Chapter 2: The Venue
Months had past but still I had never forgotten about my dream. It felt as if it was embedded in my mind; more a part of me than a memory and the more I fought it, the more the daunting nightmare came back to haunt me.
There was only one thing that could have helped in a situation like that --- time. Many people look for an alternative or shortcut to mend a broken heart or to recover from a trauma that happened in their life but only time will do the trick. Time has a way of wiping those lifetime wounds away and it makes you forget about the hurt and the pain that happened in the past. Time heals.
You see the world has a plan. It is like a constant working machine and everything eventually falls into place. There are sometimes when the pain and grief is overwhelming and then there is a moment that makes life worth living. The strange thing is that it only takes a second to change someone's life forever. My life was changed in a blink of an eye and I still remember every single detail of that faithful day.
I was perched on the patio breathing in the crisp spring air in a perturbed manner. The sun was at its zenith and birds chirped mellifluously as my friend Josh leisurely made his way along the street. He gestured to me. He would often do this and it became one of his peculiar idiosyncrasies.
"You coming?" he asked, his sandy blond hair glinting in the sunlight.
I sniffed. "Where to?" I queried perplexedly.
A smirk etched its way on his lips. "The venue."
Many fond memories flashed in my mind at the mention of the place. Over the years the venue had become a rendezvous for the people living in the West Train district. It was a place filled with enthrallment and splendor. I remembered the many cherry blossoms that dotted the lush green expanse of grass and the sound of gushing water from the nearby waterfall.
"Dude, why are you wearing a suit?" I asked in a bemused tone.
"Tell you later but you're gonna have to dress better than that," Josh said bluntly.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked as I glanced down at my clothes.
He shot me an unwavering look. "Do you have to make me say it. Just change please," he replied brusquely.
"Hey, I got these clothes for Christmas," I protested.
"Whatever, just hurry up."
Ten minutes later I stepped outside in my best looking attire. Josh was nowhere to be seen. I unlatched the gate and peered down the street making out a blurred image in the distance. "Yo Josh wait up," I called as I ran along the street fuming with rage.
"Josh," I called again as I got closer to the person. The figure turned around and much to my surprise it was my neighbor Mr. Wang Li. He stared at me strangely then jabbered some Chinese.
"Sorry Mr. W I called although I knew he would not understand me.
A short while later I reached the venue. About two hundred well dressed teenagers stood embellished in a multitude of colors sipping refreshments. Music was blaring here and there but I could still hear the faint gushing sound of the waterfall and the frenzy of noise from the birds and insects as it crescendoed into a vast symphony of music.
I scanned the crowd of adolescents and young adults. I saw Josh standing by the refreshment table talking to a girl. He was a common extrovert and womanizer but under all that was a good-natured person.
"Excuse us for just one sec," I said to the black-haired damsel whom Josh was talking to.
"What the hell man. Why am I here?" I asked evidently irritated.
"A girl invited to me a party and I brought you to it. What's the matter?"
I looked around. "This is not a party."
"Well the girl who invited me here is very rich so it's like a party for civilized people," he replied wryly.
"But you're not civilized!" I protested.
"Yeah, that's why I dragged you here. Now relax and have some hors d'oeuvres," he said picking up the French appetizer.
I slapped it out of his hand and walked off contemplating whether to leave or not. I pondered it for a while and I finally decided to stay.
Presently the sun was shining brilliantly overhead; an auspicious moment for the blooming of flowers. Minutes passed by and I sat contently by myself. I did not feel to socialize with rich and spoiled teenagers especially since they would have annoyed the hell out of me and I did not want to go home due to violence.
Josh was standing by the refreshment table as a girl next to him scribbled her number on a piece of paper. He gave me a thumbs up and put the piece of paper into his pocket as the girl shuffled off.
I scoffed then looked at him with a visage that contained both boredom and fatigue. However, little did I know of what awaited me next.
