Miles Away

It's Sunday today. Woke up late and lazed in bed for a while before getting up. The unwashed and dusty draperies concealed the morning light from shining in. I was enjoying the night-like darkness in rest, and in the comfort of my thick blanket.

I prepared a light breakfast of toast and oatmeal and ate it while I busied myself reading emails. An old-time friend replied in affirmation of the mission I requested her. She also told me that she had read my blog about the strike in Loulo. I then revisited the blog and the fire to write again ignited.

My original plan for today was to wash the dishes that piled up in the sink. This mission can wait. I still have time to do this when I'm done with my blog. I'm going to write about this friend of mine who just sent me a reply.

I've known this friend during the heydays of the steel company in my hometown. We worked there in the blue jacket category. She became a very good friend and I think she was to everyone. She has the charisma to draw friendship easily. When our department was dissolved we have to go in different ways to find our niche and luck somewhere. I haven't heard of her in ages. She was out of touch and has her reasons, owing no explanation to the world.

Just recently she popped in the net from out of the blue. I was surprised, and at the same time glad to hear from her again. She's now working in the land of milk and honey, in a city that never sleeps, and where theater, art gallery and museums abound like mushrooms. She gets to enjoy these with all her passion and delight.

Apart from being amiable and easy to get along with she was an all knowing-person too. She has always something to say to any topic of discussion. Very intelligent. Maybe in her past life she was Plato or Shakespeare or Jose Rizal. She loves arts and herself is an artist in her own right. I would remember during the height of the cross-stitching craze she was one of the enthusiasts to come up with a master piece. Later, she engaged in arts and crafts business before she embarked on a journey where one has to brave the test of distance and time.

She's eloquent, a hobbyist, collector of any sort of things and has a strong sense of fashion. I recalled one day she came to work very chic in a tan mini ensemble. There was no other way for her to pass without us noticing her because their office was in our office. She wore this small woven bag on her belt to accessorize the whole outfit. Then I commented if what she got there on her belt was an Easycall beeper. That time when cell phones were yet unheard of, Easycalls were the coolest means of telecommunication. She laughed to her amusement and said that it was just a belt pocket. I don't know if she wore that again.

Time will come when her stint abroad will come to an end. It's a point of no return. She will return back to her country of origin and stay for good. Live in her new and cozy abode with her loved ones. Cook pasta, drink wine and live life to the full.

And I'm going to visit her.