Afternoon

The moon glowed down on me from its perch in the night sky. The loud crash of the ocean below me paced symmetrically with my heartbeat. The soft breeze gave my arms a light embrace as they flew away. I gripped the metal railing lightly with both hands as my eyes searched the horizon. I leaned over the railing and admired the persistent crash of waves on the ragged rocks far below. My mind was calm, despite the eventful day I experienced mere hours beforehand. My mind drifted to the wonders of the world, the excitement of lands only viewed in the mind. 

My dreaming was put to an end when a car pulled up beside me. The SUV was all black with windows tinted dark with the help of the night. Opening the car door I placed myself inside. The unfamiliar man in the driver’s seat gave me a small smile that never reached his eyes. The inside of the dark car was clean and tidy, while it gave off the smell of rubbing alcohol. No words were spoken, a pin drop could be heard in the silence that was the drive. The man drove off to a destination of my choosing. The only sound came from the engine. I found myself lightly considering possibilities, conversations, interactions that might never come to pass. The imagination of the human mind surely holds beautiful wonders, ones that I can see, but not possess. 

Despite the drive being silent, it was never uncomfortable. Minutes passed before a simple white house with two bedrooms and one bathroom came into view. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and I stepped out. I gave the man my thanks, including payment for his services before he drove away. The house was alight. Rooms were active and you could see silhouettes of figures inside. My steps up to the front door were slow and calm. My hands moved on their own as I unlocked the wooden door and stepped inside. 

The house had a homey feel. It was bright and warm inside with laughter of children ringing around the house. I stepped out of my heavy jacket and lifted one of the laughing children in my arms. His short curly hair bobbed on his head as he laughed. I planted a kiss to his forehead, feeling the warmth under my face. The tiny being wrapped his small arms around my neck and burrowed his face into my chest. A light sigh escaped my lips as I took in the moment. I memorized every feeling, every smell, the appearance of the room, because times like this your mind can’t duplicate or replace. There I stood, in the living room of my home, rocking one of my sleeping children gently, with a bright smile on my face that almost matched the brightness of the room itself. Today, while others might think it uneventful, it was one I would remember. Another wonder of the human mind, remembrance of times that fill us with joy or love.