LIGHTS OF HOPE AND PEACE

That’s the thing about this city, no matter how sad and lonely you are, the city will always look cheery and lively. I’ve been in this city for two years, its happy and cheerful vibe rubbed off on me in so many ways. Living in this city made me perpetually happy.

I remember when I arrived here, I was hesitant but a little excited about what I am going to see here. This city was the last leg of my trip before going back to somewhere I wasn’t ready for.

Cruising in a city alone has its perks, I can decide where I want, when I want. So upon arriving, I went through all the malls, just watching people loiter around, watching their happiness on simple things. And of course, the children! Having a child was my lifelong dream, but fate deemed me unworthy of them. To ease my aching heart, I watch them play and feel as if I’m the parent sending them to their little world of happiness, the playground.

After the mall hopping, I went to bars and befriended a lot of ladies and men. I had fun being in their company although I couldn’t drink too much unlike them. There was something on the unruly side of the bar which made me feel free and liberated of the constraints set upon me. These friends would sometime call me during the day for coffee time and we just talk about random things. I love coffee.

Some nights, we went to the casino. I’m not a pro gambler, but as I just wanted to experience these kinds of things, I obliged and spent my money. I won some, I lost some. But it doesn’t matter. I get to be happy with my new found friends. I’m not rich, but I have saved enough to support me in my luxuries.

On some days, I just went and traveled around the city, capturing the majestic sceneries I witness. The sunset at the top of a hill, the perfect symmetry of a far village I came upon to, and the people. Yes the people! They were so hospitable, answering all of my queries with patience and suggesting more places to explore. The people were definitely the reason why I always come back to the rural areas.

I went mountain climbing with the locals and some tourists the other day, and even if I was a burden for them due to my weakening lungs, they patiently waited and guided me so that we could all reach the summit together. In a city, I learned, the people is the major contributing factor that encourages the people to come visit once again. The scenery, I figured, was a bonus factor.

And of course the beach! Although this is a major city, beaches were very common in this part. It’s a coastal city so beach resorts boomed in here. One thing I’d like to say, I love the beach. As a girl, I always spent lots of time in the beach as my dad was a fisherman. I love swimming in the depths of the ocean, watching the colorful fishes hunt their food or just look for a shelter. I love watching the corals sway in the current, enticing every one of their magnificence.

I enrolled on scuba diving programs to see how their ocean looks. And I was not disappointed, I saw a lot of unknown creatures to me. In my excitement, I forgot I have an instructor and she was gesturing for me to come back to her side, signing that the direction I was going to was a dangerous area. I know of it, but the thrill of adventure urges me to just go and lose myself in it. But she was adamant, and so I reluctantly obliged. All in all, it was an okay experience, though if I could have gone into that raging current, I could probably go in peace.

Along the coasts, I could see families, lovers, single and alone people like me, group of friends and students along with their instructor for a swimming lesson. The variety of the people in this part of the city and the wind lapping my face was a relaxation I have been seeking for some time. I laid down on the sand and closed my eyes. Ah heaven!

On my last day in the city, I sat on a bench facing the tallest building and the busiest area of the city. I watched the flow of people and of cars. I watched how there day went. During the day, people were carrying steaming cups of coffee going to their offices. All of them on a fast-paced and single-minded approach going to work. Some others bumped on each other, but a simple sorry was all it took and they go back walking briskly.

Around lunch time, people can be seen walking in groups, laughing and talking as they go to their favorite restaurants to eat along with their co-workers. It was still fast-paced, but I could see that there’s an air of relaxation on their shoulders, probably because there are only a few hours before they clock out of work.

Around late afternoon, students mill around as they have ended their classes for the day. They went along with groups riding buses, or private cars or just walking towards the nearest malls. There was a lot of merriment in the air.

Early evening and the office workers go out under the bright lights of the city. Their faces tired but relaxed as the thought of finally going home, seeing their families and taking a rest engulfs their whole being. Their walks were now a little relaxed, a skip sometimes evident on their steps.

I was part of this amazing group before I succumbed to this terminal illness that restricted me from doing more. A familial disease that left me afraid of bearing children that would later suffer just like me. I opted to live alone and live the best of life just how I wanted.

Sooner or later, I wouldn’t be able to see the people, the hills, the sunset, and the city lights that on some days bring me aching hopes.

As I am lying down in the hospital bed, feeling every aching part of my body, I watched the city lights outside my hospital window.

That’s the thing about this city, no matter how weak you feel, the city still shines brightly giving happiness towards someone like me.

I couldn’t ask for more, as I closed my eyes with the lights shining in front of me signaling my once bright life.

I am at peace.