In the slow sunrise, I see the whole city filtered with a yellow mist. Last night came the first summer rain. It was gentle with only few raindrops tapping our roof while the rest are scattered in the wind beyond human sight. But what seems to be the beginning of healing among the people was because someone finally freed the antidote from the secret portal of time. This humanless entity enclosed the antidote in a form of water and air. The mystical wind was born to endure the promise and expectations of the heart of the city. Could this be it?
It could be, because it was surprisingly fragrant all around and utterly refreshing. Something is about to change. Then the quality of air begins to improve awkwardly from the small shanties of squatter areas where life beats the strongest and later up to the beautiful residential houses of the city where greed lies and happiness ends. The city hall with its high pillars came last to be purified. This is because the century old pine trees and floras in the safe forest was moist by the antidote move to collect all the evil performances of city and finally give off their curing oxygen. Meanwhile the unoccupied ground now watered allowed the green grass to grow to help in the refinement. The plants grew more leaves in the backyards and pretentious gardens plume with flowers, while the climbing vines invade the cracked walls of their houses.
The residents suddenly awoke from a long dream with restlessness at their feet and great anticipation in their hearts. They welcomed each other banging their windows and doors wide, their clothes, bedsheets and coverings hang in the open air. They hurry to pour their cup with instant coffee and grind handful of bread to soothe their craving. Then a loud cry started the prelude of a celebration that is about to take place.
The shout came from a group of men having difficulty in carrying a huge black pig tied in two bamboo culms, they were ordered by the elders to seize the last living pig and butchered in what has been a traditional offering. The elders who have survived the war, the earthquake and now the pandemic bolstered with pride now gathered in an open area where ungroomed children came running to play. The elders started to speculate of what celestial secret was revealed to them last night. “I only saw the tail of the mystical wind leaving our city with million drops of water like tears falling on its trail,” the chieftain said. “… and when I woke up it did rain!”. “It is indeed!” said one of the elders. “ It’s time!” the fathers shouted in chorus.
What came next was a hyper abundance of cultural display, more people gathered in the open space, the food was cooked in a large pot above a fire created by the young men whose fine muscles revealed in chopping logs after logs. From time to time they would laugh, and break into uproar as bottles of spirit chase from one hand to another. The women meanwhile gather the banana leaves, wash it and set a long table for everyone to eat.
It all started with a misty yellow mist now the breeze drove the dust in the ground and smoke from the cooking fire, the city below the cruel heat of the sun unknowingly is driven out by the pandemic and being ushered in a new epoch of time.
The elders who are lucky to reach this far felt that life is beginning to leave their body, they are set to die before the sunrise, it was only later that they realized that their breath as the rule of nature sought to follow the vacating presence of the mystical wind.
Image source: https://yourtimetravelexperience.com
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