The school bell tolls the beginning of the day. I take my seat for the attendance. Once again the teacher asks about the absentees beforehand, once again she asks about Sam. The mornings never change.
The day passes on, we enjoy a rare free period, confined to the classroom however. Manas came over to my bench
"Hey," he said as he sat down.
"Hey, what's up? Something wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, no, no... Just came over to ask about the club activities."
"Oh, they've been going well. Valencia is running out of new places to go to, however."
"There's a finite number of places to take photos in this town?" he asked sarcastically.
I chuckled, "Yup, I think we won't be working together at one spot today. We can go wherever we like."
"Hmm," he replied, "hey, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Uh... Sure,"
"That photo you took way back when, the one of the dock,"
"Uh... What about it?"
"Can I have another look at it?"
I looked at him feeling blank. "Uh... Okay."
I reached for my phone, opened the photo gallery and brought up the photo in question. He took the phone and looked at the photo again.
"Is there something in this photograph? Something you think you see?" he asked still looking at the photo hard.
"No, what is there to see?" I replied.
"But that day you seemed almost distressed when I..."
"I made a mistake, this is the wrong photo. Besides, I figured out whatever it was."
"What was it?"
"None of your business," I said feeling flustered.
"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to pry."
He returned my phone and then got up. "Excuse me, I think I needed to talk to one of the teachers." He said as he walked out.
I looked after him, why did he suddenly take an interest in that blank photo? Speaking of which, why did I take this blank photo? Also, why have I kept it on my phone all this time? I looked at it in confusion, wondering. Something about this photo felt familiar and it bothered me. I went to delete the photo but my hand hesitated at the last moment, I felt like I was doing something wrong.
I decided against it. Something just felt too off about it. I thought there was something there I couldn't quite notice.
The school bell tolls the end of the day. People begin packing and filing out. I went to the other classroom, Valencia and the others were talking there.
"... And that's all there was to it. Hey Maya," she said waving.
"Hey guys, so where we going today?" I asked.
"Not you too! Don't make fun of me!" she cried as Alicia, Tara and I laughed. "There are only so many places I can find."
"Well, it'll be nice to just wander around town for once." Alicia said.
"And that's what we're going to be doing. Remember, tomorrow is when we edit the photos for the magazine, try to get the best shots you can." Valencia said as we walked out to the school gate. "Well this is where we split, see you guys tomorrow."
We went our separate ways.
I could only think of one place to go to. It's a little park, situated along the slope of the valley. The views you can see from there are something to marvel at. Looking down at the multitude of buildings as well as the river that passes through the town reminds you of a miniature model.
I spent a good deal of time just getting there, but I'd say it was worth it. The pictures I took there along with the pictures I took along the way have been worth the effort. I turned off my camera and just turned to savour the view. I followed the river down to the beach, and then followed the beach to the pier. That was the first place I took photos as a member of the club. It was also the day I took the photo of the man on that dock.
The man... on the dock?
My mind momentarily went blank. Which photo was that one? Then I felt that same feeling I did in the evening when I tried to delete the same photo.
The same photo?
My thoughts felt like they were writing themselves. I felt distressed about it, but the thoughts themselves didn't feel alien. On a hunch, or a realisation, I searched for that photo again. Opening it up again I realised it wasn't an empty dock. There was a man, or rather a boy. His jacket was tied around his neck as a cape, his headphones slung around his head, his bag by his side.
"Please, don't forget"
No sooner had I heard the whisper than I started running. I didn't seem to know where I was going at first but then it became obvious, where else could I be going? I weaved through the roads of the city as memories flooded back to me. The sunset... His expressions of suprise... His weak smile after he reintroduced himself.
I stopped running halfway there, panting hard.
"No," I said shallow with breath. "Not yet, I haven't forgotten completely yet!" I cried starting to run again.
I made it to the pier right as the sun began to set again. I was still panting hard and my legs barely had the strength to keep me up. I wobbled towards the dock plank in the photo and looked out at it.
Empty. Of course it is, what did I think? My mind felt blank again, my knees buckled, my eyes closed. I've never felt so tired. Then I remembered something else. Turning on my phone, I opened my phone's camera and then through the lens there he was.
"Where did you come running from? The next country?" he asked stifling laughter.
I chuckled then looked away, phone still pointed at him.
"I'm sorry, I almost forgot about you Sam."
"Did you?" I heard him say, his voice coming from the phone. "Well I'm not surprised, Manas did the same thing."
"Manas knows about you?" I asked, remembering the afternoon.
"He no longer does, in time everybody just forgets. Except you."
I turned to look back at him, to my suprise he was smiling. I felt relieved. Then another idea occurred to me.
"Hey do you mind if I take a photo of you?"
"Me? Why?"
"I think, perhaps, it'll help me remember better."
"Okay, sure." he said sitting back.
I took the picture and put my phone down to look at the shot. It was exactly like the one I took the other day. As is my habit I then looked up without my phone. Then I felt dumbfounded.
"Did you get it?" he said, not from the phone but properly from his mouth.
I blinked. "Uhm..."
He looked up, then noticed that I was looking straight at him without the phone. He looked suprised as well.
"Wait you can actually see me? Without the camera?"
I nodded.
He stretched his arm out and touched mine. I looked at his hand touching mine then looked back at him, a tear was rolling down his cheek. Suddenly he threw his arms around me. My eyes widened in shock.
He held on for a few seconds, then let go, looking away from me.
"Sorry... I just felt I should check again."
I was still processing what happened. "No it's fine, I can't imagine how it would feel to be alone like that." I said looking away as well.
He chuckled, "I suppose you'd have no idea."
We sat there silent for a moment.
"Well, I'm glad there is somebody else to talk to now, more so it's you." He finally said breaking the silence.
I turned to look back at him and he was smiling again.
I smiled back. "I'm glad you no longer have to feel alone."
The day passes on, we enjoy a rare free period, confined to the classroom however. Manas came over to my bench
"Hey," he said as he sat down.
"Hey, what's up? Something wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, no, no... Just came over to ask about the club activities."
"Oh, they've been going well. Valencia is running out of new places to go to, however."
"There's a finite number of places to take photos in this town?" he asked sarcastically.
I chuckled, "Yup, I think we won't be working together at one spot today. We can go wherever we like."
"Hmm," he replied, "hey, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Uh... Sure,"
"That photo you took way back when, the one of the dock,"
"Uh... What about it?"
"Can I have another look at it?"
I looked at him feeling blank. "Uh... Okay."
I reached for my phone, opened the photo gallery and brought up the photo in question. He took the phone and looked at the photo again.
"Is there something in this photograph? Something you think you see?" he asked still looking at the photo hard.
"No, what is there to see?" I replied.
"But that day you seemed almost distressed when I..."
"I made a mistake, this is the wrong photo. Besides, I figured out whatever it was."
"What was it?"
"None of your business," I said feeling flustered.
"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to pry."
He returned my phone and then got up. "Excuse me, I think I needed to talk to one of the teachers." He said as he walked out.
I looked after him, why did he suddenly take an interest in that blank photo? Speaking of which, why did I take this blank photo? Also, why have I kept it on my phone all this time? I looked at it in confusion, wondering. Something about this photo felt familiar and it bothered me. I went to delete the photo but my hand hesitated at the last moment, I felt like I was doing something wrong.
I decided against it. Something just felt too off about it. I thought there was something there I couldn't quite notice.
The school bell tolls the end of the day. People begin packing and filing out. I went to the other classroom, Valencia and the others were talking there.
"... And that's all there was to it. Hey Maya," she said waving.
"Hey guys, so where we going today?" I asked.
"Not you too! Don't make fun of me!" she cried as Alicia, Tara and I laughed. "There are only so many places I can find."
"Well, it'll be nice to just wander around town for once." Alicia said.
"And that's what we're going to be doing. Remember, tomorrow is when we edit the photos for the magazine, try to get the best shots you can." Valencia said as we walked out to the school gate. "Well this is where we split, see you guys tomorrow."
We went our separate ways.
I could only think of one place to go to. It's a little park, situated along the slope of the valley. The views you can see from there are something to marvel at. Looking down at the multitude of buildings as well as the river that passes through the town reminds you of a miniature model.
I spent a good deal of time just getting there, but I'd say it was worth it. The pictures I took there along with the pictures I took along the way have been worth the effort. I turned off my camera and just turned to savour the view. I followed the river down to the beach, and then followed the beach to the pier. That was the first place I took photos as a member of the club. It was also the day I took the photo of the man on that dock.
The man... on the dock?
My mind momentarily went blank. Which photo was that one? Then I felt that same feeling I did in the evening when I tried to delete the same photo.
The same photo?
My thoughts felt like they were writing themselves. I felt distressed about it, but the thoughts themselves didn't feel alien. On a hunch, or a realisation, I searched for that photo again. Opening it up again I realised it wasn't an empty dock. There was a man, or rather a boy. His jacket was tied around his neck as a cape, his headphones slung around his head, his bag by his side.
"Please, don't forget"
No sooner had I heard the whisper than I started running. I didn't seem to know where I was going at first but then it became obvious, where else could I be going? I weaved through the roads of the city as memories flooded back to me. The sunset... His expressions of suprise... His weak smile after he reintroduced himself.
I stopped running halfway there, panting hard.
"No," I said shallow with breath. "Not yet, I haven't forgotten completely yet!" I cried starting to run again.
I made it to the pier right as the sun began to set again. I was still panting hard and my legs barely had the strength to keep me up. I wobbled towards the dock plank in the photo and looked out at it.
Empty. Of course it is, what did I think? My mind felt blank again, my knees buckled, my eyes closed. I've never felt so tired. Then I remembered something else. Turning on my phone, I opened my phone's camera and then through the lens there he was.
"Where did you come running from? The next country?" he asked stifling laughter.
I chuckled then looked away, phone still pointed at him.
"I'm sorry, I almost forgot about you Sam."
"Did you?" I heard him say, his voice coming from the phone. "Well I'm not surprised, Manas did the same thing."
"Manas knows about you?" I asked, remembering the afternoon.
"He no longer does, in time everybody just forgets. Except you."
I turned to look back at him, to my suprise he was smiling. I felt relieved. Then another idea occurred to me.
"Hey do you mind if I take a photo of you?"
"Me? Why?"
"I think, perhaps, it'll help me remember better."
"Okay, sure." he said sitting back.
I took the picture and put my phone down to look at the shot. It was exactly like the one I took the other day. As is my habit I then looked up without my phone. Then I felt dumbfounded.
"Did you get it?" he said, not from the phone but properly from his mouth.
I blinked. "Uhm..."
He looked up, then noticed that I was looking straight at him without the phone. He looked suprised as well.
"Wait you can actually see me? Without the camera?"
I nodded.
He stretched his arm out and touched mine. I looked at his hand touching mine then looked back at him, a tear was rolling down his cheek. Suddenly he threw his arms around me. My eyes widened in shock.
He held on for a few seconds, then let go, looking away from me.
"Sorry... I just felt I should check again."
I was still processing what happened. "No it's fine, I can't imagine how it would feel to be alone like that." I said looking away as well.
He chuckled, "I suppose you'd have no idea."
We sat there silent for a moment.
"Well, I'm glad there is somebody else to talk to now, more so it's you." He finally said breaking the silence.
I turned to look back at him and he was smiling again.
I smiled back. "I'm glad you no longer have to feel alone."
when is the next one coming?
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