Writers' Voyage: A Story of Hope

06

Seaside

April went to the seaside to breathe some salt air and watch the sunset. She was at the Café and after knowing that the sunset was by the beach, she hurriedly went out to the seaside. Mabuti na lang at hindi malayo ang lakarin. Huminga ng malamin si April ng may ngiti sa labi. It was like the beach gave her serotonin. She happily took a video of the wave and the sunset, a big smile was evident on her face.

She noticed a girl near her, she was familiar with her because of the workshop a while ago. Seems like the waves were taking away her thoughts. April approached her.

"Hello, Joshy."

Joshy was astonished, for the guest speaker knew her name.

"Hello rin po, Miss April," she greeted as she slightly bowed her head. "Ano pong ginagawa niyo rito?"

"Ah, I'm here to breathe some fresh air. Ikaw ba? Ang lalim ng iniisip mo ah?"

Joshy released a shy laugh. Her light aura hides the heaviness of her thoughts. She was thinking of sharing her thoughts with April.

"Uh, may iniisip lang po."

"Care to share? I'm willing to listen. But it's okay if you don't want to." April offered.

As she looked at the guest speaker, who was waiting for her answer, she decided to open up.

"Ahm, dinadalaw lang po ng negative thoughts."

Joshy looked back at the sea as she continued.

"These what ifs and these self-doubts. Na what if I will not be an effective writer? What if hindi talaga pagsusulat ang para sa akin? This is a momentous event yet I am thinking about these things."

"That's why as I look at the waves, I am wishing for the waves to take away these thoughts before they consume me." She sighed after, releasing that heavy feeling she had inside her. It relieved her somehow knowing that someone listens to her.

Katahimikan. Wala munang nagsalita pagkatapos no'n, tila dinadama nila ang malamig na hangin sa pangpang.

It took a long silence before April started talking.

"I think it's normal. At first, we're not really good at a certain thing, we just learn from it. Kaya normal lang na makaisip tayo ng ganiyang mga bagay. But we have the power to control it. We shouldn't live inside our heads too much. The world is vast to cage ourselves to our destructive thoughts. There are a lot of things to learn, explore, and see. You need to get out of your comfort para matuto at makapagsulat ng effective."

"Avoid thinking that what you enjoy doing is not for you. When we learn to trust ourselves, everything will follow. You will feel the fire burning inside you, and we need to keep that fire burning. We don't need to be good in the first place to say that we are for a certain craft, we can always work on that to say we're for that. Small progress is still a process, keep that in mind." April said with genuineness.

Joshy got teary-eyed from that wisdom she heard from April. Those are the words Joshy needed to be reminded of at that time. She can't take it anymore so she asked April, with tears rolling down her face while she was slightly laughing,

"Pwede ko po ba kayo ihug?"

"Hala, bakit ka umiiyak? Oo naman!"

Joshy hugged April with care. Her ranging thoughts a while ago calmed down. To be honest, even though April was not yet talking, she felt the comfort already. The author radiates comfort even without speaking.

"Thank you po. That were the words I want to hear at the moment," Joshy pulled away from the hug. Nahiya siyang baka matuluan ng uhog niya si April. Umiyak na nga siya sa harap ng author, natuluan niya pa ng 'di magkamayaw na pagtulo ng sipon niya.

"I'll try my best to work on myself po. As much as possible, I will do the things I can and will not let myself be caged from the negativities." She plastered a smile on April not to worry her.

"I hope to see you again someday doing good in your craft," April said.

"Josh!" they heard someone calling, it was her pub mate.

"Ah, pub mate ko po, Miss April. Una na po ako. Thank you po talaga! Enjoy the view po!"

"Haha, sige. Ingat! See you."