Timeless

Lilac is someone who has been a joy to be around with, have you ever tried cotton candy, oh what am I kidding most of you probably have at carnivals or festivals and it would bring you joy, just like hanging around with lilac would do that too. You would find it fascinating that we actually knew each other for a long duration of our lives and it was something else entirely since we grew distant overtime as a result of different schools but same area just a couple minutes apart. Never in touch since I wasn’t too big on social media or the fancy apps everyone was using my age, got it a little bit later when I became a little bit wiser. Knowing them for the first time roughly when we were kids and it felt like nothing changed with you, but everything changed with me and I could never say to you the full truth since I never wanted to bring myself up but just remember the friendship we had, have and will have. I have learnt a lot of things from Lilac that has included patience, slow and steady work and that every stumble can be rectified over time and that there’s more to life than just rushing to meet deadlines and finish workload while burning out.

This chapter is solely dedicated to them, and I honestly am so thankful for them and I don’t think we ever have fought about anything in our lives and never will in the future. So, Lilac I chose the scenario you picked out to write about and honestly thank you for being one of my greatest and closest friends.

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It was a stormy afternoon where the winds howled and the trees swayed as if they were running on something other than the ordinary, trains were cancelled while buses ran on fumes filled to the brim of people standing but unfortunately for some the buses passed by or numbers that didn’t reach their destination. Winds were pushing everyone back a little so leg strength mattered a little bit more than usual just to hold on from being blown away like a needle in a haystack. Battling the winds was like a challenge itself and if you did then the puddles of water proved to be an obstacle with patches forming across the road, some areas were flooded while the roads were a centimeter or two centimeters high. You could hear the tires going under and even in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the noise of tires screeching to a halt, sometimes irritating your ears if you stood too close. Umbrellas started proving to be useless against the stormy weather as it only provided minimal protection, but the winds still got water on our clothes, making us drenched as we stood in the freezing cold just to get a bus or any way out of the traffic that was building up fast. Clutching my umbrella as I descended downhill in hopes to get a seat rather than studying if I went uphill closer to where my class got cancelled for the day. I would never regret ever going uphill since the usual 5-minute walk turned to 15 minutes as the winds pushed many even me. It turned out to be a very bad decision to be wearing a full covered dress with no jacket and in sandals with an open bag that had to be closed every few minutes. Just as I thought of readjusting my sleeves to help bring some warmth to my cold hands, I saw a familiar face amongst the crowd that was so crowded like a fish market. Lilac never aged since the last time I saw them so it was easier to spot them, but I had no idea if they recognized me or knew me since it had been years since we last saw each other and they were clutching their black umbrella as I made way. A few people were around them, so hesitation took over me as I waited patiently just to muster the courage to intervene for a simple conversation with Lilac. Now waiting at the bus stop in the storm didn’t seem so bad since I reunited with a friend I hadn’t seen in years and yet we remembered a couple details here and there with her remembering more details than me. Bus stop signs and on the phone app all lead to canceled signs being shown or heavy delay. Seconds turned into minutes, then minutes soon turned into an hour, that’s when the feeling started settling in and that we were stranded for a little while longer and no one knew how much longer. Lilac and I decided to make the decision of going down to the bus stop further downhill in hopes of getting a bus. Placing our umbrellas in front of us as a shield as we ran down but then the winds were too strong, so we went back up as construction workers looked at us as if we were daredevils attempting to do the impossible. It did feel impossible to walk in the weather that was chaotic and then Lilac’s umbrella flew and then broke, while mine stayed intact and I guess I could thank the design behind the structure. So, using my umbrella to shield mostly Lilac as I was sprayed constantly by water was a great plan because I was the type not to let my friends get wet in the weather even if I ended up sick. Looking back, it was recalling memories of when we ran down using my umbrella to shield us as the construction workers looked at us and I couldn’t see much with my glasses fogging up every few minutes until I placed them in my hand grip as tight as I could. Brushing past passerby and in between cars was truly like a game and kind of exhilarating. Finally reaching the bus stop drenched a little from the pouring rain as I swore my hands were ice cold cause I couldn’t feel my fingers with the cold rain and wind. But in the moment, it didn’t matter since Lilac was constantly in touch with me and didn’t give up on making small conversations as we communicated on where to go and which bus to take if the one we were waiting for didn’t come. Our luck just started turning up and it was as if the stars aligned since 4 buses in a row flashed the number to our area and half the bus floors were wet and slippery with the water dripping off people’s clothes and bags. Sitting on the edge of the seat holding onto my umbrella as I tried not to bump into Lilac sitting on the window seat while wearing my earphones to listen to music as the streets and roads blurred in the background. A follow request popped up onto my public social media which I accepted and followed back while then I can’t remember who sent the first message and honestly at the end of the day it was a start to a friendship after so many years later. Then slowly it became a daily occurrence to look at timetables and dedicate a slot or specific timing to just spend time eating lunch or just catch up on deadlines or try and help each other in real life scenarios in relation to jobs. Once my resume looked as if someone just pasted something random onto it and honestly tidying it up was all thanks to Lilac who tidied it up to the point it looked presentable and just like that, I would help them with looking over their presentation and them with mine. But not once we competed with each other and we celebrated each other’s highs and lows and talked about the future with no idea on how it would actually go and we were still teenagers with still a couple years left. Hardly was ever alone during my breaktimes since it was spent with Lilac and often, we would stop working just for a bit or work with headphones in and it never bothered us two. Every time a job opportunity came, we would just share it with each other since we both wanted each other to succeed and always happy for each other if we passed the first stage. Bus rides were often rare since our classes were usually an hour apart or we started at different times, but when we did, conversations that ranged from the old days filled with memories that can’t be forgotten or replaced to the present where moments were made and the future where uncertainty lay ahead. Never losing track of what mattered most and not once did we ever discourage each other, and we told each other that everything will be okay and that your effort is seen and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.