...And his faithful camera had taken a snap during every miracle that happened.
All except one.
Her.
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Twenty Polaroids. Two months of memories worth a million lifetimes. Two souls whose fates are intertwined, parts of a whole that is meant to s...
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I met her here.
It was right here, under this roof, that I spoke my first words to her, though she did most of the talking. I had nothing to say in front of such a lively spirit.
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We had to introduce ourselves to the rest of the people present for the camp. Not something we looked forward to, I guess, since none of us said anything for the first fifteen minutes. The instructors had given us specific instructions before locking us up in the cabin: tell your name, age and your motive to work ahead in your life.
These simple pieces of information were difficult to utter. Around twenty-three people were in the circle, but we could have been left alone, judging by the stiff silence.
I was willing to speak up, but the pack mindedness is an ingrained part of human nature. So I stopped myself from initiating the conversation and instead, cloaked myself with a reserved air. My new polaroid camera in my hands was the object that had my focus.
As we were strangers, the most we could do was look at each other's eyes and hastily turn away before it became an uncomfortable stare. We wanted someone to break the still air, but that ‘someone’ didn't appear until fifteen minutes after the activity had begun.
The door opened with a bang, which shook a few of us. The reflected rays of the setting sun gently steamed through the entrance. The light highlighted the dust particles dancing in the air, but was blocked once again by another human.
It was her, the embodiment of confidence and passion. I couldn't make out much at first look, but the details came into sharp focus pretty soon. She dropped her large backpack off her back, and jumped to the center of the circle. The door shut instantly after that.
“I’m so sorry I’m late! Traffic was horrible.” She spoke happily, her tone indicating not the slightest trace of sadness. She grinned, revealing a set of blue braces. Her hair must have been tied up into a bun, though none actually remained in it. The strands were all over the place, falling over her dark eyes, the lining her cheeks, and the lucky ones were tucked behind her ears, which had many piercings.
Her hands continuously played with each other, twisting and clapping for no apparent reason. Her casual clothes, consisting of a t-shirt and workout pants, were rumpled from travel, though her body showed no signs of tiredness. Her eyes were bright behind her glasses, her smile contagious.
How do I remember so much even after such a long time? She had come out of nowhere, and yet, from that moment, my mind had already begun registering everything about her.
“Didn't you guys start with the talking and chatting yet?” We looked at her blankly. She tsked at us. “My, my, such grownups. We can't wait to show our humble attitude, can we?” I remember feeling embarrassed at my behavior when she said that. God, couldn’t I have done something at that time?
