A Walk in the City

“When you remember the past, you are not remembering it as it was. You are remembering it as it is. It is a vision or a dream, present with you in the present, alive with you in the only time you are alive.” ~ Wendell Berry.

Her hand is warm against his. Cars passing by on both sides of the divide. She is careful with him lest one of them decides to care less. He could not tell exactly where they are going although she had told him before they leave home. "To work" is all he could recall. Unable to comprehend further he could only think of work as something fun. For him that is. How could it not be? The cars seems to say so too as they zoomed pass without a care.

What new vista will open up when they reach there? Will the people he meet be friends or foe? All these playing in his mind.

Now quietly they both walk to her workplace. The walk is long but his legs does not feel the weight in the warm air. The trees provide some shades from the scorching sun. Treading on soft dirt beside the road, shadows cast upon the ground where the sun smiles through the leaves. The sun and shadows seems to join in the fun now.

"How much longer before we reach there?"

"Not long. We'll be there soon after we cross the bridge"

The moment did not last for long. But realization only hits long after that. Too long. How could it be otherwise when the sun, the trees, those fast cars, and the shadows all come out to play on that warm sunny day.

Those moments are long gone now.

~ Dedicated to my mom ~