Meeting you in the City

Chapter 1: Crepusculo

The sun was setting down as it left a battling color of the darkness and the light, a sight of free birds flying above a purplish pink sky that displayed a magnificent view on the horizon, a lovely art for everyone to see. I can’t help but wonder how sunsets look like in the city. Will it be this beautiful as I remembered? Would it be this peaceful as it seems? Cold winds passed by as it blew my hair. The weather looks okay; it does not seem to rain. Still, the atmosphere appears to be gloomy. I pondered whether it was just from my perspective because surely I’ll miss this place. I took one last look at our house and captured every detail in my mind of how it looks so small yet comfortable. The faded color of the fences, oh how it lingered to my senses the smell of freshly painted walls, brings me back to the day that It still looks big to hold me back but now I can just step past it. It used to be big and enough for us; oh how much have I grown? I can’t help but feel nostalgic as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes memories of what we used to have here are constantly overflowing through my head. It made me reminisce about my childhood, all the fun and unforgettable moments that my parents and I had shared here *sighing*, feelings submerging through my body made me stiff; it almost made me cry. It’s still hard to believe that I’ll be leaving this place behind. I’m so sensitive I hate it. I wanted to cry until I heard a voice called my name.

“Salvador,” I heard a sweet faint voice of someone calling my name.

“Salvador, we should get going now,” my mom invited. I stood there for a while before turning my head over to her as she stared at my face.

“Salvador, look at you, are you crying?” she questioned

“No! I’m not just a speck of dirt in my eyes,” I denied while pretending to clean my eyes

“You big baby!” she teases me and signs her hand to come near her, but I invited them instead,

“Ma; pa, come here with me?” I asked as they looked at me in awe like they were lost puppies. I stretched my arms out while they approached me to greet them with a hug. Ma ran towards me while pa was just sighing. I bet he knew that this would end up in a drama, and he does not want to get involved in this, look at this dork. It made me laugh just seeing his face, but I know that he’ll miss this place too. as they were near me, I put my hands at their backs and stared at the home where I grew up. My favorite thing to do in a situation like this is to observe every detail of the site and the people around me that I don’t want to forget about, I wish I could stay here longer, but they are right. It’s a long 8-hour drive from the rural to the city, so we should take our leave before it gets dark. Besides, details might be fuzzy in about a month. Things will change this might not even look like our house when I get a chance to return, but I’m sure of one thing I’ll never forget the memories people, and I made in this place, and that will always stay deep within me.

”Goodbye, our lovely tiny home, goodbye Amanecer. I will never forget you till the next time,” I said; my family smiled and bid their farewells as well.

We took the leave. It was an 8-hour drive, but my parents did not mind sitting in the car for an extended period. For them, it’s a fresh start, but for me, I can’t help being worried about what will be my life in the city.

“Ma,” I called in a sleepy voice,

“yes, honey?” she answered, still a little bit hyper considering it was already dark and tiring to be in a seat for 3 hours. My bum hurts already.

“don’t go near the trees,” I replied while looking at the trees along the roads.

“Huh, why? Look at them; they are beautiful, aren’t they pa” she responds as she looks at my father, waiting for his approval.

”Well, I never liked the trees and the way they look,” I said with an annoyed voice while fixing myself in the seat.

“Stupid, you wouldn’t be able to live without the trees, don’t hate on them,” Ma said playfully.

“I still hate them,” I whispered to myself but enough to make them hear it.

Pa looked at Ma and asked, “son do you have a problem with the trees?”

“yes, yes I do,” I replied with a serious face.

Ma looks worried it was priceless, so pa looks at me and asks, “well then, what is it, son?”

“They all look kinda shady,” I replied proudly with my chin up as I laughed at my horrible joke “hahaha,” I was out of breath as my stomach kept tightening for laughing so hard that it hurts “hahaha,” I laughed more. Pa slowly looks at ma with a confused face and asks,

“Is he on drugs? You sure he’s our son?” I choked

“ahks haks,” *cough, cough* I tried to speak but couldn’t do so stupid me choking on my saliva.

“I don’t know. “Maybe our real Salvy got switched with another baby in the hospital. He does not seem to be the type of doing drugs; he’s a coward, honey,” ma replied in her sweet voice. How fantastic you guys are *claps for my mother*.

“oh hey, look, Salvy’s gasping for air trees must hate him. Don’t worry; the feeling is mutual hon,” she added., I… *chokes more and dies, rip Salvy* *Salvy pretends to be suck in the car* *Jumps back up like a spring* *boing*

“ehh! You guys are mean hmp,” I shouted and looked away, pouting.

“you know, son, we love you, but you seem to have a problem,” pa uttered in despair, pretending to look disappointed.

“I hate you all,” I answered as I stared at them, annoyed I could see my mother holding her laugh and was ready to burst.

“What so funny, ma? Hmp!” I asked, pretending to be mad.

“It’s funny that you tell us dad jokes and be a completely baby after we tease you,” she replied while laughing.

“well yeah, you’re right. I have a terrible sense of humor,” I replied,

“you sure have the humor of an old man but a mind of a child,” she implied, trying to tease me more

“ah! Eh! Stop it already, I get it!” and we all laughed.

We spent the entire trip laughing and telling jokes and stories about our life in Amanecer.

“I remember something. You know, when I was a child, your grandmother used to tell me stories about Crepuscolo or known as the twilight city. It was all so wonderful. I always wanted to go there to experience what lies beyond twilight City. Twilight city’s story was all amazing. It was all beautiful, but hers were my favorites.” Ma said while her eyes glow, telling me there were excited at the thought of finally fulfilling her childhood dream. She looks like a happy child, so cute.

“Do you want to hear it, Salvy?” she asked, and I nodded in response wanting to listen to her story.

“But first, let us start with the story about Crepuscolo. Once, there was a boy and girl who likes the sunsets like you as the latter enjoys the sunrise,” she said as she smiled at me.

“Each morning, the girl wakes up before sunrise while the boy waits silently for sunsets every day he stays till the sun’s remaining light cast on to him before darkness consumes the sky while the girl enjoys the dawn waiting for the sun to come as the sun gives light to the darkness. Like the city’s name itself, they say you’ll meet your soulmate at that time of the day and just after that amazing thing happens daybreak and the nightfall the lights they display on the sky aren’t they lovely? But even more, love will happen” all of this to me sounded like crap. But, that time, I was also glued to my mom as she spoke so blissfully, eyes so bright it was dazzling like one of the hopelessly romantic about the love. She looks so happy and contented. I was so fixated on the thought of.

“do all people who love look like this? Is love really that amazing? If it is, then When do I know I feel love.”

“One day, the boy needed to be early for his work and leaves before sunrise. He was just casually riding his bike headed to his favorite place. He speeds up so he’ll have more time before going to work. He was almost there when he suddenly stopped exactly as the sun rose. He was never fond of sunrise, but why was it so alluring to him now? Why was it pulling him near? It was because this girl was dancing and smiling as the sun was shining on her. She was glowing that the boy finds it enchanting, and at once, he fell for the girl without knowing her name. He from then on, he waits for the girl every day and every day he falls in love with the sun as well, it was because of her”

“Why didn’t he just ask the girl’s name on that same day,” my dad asked, interrupting my mom while talking, and I can’t help but laugh cause I probably thought he was thinking that this was a load of s**t.

“HAHAHAHAH,” I laughed hard at my dad and remembered that mom wasn’t done talking.

Hahaha...haa...eh?” I rubbed my cheeks with my finger as I looked in my mom’s direction

“Ah...ehh continue ma,” I said, slightly gulping as her eyes were penetrating to mine as I avoided eye contact. Why me? It was my father who talked first. I certainly don’t wanna die right now.

“So going back to the story, a week pass but there was no sign of her. The boy decided to watch the sunset once again as it was his favorite thing. When he was there, the sunset was already finished. Feeling defeated of not seeing the two things he loved the most on the same day,

“How unlucky am I,” he said as he walked towards the sea. Hope sparks before his eyes when he sees a peaceful girl looking at the beautiful scenery as the sun illuminates her face, and she was part of that scenery that took his heart. Little did this boy know, the girl also waited for him, and she also appreciated the sunset that the boy loved. They now understand why each other loved the sun rising and setting but wished to be with each other as they each made the site unforgettable. Just like how their love works, but destiny was never fair. No matter how great and unbreakable their love was, destiny will test it, and their ways separated, but It was said in other life when they come to life again, they’ll find each other and love without exception until the time is right and destiny would agree as long as people fall in love souls will be connected and find there a way to each other once again.”

“This is bullshit,” pa said, and once again, I laughed at his remark

“HAHAHAHAHA pa stop it HHAHAHAHA” I tried to stop him before ma got to us both, but his sudden comment on the story was priceless. I think I’m going to die of laughter.

“What if I say that your grandma and grandpa was that boy and girl in the story,” ma said

“WHAT?! GRANDMA?!” I shouted, Surprised at what she told us

“Well, they had me. I’m the living proof of their love story; mother never loved anyone else. He never forgot your grandpa.” she said, looking a bit sad remembering the past.

“It was like she doesn’t want to and can’t forget him as he was the reason she felt alive and the reason that she’s in so much pain that it kills her every day. I can remember how much she suffered. If only she could just forget him, everything would be okay, everything, but it will never be the same. The feeling of wanting to be at their side waiting for them to come back, the feeling of never wanting to let go of that love you once have the happiness you once felt it made you feel alive that was her love for him, and someday maybe that is love for you too, Salvy.”

“This is unbelievable.” my dad once again commented, and this time, tears were flowing down my eyes as it was hilarious. It was the last straw for mom.

“Ma stop that HAHAHAHAH don’t kill dad,” I said while watching my mother hitting my father for the 20th time already nothing can stop her now I guess I’ll just find a new father then.