Shelburne Springs

Entangled

Snapshot

She left a sticky note on the ref, saying that she would be gone outside their desolate unit. Her reason was to roam around the city and take shots of the places she used to hang out alone - the last day she would explore the bustling city.

Wearing her long jacket and white underneath paired with tuck-in denim jeans and wedge shoes, she went outside of our unit. Tangan-tangan niya ang compact camera niya na nakasabit sa leeg niya.

She walked right through the elevator of the condominium building. Makikita lang sa likod ang view ng city pagkat gawa sa glass ang elevator. The elevator reflected her dull eyes, it was a pair of empty and hollow. Her dead expression gave away what she was feeling inside and she replaced it with a forced smile. Maybe, things would get better in a new environment. She hopes so. 

Bumukas ang elevator sa lounge area. Ang common area kung saan tumatambay ang mga tenants sa building. May coffee refilling station, charging station at snack station. May malaking LED screen rin na nakasabit sa isang pader at pinapalabas ang isang movie. Kakasimula pa lamang ng umaga kaya may mga taong paroo’t parito sa building, other were having their dose of coffee or just reading the morning news.

 
Nang makalabas, her eyes landed on the taxi waiting area. Balak niyang maglakad-lakad na walang destinasyon kaya nilampasan niya ang mga taxi roon. She walked near the stoplight, in front of the pedestrian lane. Iba’t ibang tao ang nakasabayan niya sa paghihintay. Blank stares. Blank faces. Blank faces. Different stories. May ibang nagmamadali. May iba namang hindi.
 
One of these days, hindi na niya makikita ang mga ito. They won’t even know she left, they're just invisible to them.

Nang umilaw ang red light ay tumigil na ang mga sasakyan at tumawid na siya. She held her camera and turned around for a bit. She adjusted the lenses and took some shots of the skyscrapers located in a business area. May cute na cute na german shepherd ang tumawid rin kasama ang amo nitong lalaki na kinunan niya rin ng litrato. Wala naman siya nakuhang reaksiyon sa lalaki dahil diretso lang ang mga mata nito.

The subjects of her shots were places and landscapes. She was fond of picturing the sky, the sunsets, the sunrises, the crescent of the moon and such. She always like to take a picture from an angle where it complemented the effects of the nature, the shadows, the blurry effects and what-nots.

Her feet led her to a dilapidated building with pastel paintings and a small coffee shop was squeezed by two tall buildings. To a flower shop that has displays of dark-colored flowers. And stayed for hours in a yogurt shop few blocks away from their school.

When she checked her messages, halos mag-hang na iyon sa dami ng mga messages. Active pa rin ang GC nila kahit na graduate na sila ng senior highschool. Bakasyon na at mukhang nagse-send lang ang mga ito ng pictures kung saan ang mga ito nagbakasyon. Siya lang yata ang ang hindi nagparamdam doon.

She left them on screen and left the group. It was a sign of saying goodbye to acquaintances who barely knew her. They were her classmates in highschool and no one, even one of them, crushed the walls that she built for herself.

The moment she reached second year highschool, from somebody she became a nobody. Hanggang sa nasanay na lang siya. Her batchmates were crying and uttering their I-will-miss-yous but she remained in a corner - a wallflower. She was relieved that she survived and graduated hell which was highschool.

Nang magsawa ay umalis siya sa yogurt shop at tinahak ang minor roads na hindi madalas pinupuntahan ng mga tao. She took pictures of the streetfood stalls, eateries, barbecue stalls, kiosks, food carts and small convenience stores. Nagpahinga lang siya sandali sa isang playground sandali upang inspeksyunin ang mga kinuha niyang litrato.