The Seventh Moon

Strange Things

In a blink of an eye, one persistent thought is fated to disappear… ~ One Persistent Thought, Hu Ge ft. Alan Dawa Dolma

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If Risa had realized sooner that her decision to head to the bookstore would give her more things to think about than she could ever have that morning, she shouldn't have headed there in the first place.

Then again, when did people ever realize what was about to happen to them as they head out for the day? That was silly. In this case, Risa was dealing more with her frustration and hopelessness than anything else.

At this point, one might be wondering why Risa was feeling hopeless. Well... it was a long story. But at the moment, she'd better prepare to head out to clear her mind. She couldn't help feeling cooped up in her room after resigning from her job as a copywriter for 3 years. She needed the fresh air.

"Risa, better get down from there, dear. You need to eat before you go out."

That was Risa's mom.

At the moment, she was the only one aside from Risa who was living in this house that she had lived in since she was 18. Yes, she was still living with her parents. Her dad was currently away from work and said that he wouldn't be home for two months because of it.

Risa didn't mind since he would still call her and her mom now and then when he wasn't busy. But more often than not, she couldn't help but to wish that he'd stay longer and that he'd only leave them for a week. Not months.

"Coming, Mom."

Risa was done taking a bath and blow-drying her hair. As she got ready to go out and head somewhere to clear her mind, her head turned to the first picture frame. It was placed near the edge of the shelf and slightly facing her bed. She could only look at the photo in that frame with such wistful eyes that she guessed she had not removed it since that person left.

It contained a photo of two children -- a boy and a girl. The girl was the young Risa and the boy was her childhood friend. But she hadn't seen him since he left their hometown 14 years ago. She knew it had been too long. And yet why did she keep on wishing that he'd come back there?

That he'd come back for her? Was she wishing for too much?

Risa sighed and proceeded to go to the kitchen where she knew her mom would be. She gave the woman a hug and a kiss on her cheek as she greeted her good morning. She went straight to the table and ate the food she prepared for her that morning.

"Are you doing some job hunting today?" her mother asked.

Risa shook her head. "I'm just going out to clear my mind. I can't stay cooped up here forever. Maybe by doing so, I'd be able to figure out what to do next."

"You know that your father and I are not forcing you to work since we can still provide for you. But as long as you are happy with what you're doing, then we'll support you regardless of your choice."

Risa couldn't help smiling at her mom's words. "Thanks, mom." She couldn't ask for better parents, to be honest. "But you know I can't let you do that. I'm an adult now. At least, I have to find a way to provide for myself. It's just that... I haven't found what I truly wanted to do that would provide my needs and enjoy doing it at the same time."

This could be one of those "asking for something impossible" moments that Risa had. Similar to the one she was asking for earlier while looking at the framed picture of her and her childhood friend. "Am I asking for too much?"

Risa's mother looked at her for a few moments, as if searching for something in her eyes. Not long after, the woman sighed and touched Risa's face.

"Risa... don't beat yourself up when you haven't found what you're looking for at the moment. More often than not, the things that we want to happen or to have for ourselves don't come at the time that we want them to appear in our lives. I know that because I've been there. Your father's been there, as well."