I sat on the park bench in a black shirt, white jeans and converse shoes, waiting for my friends. My heart was racing due to excitement, it had been a while since we last met up. The sun was gentle on us that day – something I was grateful for considering the day before could have given someone a heat stroke. We planned a full-day outing in order to properly catch up on our lives. Suddenly, I heard someone call me. Lifting my head, I saw two of my best friends walking my way. Andrea was wearing a maroon sleeveless shirt paired with black jeans and Mary’s outfit consisted of a black shirt and washed down jeans. I was making my way to greet them when someone jumped on me from behind.
“Guess who it is?”, I would recognize that voice anywhere. Unfortunately, the jump successfully made me fall as my friends fell into a fit of laughter.
“Some friends.” I grumbled as I struggled to pull myself to my feet. Turning around, my eyes landed on the highlights in Rosa’s hair. She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips. Nothing about her had changed, from the leather jacket to her combat boots. Her all-black look made everyone intimidated, but she was very understanding and sensitive. Skipping the greetings, Rosa smacked my back.
“Did you guys have breakfast?” She asked. We shook our heads and agreed to go to the best coffee shop in town, Silla’s Cafe. The smell of ground coffee and cinnamon filled my senses, sending me to a place of nostalgia. The cafe had always been our favorite place to hang out. It had a homey feeling and we always felt at peace there.
“Hey, long time no see!” the owner greeted us, “What can I get for you? The regular?”, Andrea and I nodded our heads, but Rosa and Maria decided to try one of the new specials. We sat ourselves at our normal spot, a small table in the corner of the shop. It had excellent wi-fi connection and was helpful when we had to finish our assignments back in high school.
“So, how’s life?” Rosa asked, taking a bite out of her scone. The silence between us was quickly replaced by laughter as we each took turns talking about our college lives. Mary, Andrea, and I went to nearby universities, but Rosa was studying abroad so we weren’t able to meet often. It was a relief that Rosa was able to spend her holidays here. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her smile in person. Although we would never admit it, Andrea, Mary, and I started to miss it.
Clearing up the last of our breakfast, we made our way to the mall. Another one of our favorite places. Andrea wanted to watch the newly released Kung Fu Panda 3. She asked us to tag along with her and, being the avid Kung Fu Panda fans we are, we agreed. I was relaxed in my seat when a sharp elbow nudged my shoulder.
“Remember the first time we went to the movies?” Rosa reminisced. I snorted, the memories of us grimacing to Final Destination 5 were etched in my head. Honestly, it was a mistake listening to Rosa’s idea of a fun movie. The movie left us paranoid for weeks on end. Then, as the lights of the cinema started to dim and the air got colder, we reverted our focus to the movie as the graphics pulled me into the storyline.
We walked out of the cinema still ecstatic from the movie. Andrea was squealing about the movie; about how amazing the characters were and how she wished she was like them. Our next stop was the shops. Mary wanted to buy some clothes, while I needed some new earphones. We split up and agreed to meet up at the entrance in two hours. Rosa and I made our way to Gadget World. As I picked out my earphones I saw her surveying the MP3s. After I paid for my earphones, I walked to Rosa, who was now at the phone cases and asked her if she wanted to buy anything. She told me that Mary’s birthday was in a few weeks, and she wanted to buy her a present because she wouldn’t be able to be there for it.
We headed to a frozen yogurt place, brainstorming what she should buy for Mary. On my third spoonful, something in my brain clicked! Mary was into aromatherapy so buying her a diffuser and some essential oils would be great. Without wasting any time, we went to Parkson to buy some. After a few more shops and another round of coffee, Rosa, Mary, Andrea, and I strolled to the park near our houses. We spent the rest of our day playing on playground equipment which was way too small for us and reminiscing on the feeling of being children again.
I wasn’t sure when we would be able to do this again with exams, graduation, and job hunting, so I wanted to relish the moment. Suddenly, something hard hit my back. Mary had thrown a twig at me.
“Stop thinking and push us!” Rosa called. Adulthood was something I had always been afraid of but there was no use in worrying right now. As my mother always says, “Live in the moment. What will come, will come and we will overcome what will come, when it comes. All you need to remember is that there will always be someone who will help you find your way, be it a close friend or a complete stranger.” I rolled up my sleeves as I made my way to them.
