The Leaf and the Girl by the Window
On crumbling and pulling through
I look at the hustle and bustle of the crowd and vehicles as they take one more inch of movement towards the places they are headed to. A car speeds by, eager to be reunited with its home. A teenager passes through, carrying an ironic mixture of emotions — an excitement to come home to wash away the day’s heat and humidity, and the anxiety of hearing another sermon from a parent for returning late.
The warm breeze blows.
I feel like I’ll be drifting away anytime soon, but I keep trying to hold on. “YOLO”, I say, in millennial terminology. I dance. Everyone else rustle with me, as if celebrating a major victory. All are moving, except for one.
There she is again by the windowsill, sitting still with a faraway look. She’s always staring in our direction, consumed by her own thoughts. We exchange glances, but she doesn’t notice. I look straight in her eyes. At that moment, I witnessed a mélange of emotions, ideas, and emptiness. This girl has quite the character.
I guess we have a lot of things in common. Even if she is unaware, both of us have a connection. I know how it feels like to be still for a while. To engage in nothingness. To swim amongst waves of words and images that fill our consciousness.
