An Anamnesis

Chapter 5

Which makes the Gloom of Abyss Shatter

And Unveil the Universe’s Hidden Lustre

            I recalled my first Christmas break with Tristan. The semester was over at that time, so I had time with my friends. It was clearly an opportunity to travel with them, and I want to show them to my birthplace and the birthplace of my mother, Edinburgh. We quickly arranged where we’d stay, where we’d go, what we’d do, when, and how long we’d stay. At 6am of December 26, we departed from Kyle’s house (because his was the farthest), we paused before travelling and we prayed for protection, guidance, and enjoyment during our stay in Edinburgh. After that, we drove the whole distance using Tristan’s SUV. On our way along, we were singing, laughing, and eating, just as friends do when crossing countries. It was quite a travel experience, and I never had such a happy travel before when I studied college. That was the only time. The night fell upon us and I asked Tristan to rest.

“You really know how to drive Leene?” asked he in astonishment.

“Of course I can! What do you think of me?” I swaggeringly said.

“Well that’s great! Phew, now I can rest. Leene, make sure that you’ll not wear yourself out. If sleepiness strikes you, feel free to tell me. I’ll exchange seats with you right away. Take care very well, and God bless your driving.”

“Thanks for being thoughtful, mate! I had my sleep well while you were driving. Now let’s exchange seats. Open the door slowly. You might wake the lollipops back there sleeping. Here we go.”

            We stopped by the road side I exchanged seats with Tristan. As I put on my seat belt, and he put his, I took a glimpse of him, only to see that he was already sleeping. “Oh, what a poor boy! He must have grown knackered from the travel this far,” I thought to myself as I touch his dead white cheeks. Heh, he looked like a white corpse back then. He was so white! I couldn’t figure out why. I never saw his parents even once. I drove the car for the rest of the travel, and after approximately 3 hours of travel, we reached Edinburgh. I looked for Summerside Street—where my parent’s house which is now passed to me is. After I parked the car in front of it, I woke up my friends. Amanda and Kyle were awed by the beauty of the street we were in. Our 8-hour travel was not a waste. They liked the city. They wanted to go everywhere, especially to the Edinburgh Castle, one of the most beauteous sites in the city of Edinburgh. It was quite a view from the castle down to the whole downtown where there is a vivid ambience of the surroundings. In fact, I was dreaming of visiting Edinburgh before, had it not been for my studies. But that time, I was with my beloved friends, walking around to all places we could reach. We even took a picture near the observatory. That’s the first time I saw myself gave off a vivacious smile. Totally, I still remember the times we had until now, and I still cherish the time we have today. Maybe old friends are just really hard to forget; and it’s hard not to see them for a long time. Well, that’s what friends are! Until now, I get to visit them once after a few months or so, or it’s them who visit me here in my home where my personal memories with my man developed.

            At the last day of our vacation, December 28, 2012, we shopped things for the party which we will have held in my house here so as to celebrate this one-of-a-kind experience. But before that, we decided to taste a little liquor. We went to a pub and bought tequila for Tristan and Amanda, and Margarita for Kyle and me. The cocktails tasted great, and tasted even greater because of the roasted peanuts we ate with those. Amanda laughed so maidenly that if it happened that I have a poor auditory capability, maybe I would have heard a squeaking mouse instead of a modest laugh. Kyle, on the other hand, is like a wine connoisseur. He just had his time tasting the one with different fruits to see the effects of those. Truly, he can be considered as a nerd genius mad scientist stereotype. While observing them as we had our conversation, I talked with Tristan most of the time as he was also entertained by what we were doing, and just laughs like a silent stereotype. Heh, maybe it’s just many of us are stereotypes who are made weird by our pasts and presents. Amidst our good time, we never expected to see someone whom we just see in the school.