Amaranthine Skies

I am walking through these hallways in school for the very last time as the mazarine sky slowly turns amaranthine.

I checked my watch and it was already thirty minutes after five o'clock in the afternoon.

The streak of orange lights that the sunset made that day, reflected in my pink High School uniform and it made me feel like glowing.

These hallways, once filled with students now feel extra empty and perhaps scarier now that everyone already left and deserted the place.

Well, not everyone has deserted the place.

I am here. I am here walking, remembering and feeling every last straw of memories wrapping up the place so that I could forever store it in my mind.

Indeed, I can attest that High School is the best chapter in almost everybody's life.

It is in this era where we are still young and could still act like one but at the same time, can't defy the truth that we are growing and maturing enough to somehow catch a hint of what truly life is.

Yes, and these hallways gave me a lot of High School memories to begin with.

It may appear mundane physically but for me, these hallways are so rich in colors that rainbows couldn't equal their beauty.

I could still remember it clearly and if I ever share the stories now detail by detail, then probably eternity wouldn't be enough.

The laughter and tears I shared with my friends. The stories I'd love to tell them. The diversity of our music tastes that sometimes we ended up arguing about who's the best and who isn't.

Those mornings I struggled to attend flag ceremonies because I wasn't an early riser and if I happened to wake up a little bit before the usual time, I ended up sleeping again.

Those afternoons' heat propels us to buy ice-cold water and splash it in our faces.

In these hallways, we played truths-or-dares that turned out to be confessions and unexpected open forums or we simply gathered to complain about teachers and assignments and the need to go to school.

This is my very last day in High School and from tomorrow onwards, I couldn't guess how or when I can go back to this place.

Geez. How I wanted to extend my stay here at least for a day but of course, I can't.

Tears brimming, I tried closing my eyes.

"Passengers of flight 5J-- bound for Davao is now ready for boarding..."

I suddenly snapped my eyes open.

Once adjusted to the afternoon lights, I realized that I was at the airport.

The mazarine sky now turned amaranthine and what was left for me was the streak of orange lights that made me feel like glowing.

As I walked to the boarding gate, I couldn't guess how or when I could go back to that place.

Then there's pain. I mean, really.

There was something inside me at that moment screaming and convincing me that I should revert my steps and go back home.

Yet, something stronger urged me to go forward, to board that flight.

That sunset of amaranthine skies, I'm going to remember that forever.

And I guess, it will always remind me of High School, of home.

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Written: August 15, 2019 | 12:46PM @ Glory Mountain