Moon River

"Hi! Whatcha doing?"

A sweet and gentle voice broke my concentration. A voice that has always reminded me of my beloved grandma.

As I turned away from the screen in front of me, my heart was overwhelmed with warmth, seeing a long lost friend.

"Writing," I replied. Well, that's what I call it anyway.

"Been a long time," I sighed. I felt a trace of guilt within me.

"Yeah, too long," she agreed. I was relieved not to sense any tint of resentment in her voice, one so trustworthy and soothing that I could feel the immediate dissipation of all tension and exhaustion away from me.

"C'mon up," she invited.

How could I resist.

Like climbing up the fire escape stairs to her window, I found myself ascending slowly towards her.

Suddenly, the tingling sense of excitement of my first ride years ago came rushing back to me. Although unlike the first, there's no fear diluting the thick of excitement this time.

As I rose higher, the change in the altitude was accompanied by the once familiar change of colours around me.

The harsh darkness ebbed, its void gradually permeated by the flow of gentle purples.

And the gentle purples slowly transcended into the comforting blue.

As I left my worldly bundles further below me, the clearer was the heavenly blue that engulfed me. With a warmth as cool as she, there's no room for any earthly weight in my heart.

A smile slowly curled up on my face, and it culminated into a shout of joy, "Oh, how I miss you!"

When I heard my happiness echoed through the vastness of the sky, I suddenly felt sheepish, "Oops..."

My embarrassment was met with a string of kind and comforting words, "Oh, how I miss you too!"

I felt as light as the floating clouds around us.

"So, tell me what've been going on in the past ten years," she inquired.

I started filling her up on my marriage, my kids, my changes in career, my constant fear of uncertainties of the future, my intermittent siege of loneliness, my mistakes and my regrets, my disgust towards the monotony of life etc, etc.

I was going on for so long I started to sense the "me, me, me, me, me ...". I then apologetically asked, "And how have you been?"

She smiled, "Oh, I'm fine." She then added, "I've learned a new trick. Want to see?"

"Of course!"

"But you need to shut your eyes three times for this trick to work."

"OK."

"Ready?"

"Brrruu ..." I bursted, my lips didn't open fast enough for my laughter to come out.

Not really sure how to react to the smiley, I remarked, "You're many things, but you're not really a good painter. Hahaha ... "

"Yeah? I thought so too," she smiled.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, what for?"

"You know, for dispersing the cloud of negativity," I said.

She smiled. I remembered that knowing smile.

"But surely, you have something better for me," I wasn't entirely satisfied.

"Of course, my dear. But you've got to prepare yourself," she said.

"Ooookay ..." with the biggest smiley face I've ever seen shown moments earlier, I wasn't really sure how to prepare myself this time.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

The shine slowly expanded.

The brightness grew brighter and brighter. At a faster and faster pace.

And brighter. And faster.

And brighter. Faster.


Brighter. Faster.

Brighter. Faster.

Brighter. Faster. Brighter. Faster ...

Could.

Hardly.

Keep.

My.

Eyes ... Open!

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Oh.

My.

GOD!

WOW!!!

As soon as the flares flashed to its brightest, everything fell sharply into darkness.

Total darkness.

Utter silence.

Absolute still.

Trembling. I was trying to take in all that I could feel at that moment.

Then suddenly, a soft glow emerged.

The glow lasted for a few seconds and dropped back into darkness again. She reappeared.

I was overwhelmed by excitement and awe. I was "awe-ver-whelmed" - well, she had the smiley face ...

"Wo! What can I say," a murmur was all that I could manage, "that's like the loudest firework display I've seen, with no sound."

"You could say, 'Awesome'?" she smiled.

"Awesome!" I concurred.

We both laughed.

As the laughter echoed off into the deep boundless space, after the magnificent show, there seemed nothing better to do than gazing into the sea of stars beyond and just ponder.

It seemed we'd been admiring the wonders of the universe forever, but yet, it didn't feel enough when finally her gentle voice broke the silence, "Hey ... time to go."

I paused at the reminder.

"Already?" I was reluctant. But I knew she was right.

Just as slowly as I'd ascended, I descended. My eyes couldn't break away from her, and I could feel her giving me a soft hug.

Then suddenly Frank's voice sailed across the night, "Moon river, wider than a mile ..."

I respect Sinatra, but at that moment, I thought his voice was a bit too strong, "Sinatra?"

"Well, OK. Your choice," she offered.

Without hesitation, I requested, "What about Miss Hepburn?"

"You've got it!"

As Ms Hepburn lulled, my eyes were getting heavier with every word she whispered.

Moon River, wider than a mile.

I'm crossing you in style, some day.

~

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,

wherever you're going, I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.

There's such a lot of world to see.

~

We're after the same rainbow's end.

~

Waiting 'round the bend,

my huckleberry friend,

Moon River ...

... and me.

As she faded further and further away, I mumbled, "G'nite ..."

"Good night, my dear ..."

And I fell into complete darkness ...

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Hi!

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Hi!

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Whatcha doin'?

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Writing.

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Huh ...

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"Hey, wake up. Rise and shine, it's good morning."

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