The Dictionary of a Hopeless Romantic Wordsmith (2020)

Chapter Four

The city is always more beautiful at night. The city lights flickering from the different windows of buildings. The lights from vehicles running through the highway. And you see it fade away as time passes by, as the hustle of the city slows down into a more steady pace.

This transition is always a spectacle I watch every night from my apartment window. It still mesmerizes me whenever I watch it unfold in front of me. It's like the last act in a play before the curtain closes-leaving you breathless after such a beautiful show.

It was around midnight when his smartphone finally rang. A number saved under Roomie Ray is calling. After letting it ring for a while, I decided to pick up.

"Hello." the voice from the other line said, "Did you happen to pick up my phone somewhere? Umm-" I am certain it was him speaking. He is uncertain of what to say next.

"You left it on the bus." I told him, "I have no plans on keeping it. If you want we could arrange a time and place where you can come and get it?"

I heard the biggest sigh of relief from the other end. It made me somehow smile.

"Oh god! Thank you so much! Anywhere. I'd go anywhere," he said. "I just really need my phone back."

I decided that we meet up on a nearby park near my college so I wouldn't have to commute anywhere. I also said I will meet him there at six o'clock since I have classes until that time tomorrow. He happily complied and thanked me again before hanging up.

I gazed back at the beautiful view of the city. Somewhere out there, a boy who lost something is happy and relieved.

Slowly, an extra is starting to become a vivid part of the story.

After my class the next day, I walked to the park where I'm suppose to meet the guy who left his phone. The park is just a simple recreational area with a fountain in its center. The gate is located South of the fountain where you follow a brick road to the centerpiece. North of the fountain are wooden tables and chairs. It's the picnic area of the park. East of the fountain is a small playground with a swing set, a slide, a monkey bar, two seesaws, a sandbox, and a roundabout. In the afternoon, the playground is filled with school kids from a nearby elementary school. West of the fountain is a quadrangle area, one volleyball court, and one basketball court where middle-aged women goes to do Zumba every afternoon.

He is not here yet. I walked to the playground area, which is now empty, and sat on one of the swing sets. I casually swung slowly while observing the park.

Just like the city, I always find this park fascinating. Whenever I pass by this park on weekends, it's always bustling with people. The picnic area filled with families spending time with each other. The playgrounds filled with kids running about. The quadrangle area is filled with teenagers playing both volleyball and basketball. The fountain area is filled with people, just casually laughing and talking with each other. This doesn't happen much on the weekdays. On weekdays, the park is only filled with people between the times of three in the afternoon until five. The only people in this park now, other than myself, are the Zumba moms in the quadrangle area.

This park, much like the city, tells different stories when seen in different situations.

While observing the park, I noticed him by the fountain area, looking around, maybe hoping to catch a glance of the person who found his phone. I got so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice his arrival.

I stood up from the swing set and walked towards him.

"Hey." I said, calling his attention.

"Hi." he said shyly, facing me, "Sorry I'm a little late. I rushed here as fast as I could after my class. I hope I didn't cause you any inconvenience."