The moon is full tonight. I stare at it from the rooftop of our boarding house– my first visit this year. I have forgotten how beautiful the skyline is from this vantage point. I have forgotten how enchanting the moonlight appears as it drapes the earth with its ethereal glow. I have forgotten how comforting the night wind feels three stories from the ground.
Like everything else, I have forgotten. But now I am remembering. And remembering well.
Rewind to Friday night, and the cast of Rent the Musical had taken their final bows. My roommate was inviting me for some bonding session with friends at Boni High, but I declined; it’s been weeks since I’ve been with my brother, and it was time for some much-needed catch-up banter. But like everything else, I have forgotten that my brother is no longer single. He wouldn’t be spending the weekend with me: the girlfriend awaits.
At that point, the biggest shard of loneliness in this entire mess of a month struck my fragile little heart. Mad (as in Johnny Depp crazy, not Jack Nicholson angry), I sought for an escape. Looking at the Twitter status of my close friend showed me the solution: a spontaneous trip to Anywhere, Anytime. Frantic, seeking flight from a flurry of profound frustration, I scoured through the airline websites, typing in random destinations with reckless abandon. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow online bookings for flights that leave within 24 hours. So I did as any rational person would do: I called up the airlines.
I inquired about the earliest flight to Hong Kong. Rationalization: two of my closest officemates were there, and I definitely could find some excitement with their company. I also inquired about the earliest flight to Davao. Rationalization: I could surprise my parents with the sudden appearance, and could celebrate my brother’s 30th birthday with them.
The universe had other plans. The costs of going to Hong Kong this late were prohibitive, and the Davao plan would earn me more rebukes than resolutions. There was only one way left to escape.
Sleep.
That was probably the best decision I had that entire day. I woke up the day after feeling refreshed. And, as though the universe thought it was enough torture for me, I got four different invitations to hang out that night. I had prior plans though, so I had to decline them all eventually. I spent the entire night instead with my awesome girlfriend, and while Miss You Like Crazy was no One More Chance, it provided the release that I needed. Not to mention of course the wellspring of jokes that my girlfriend and I shared over Thai dinner and frozen yogurt at Lullubelle’s.
When she drove me home, I felt something lift from within me. When my roommate arrived minutes after, he couldn’t tell that around that very hour just a day ago, I contemplated leaving Manila, and he wouldn’t have known that I had left.
February gives way to March, and I am on the rooftop during the transition. The moon is smiling upon me. There are good times ahead, that glow tells me.
I can’t help myself. I smile back.
Good times ahead, indeed. But before that, I’m still waiting for your promised reply. Else, I’ll do it for you. It’s about time, Ker. It’s time to put senseless rationalization and useless justification to order. You cannot sit idly by and let this happen. I’ll be waiting.
And yes, it’s nearly a threat. :-)
ang layo ng nilakbay mula sa multiply to wordpress, and now im finally here.. :p
ingats!!!
hopped from mak’s page and i haven’t been pleasantly surprised in a while. good stuff here. i actually had to think twice before i decided to leave a comment.
the moon drives us all mad but if we listen closely, it has messages for dreamers who have nothing better to do than to stare it.
err stare at it.
Thanks for visiting, Citybuoy. Very late reply. Just recovered from a certain blog affliction. :)