Which Do you Prefer to Believe?
In this particularly misty morning, I let myself appreciate the silence with my hot coffee. It's the silence and the unrivaled beauty of the natural scenery that really draws me to this place. But in this place, I just couldn't go too often. The memories are too many. I couldn't help but to be emotional sometimes.
Here is where I grew up in. In this cozy humble house near the Mount Sinili. As I walked around, I see old houses of our old neighbors. Sometimes it fascinates me. Seeing how slow the world moves here. It's as if in a different dimension.
After all these years, little has changed compared to the busy urban setting I got used to which felt like changes by the hour.
How long has it been? I asked myself. Almost 10 years.
In my peripheral, I saw a woman waved at me. I could've missed it if she didn't shouted my name.
"Fred!"
I turned to where the voice came from a an unfamiliar face.
She ran to me and stopped in front of me. Not catching any breath.
"You're back! Since when?" she asked in a high note like she is a bit angry.
"Oh wait let me rephrase that. Until when will you be staying here?"
"Camilla!" I yelped in surprise. I almost did not recognize her for a moment.
I gave her a tight hug.
"I just got here yesterday. And I'm planning to stay for two weeks."
"You really are a Nomad" she joked then punched me in my shoulder.
It's what she used to tease me when we were kids. I never wanted to stay home back then. I always find ways to get out and roam around.
Then after that brief joyous moment, I saw her face get more serious.
"Why are you back?" she asked almost hesitantly.
"I don't know"
Honestly, I don't really know why.
"Oh well since you're here now, Mom's gonna be happy to have more hands in the Kitchen!"
She then pulled my arms before I could say anything.
"Come! I'll show you how our house looks like now!"
It's really hard to keep up with the stamina of people here in the Province. They can walk for miles and not catch a breath. Sometimes I feel guilty on calling for a cab too often.
As we run upwards in this steep winding road towards where I remember their house used to stand, I was greeted by a new view I never remembered was there before. The trees has been cleared up. The grass were yellow. There were trucks and big machines but were overgrown by rust and some plants.
I prompted Camilla to stop for a while.
I wanted to ask her what happened but I was caught speechless.
"We actually won, you know" she broke the silence.
"What?" I asked in confusion.
"Under this hill right on that yellow spot, they planned to put up a factory. But we petitioned to stop it and we won"
She had her eyes fixed at the yellow area. It looks so small from here but the way she looks at it, it's so much bigger than it could ever look to me. It has more meaning. More weight for her than it could ever have for me.
I took a few snaps of it from my Camera.
"We don't know why the grass there dried away." she told not even looking away from the view.
"It's as if nature felt sad about that space that people tried to trample with" she continued.
She grabbed my camera and took a photo of the view herself.
After a few snaps she opened her mouth and said, "But it could also be that the Factory Owner poisoned the soil so it'll have no use for anyone anymore"
She paused for a while and looked at me.
"How about you, which do you prefer to believe?"
Which do I prefer do believe?
