asleep together, she was finally able to leave. Her and I laughed and joked about how it was almost fall and we should dress up as tweedle dee and tweedle dum for Halloween, as I rolled her wheelchair out of the hospital room she had stayed in for so long.

I had spent so long without a friend only to find one and be this close to losing her. I had never known what I was missing until I had found it and almost lost it once again.

 By the time I stepped outside of the hospital, the leaves were on fire. I was seeing color, I was seeing color for the first time since I was a child!

Friends are such an amazing thing to have.