The Wind Calls

You’re home for the weekend, yet you wish you could stay forever.
Waking up to the alarm of roosters crowing is one way to kickstart the day. Your mom’s
special champorado is waiting on the table, and you devour it heartily. It has been so long since
you last enjoyed a meal, and in a blink of an eye, everything is consumed till the last drop.
Today, you promised yourself to breathe. To let go of all the burdens of yesterday. To
heal the scars life has inflicted upon you. But, can you do it within 2 days?
You went out to the street, your energy levels at an extreme high. It’s like a kick of
adrenaline suddenly rushed through your veins, giving you ecstasy for new beginnings.
Considering the small vicinity of a coastal barangay, everyone knows everyone. At one corner,
you can see the resident Marites indulging in their daily scoop of chismis from the sari-sari
store. Though life would be much better without their constant snooping, they definitely add
spice to the dynamics of a quiet town.
In the province, the pace is slow, giving you time to breathe in the earthy smell of
petrichor. Near the coast, you caught a glimpse of fishermen setting their sails, getting ready for
another day at the sea. Not far away from them were kids—pushing one another to the crystal
blue sea beneath them. You were immediately teleported back to the time you were one of
those kids. Jumping to the waters on the pier was such a freeing experience—it makes you feel
like you’re one with the wind. And then with the waves. This warm episode of nostalgia sends a
flutter to your heart. Oh, to be young.
On the way home, you spotted a dragonfly. You remember your fondness for dragonflies
back in kindergarten, when you used to chase them to your heart’s content. You bumped into
your high school best friend, and the sentimental feel of their embrace almost brought you to
tears. You also passed by your favorite carinderia, where you and your barkada ate lunch for 10
years.
It felt like nothing has changed, when in reality, everything has. So close, yet so far. So
different, yet so familiar. It’s similar to the sound of your favorite person calling your name after
a long, long time. Heart-achingly comforting.
They say home is where the heart is, but that is debatable. In reality, home is where
peace is. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is found. There, the soft gust of wind
blows through our hair, sending dandelions into the air, along with our inhibitions. It tells us to
stop and breathe. To love and to live.
The wind calls our name. All we have to do is listen.